Ian Somerhalder: 'Twilight paved the way'

Ian Somerhalder has said that the box office success of the Twilight franchise opened the market for vampire-related movies and TV shows.

The actor, who plays Damon in The CW's Vampire Diaries, told Metro that the adaptation of the Stephenie Meyer novel helped other works in the genre.

Somerhalder said: "The box office success of Twilight paved the way for all this vampire stuff. It opened up the market.

"The genre has always been popular but it's having a resurgence, which is why this show got a green light."

When asked if his Vampire Diaries character was "a bit of a rotter", he answered: "Yes, but I don't judge him. Everyone has righteous reasons for what they do in the world.

"He believes what he's doing is justified. He believes he's been wronged by his brother and has vowed to make him miserable for eternity. He's just living up to his promise."

> Click here to watch our recent interview with Ian