Ian Somerhalder

Ian: (On his work with Go Green Mobile Power & rising interest in green energy generators) It's really exciting stuff, we're going to go full bore and get these things out there producing green power.

Ian: (On his Vampire Diaries character, Damon) The dynamics in which this guy lives by are so skewed. But at the end of the day, and it sounds so cliché, but at the end of the day, he does everything - like all of us do - for love.

Ian: (On going to the Washington Energy Summit) I can't wait to put my thinking cap on and get to Washington and have really structured and really inspiring conversations with people and hopefully something comes out of it.

Ian: (talking about the BP oil spill and the Washington Energy Summit) I think there's a lot of anger and frustration and fear and determination in this exact moment in our country in the wake of this huge oil spill. But the government, they know enough to figure it out and they're taking steps to do that, so I'm really honored to be invited to go and speak with these people.

Ian: (On finding good work) It's exhilarating and challenging at the same time. It was a welcome challenge.

Ian: (on filming in Atlanta's heat) Let me tell you something. I love the South. I'm from the South. I'm a Southern boy. You experience temperatures here that one just doesn't understand until one is actually geographically here. I am watching our crew members melting like snowmen. It's insane.

Ian: (on his activism affecting his acting) I think it's a fine line. I don't ever want anything to come in the way of me truthfully telling a story.

Ian: Acting is such a huge part of my life. It really allows me to have a creative outlet and to actually be able to have an outlet to discuss openly the things that truly I think are relevant in the world, that make a difference.

Ian: (on the impact of the BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast) Basically, the entire area is shut down. Everyone from the waitress who serves you breakfast to the guy who owns the charter boat to the shrimpers - they all literally rely on the ocean to keep their industry going... Think about how frightening it is when you suddenly, though no fault of your own, can't feed your children or pay your mortgage.

Ian: (his reaction to the BP oil spill) You know when something bad happens in your life, or something goes wrong - that weird kind of really uneasy feeling you have in the pit of your stomach? I've had that for two months.

Ian: There's this old documentary about The Rolling Stones. There's a guy interviewing Mick Jagger and he says, "What's the definition of rock and roll?" Keith Richards walks by and goes, "Me." That's so Damon.

Ian: (On the BP oil spill in Louisiana) It's time to change, and I think this disaster is the game changer. It feels like this is one of those catastrophic events that truly changes the way that we think.

Ian: (On his character on The Vampire Diaries) I wanted Damon to be this wacky, sort of old world combination of Cary Grant and Mick Jagger.

Ian: (on fans of his show, The Vampire Diaries) Our fans, they are awesome. You get to experience that enthusiasm at a decibel level that is second to none. They are so loud and amazing. I swear, it was the closest to being a Beatle I'll ever get.

Ian: (when asked if he has another calling as an environmentalist) I don't know how to do anything else other than be an actor. If I wasn't in this, I would be in alternative energy and conservation.

Ian: (on the 2010 BP oil spill in his home state) To me and to the people that go down there, [it's] one of the most beautiful places in the world. And I actually had to watch it destroyed. And it will be destroyed -- forever. My great-grandchildren will not be able to enjoy the Gulf Coast of Louisiana the way I have.

Ian: (on MTV's Fight for Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Discrimination) This program teaches people that it only takes a single unlucky moment to lead to tragedy, if you come into contact with one really f****d up person, they can truly take your life away.

Ian: I have a million acquaintances but just two or three true friends. I can't hide anything from them.

Ian: It's great to play the charming guy we all want to be associated with. But a character with a bizarre mind and given to committing horribly illegal actions can be fascinating. Sometimes it's more interesting to portray someone who battles his thirst for wrong and tries to understand it.

Ian: Two guys kissing is not as sexy as two girls kissing. When Selma Blair made out with Sarah-what's-her-name, that was hot. Me and James Van Der Beek making out is not hot, it's rather disgusting. We both looked at each other and said, 'Dude, don't stick your tongue in my mouth.'

Ian: You can't get anywhere without the people who have come into your life.

Ian: I kind of think too much, I try do too many things at once.

Ian: I realized I had to stop modeling and start studying to be an actor, which I'd wanted to be since I was about six.

Ian: My mom made my baby food and had me on blue-green alga probably since I was in third grade. I never had sugar. I never got to have white bread or any white-flour products.

Ian: I have a beach house in Malibu, so I'll go there, grab a surfboard or a sea kayak or whatever, and get outta here. The quality of life is so much higher anyplace you can ski in the morning and surf in the evening--there's something to be said for that.

Ian: It was really intense. You're covered in bug spray and dirt and makeup, and it's 95 degrees with no wind, and you're on a beach surrounded by fire. By the end of the episode, you would have to go home and get scrubbed. But I love Hawaii. I will absolutely live there some day. In fact, I almost bought a house there--but, two days before I was going to fly back to look at one, I found out that my character was being killed off.