On Wednesday afternoon Ian Somerhalder [Pictured above left with you every own TV Addict] was in Toronto to talk about changing the world. As luck would have it, when Somerhalder isn’t shooting his hit CW series THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, you won’t find him living the actor’s life on some beach somewhere. Rather, he’s dedicated himself to travelling the world and talking about ways in which to make it better. Case in point, holding court at the Trump International Hotel to promote his association with CREE Lighting and how their energy-efficient LED Bulb will change the way everyone uses light.
And while we here at theTVaddict.com do solemlly swear to dedicate a future post to Somerhalder’s admirable efforts to change our world for the better through his self-titled foundation, there if a far more pressing issue at hand. Namely, tonight’s fourth season finale of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. But just what did the well-spoken and passionate actor/activist have to say about the episode? See for yourself, after the jump.
I can’t imagine doing anything else. The thing is, as an actor who has a lot of access, you have a social responsibility to take the information you have, products, relationship and allow that information to flow freely. That’s how things get done. Thomas Edison and [Nikola] Tesla didn’t take their inventions and say, “This is amazing, I’m not telling anyone!” By the way, I want to make it clear, I’m not comparing myself to the genius of those guys who changed the world for ever. I just plan on doing that as well… but by putting engineers in front of the right people because at the end of the day it is about educating. Public education is the only way information travels and we have changed the game with social media. All I do is act as an amplifier. If you have a voice I can plug in and amplify it and help to enact change.
That’s a very good question because it’s the perfect opportunity to find those moments where it’s just right. That’s where information really travels, it makes people excited. People watching the finale, thinking about lightbulbs, it’s the strangest cocktail! “Interjects Cree CEO Chuck Swoboda “Now there’s a product placement opportunity!”] Damon could say, I’ve been around for 170 years and I’ll be around for the next 1000, the least I could do is make it better. That’s a really funny angle.
Damon dies which is great… vacation! No, but Elena does make a very important decision. I’ve been walking around the streets of Toronto and people are very adamant about me explaining what’s going to happen and I just can’t. To the point of having to say, ma’am, “I am really sorry i cannot help you please stop crying!” But fan’s questions will be answers, like what the deal with Bonnie is and what decision Elena makes, you’ll find out a lot. Elena makes a decision and it’s a very dramatic experience. The entertainment value obviously will be completely subjective to ourselves and what resonates in each viewer’s life. But to us [actors] it’s just another episode. Episode eight-nine of the show, they really run together for us, like a through-line of a larger story, but we work really hard, This episodes took 13 days and millions of dollars and a lot of blood sweat and tears, we put everything we have to it.
It was a very interesting season. The boys bonded a lot, I got my ass kicked by Elena a lot! But it was a very interesting, the dynamic of creating drama. the idea of having this push and pull, where we really want things to happen in life but they don’t always happen the way we want them to. Being in love with someone, we can’t have them or we can have them and the circumstances aren’t right. These are things that we all ago through and it’s been happening to Damon all season.
The Originals are moving to their own spinoff and they are very very valuable actors to us and are really good. Truthfully, I’m a little unclear on how that’s going to work and to be honest with you, it makes me a little bit uneasy. I don’t know who’s coming in, but Joseph Morgan, Claire Holt and Daniel Gillies are phenomenal actors. So for my own selfish reasons for our own show and the integrity of our show I don’t want to see them leave. Hopefully they’ll float back and forth but i don’t know. [Editor’s note: One thing Somehalder is sure of is that there are no plans for him to appear on the spinoff in any capacity]. 
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES airs Thursdays at 8PM on The CW (CTV Two in Canada).