Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder on His Directorial Debut, Lily's Return and Damon's Next Step 

Despite the Salvatore brothers rarely (if ever) seeing eye-to-eye, 

remains rooted in family, which is the exact philosophy Ian Somerhalder employed for his directorial debut, airing Thursday at 8/7c on The CW.

“When you talk about performance on set, you’re actually talking about the performance of an entire crew, as well as the actors,” Somerhalder tells TVLine. “You’re talking about 70 men and women who, when they’re at their best, allow the actors to perform their best. It’s then the actors’ job to show up prepared and ready to explore [the material].”

Somerhalder says he’s learned a lot over the years by closely observing his superiors, including executive producers Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, and producer/director Pascal Verschooris.

“Production managers and the crew are really the unsung heroes of our performances,” he says. “They’re the ones that design the sets, work with the writers to get these amazing spaces, and deal with every director and actor who comes through. When they speak, you listen, and I’ve learned a 

RELATEDPhoto Diary: Director Julie Plec Goes Inside Sheriff Forbes’ Funeral

Below, the first-time director discusses what the return of Lily Salvatore means for Damon, how he feels about Alaric’s impending nuptials and whether or not Damon might be inspired to get down on one knee anytime soon — or 

TVLINE | Damon just found out his mom is alive in a prison world. What’s going on in his head?

didn’t want him? Think about this: Basically, the two most important women in his life — his mother and Katherine, the love of his life, or so he thought — both abandoned him. So he’s thinking, “There’s no way this happened to me twice. And not only did they abandon me, but they did it with a smile.” That, I think, is a really huge thing for him.  A huge, huge, 

TVLINE | On a more positive note, Damon’s pal Alaric is engaged. What are the odds he’ll ask Damon to be his best man?

] Highly unlikely. They’re buds, so I don’t think Alaric would be the problem; it would be the beautiful woman Alaric is marrying who might have a problem with this crazy bastard. If I had a friend like Damon, I’m not so sure my wife-to-be would think it’s a good idea to make him my best man. But I’ll tell you, I’m really excited [for that wedding].

TVLINE | At least it would be a hell of a bachelor party.

Oh my God, can you imagine Damon Salvatore throwing a bachelor party?

TVLINE | Weddings tend to get people thinking about marriage. Might Damon be inspired to take that next step with Elena?

] Nope. Think about it this way: Damon’s 173 and Elena’s 18 or 19. I mean, come on. Something tells me that’s not the 

TVLINE | And then there’s Caroline. Will Damon help pull her out of her downward spiral?

I think he’s going to have to step up and do a bunch of stuff to make s—t work, but the thing is, Damon doesn’t care about very much other than Elena and Stefan. That’s really it. So I have to be very careful about making sure Damon’s not too concerned with a lot of other people. Sometimes, people want to make Damon really sweet and thoughtful — but no, that’s not him. Here are his priorities: “Is there bourbon? Is there gas in my car? Are Elena and my brother safe?”

fans, what are your hopes for Damon and Elena in Season 6? Do you think a wedding is really 

crazy? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.

Bamon sucks! Quit thinking they’ll be more than friends, silly girl. Lol

Quit thinking that you or any other fan have any REAL say in which way this show goes. The bamon fandom are a fandom for a reason because the chance that B’D could happen is actually very real. Dont be rude!

They never said anything about having a say in it. Look at the big picture: Damon and Bonnie’s friendship has more or less been used as a device to get Damon and Elena working together again. They don’t have much of any chance to get together romantically. If the writers wanted it to happen, Bonnie wouldn’t have been away for 15 episodes, 10 of which Damon was back home for.

Ok did I miss something…his mother did not want him?? Ouch that is rough! Did she not want both her sons or was it just Damon she did not care for..anyway this should be interesting.

Ohh to answer your question Andy about a Delena wedding, I’d love nothing more but I highly doubt it will happen. I can see Stefan and Caroline walking down the aisle before Delena does.

I feel like Caroline is more the marrying type than Elena.

Can you imagine Caroline planning a wedding? They could get half a season out of that.

I’ll watch this episode to support him!

And Loser really?!?!?!?! To know who and what Damon is exactly, I suggest you to watch the series all over again!!

Even so, i still think that he also cares about Bonnie.

Oh can´t wait for it when Ian to signs off for the Delena meltdowns! its gonna be good! other than that the show has become staler than stale! and the ratings are a prove of that! another season low coming tomorrow night!

I don’t think Ian really cares about what comes out of his mouth in these interviews. “Damon’s 173 and Elena’s 18 or 19. I mean, come on. Something tells me that’s not the best idea.” Coming from the guy who said he should get it on with Bonnie, that’s rich. Bonnie and Elena are the same age. He used to always say great things about Damon’s relationship with Alaric, and now he sweeps it under the rug. He either doesn’t get Damon at all, or he doesn’t care enough to think on it.

I stopped watching TVD a long ago, but I’m thankful for this interview and I’m glad I’ve read it. It’s great to read that there won’t be a Delena marriage. The show is already ridiculous without that…Also imagine the scene where Ian asks Nina to marry him on TVD, after everything that happened between them. And maybe Nikki Reed watching. That would have surely been embarassing. xD

P.S: I love how Ian called Katherine the love of his life. It’s been a long time, but it still warms my heart. However, I guess I’d be happy whoever he’d name the love of Damon’s life as long as it wouldn’t bee Elena.

Lol way to comfort yourself by thinking that Elena is not also Damon’s great Love! Well whatever warms your heart I suppose.

You do realize Ian does not have the final say on Damon & Elena’s r/ship. If it were up to him then there’d be no Delena, he has always voiced that the age difference btwn the two is disturbing.

Seeing as Julie and Caroline are so much into fan service, I would not rule out a DE wedding just yet.

“Damon doesn’t care about very much other than Elena, Stefan and Bonnie” it’s okay Ian I corrected your mistake free of charge.

I really don’t see Damon and Bonnie as a romantic item, but I think it’s pretty clear after this season, that Damon cares for Bonnie — guess we will have to disagree on this one, Ian!

What other step with Elena? ZZZZzzzzZZZzz I’m so over Damon and Elena and I’m not even a hater, seriously, just end it, it’s been milked to death already

I don’t think Ian is right on many of his comments. Damon cares for Stefan, first and foremost, Elena and now Bonnie as well. On the age difference between Damon and Elena; who cares?!? Haven’t they been together (as in fused together) since Elena chose him over Stefan? What difference does it make if they get married or not? That was kind of a dumb comment…imho.

Marriage or not, Damon did not think about age when they got together. In Ian’s mind marriage is not the best idea for them, but having a serious, physical and emotional relationship with a “18 or 19 years old” Elena is a good idea? Puhhhleazze… Ian is talking about what Ian thinks and would like to happen, he is not thinking about who Damon is and what Damon would think and choose. Disappointed!

That’s exactly it. Ian is projecting. He doesn’t think about who Damon really is. He talks about him like he’s still this dark, two-dimensional character from early season 1. He dismisses important relationships to Damon’s character (did he not just finish filming all the Damon/Liz stuff? Really now, Ian). He refers to Katherine as the love of Damon’s life, like he doesn’t remember all the times that Damon has shown to have stopped caring about Katherine one bit. He says that Damon won’t propose to Elena because the age difference makes it a bad idea… are you kidding me? Damon would marry her in a heartbeat. (Then again, Ian has a tendency to outright dismiss something when it turns out it’s going to happen. So maybe that’s our hint.) I’ve learned not to take anything he says seriously, but it’s still frustrating to get these interviews and hope for something interesting, but all he cares about is talking about his oh so awesome friendship with Kat.

Ian does not talk much about Delena.. He often jokes about them.. Remember the vamp sex in season 4,,he lied that it was not him.. we kept assuming until we finally saw the episode.. Everything will come up as a huge surprise.. And he cares for Bonnie now,,she sacrificed her life so that he can return back to his love ‘Elena’.. Their friendship is evolving.. But from season 1 it has always been Stefan and Elena,,even tho he used to hate him at some point of time.. And as concerned Katherine,,i was not expecting him to mention her as the love of his life when Damon actually blames her for ruining his life!!

Uhmmmm i don’t think he will just throw everything just like that….

I just Hope they don’t end this TVD like true blood they change soo much the storyline that at the end the final episode was the wrost they did to us!!! After all Elena and Damon fans we have being to and waiting patientionlly to see them together for 6 season and now they say that is not going to happen BS end TVD with the best Final ever let us see at least to have a relationship!!!! and we want to see Bonnie as a Whitch again!!! we want season 1 back except Elena-Estefan together pleaseeeeee…

If Stelena and Bamon don’t happen, and soon, the writers and producers are idiots. The ratings are dropping, the current story lines are not cutting it. Shift focus, change the game and really and truly go back to basics. The first two seasons and even the third were the best. Since Kevin Williamson left the show has gotten progressively worse. Stop listening to Delena Fans. Stop the fan service and just write good story lines like was being done in season one. I’ve never seen producers stoop so low. Produce a show YOU produce Julie..not what the fans produce in their fantasy worlds. You all are leading the show down a bad path. Get back on the right one before it’s too late and CW cancels the series. Stelena, Bamon and Klaroline or Carenzo. That’s what needs to happen, and soon. Rewatch the series and you’ll see the magic this show once was and what it’s become since the Delena Fan service began. No hating. Just speaking the truth. I’m a Stelena a shipper, but I’d take Stefan and Lexi over Stefan and Caroline. That story line is crap. Delena has been wrung out. Really. Enough is enough. It’s getting painful to watch.

Stelena is never gonna happen!! There is no hope for them, Elena does not even thinking about it. Fortunately :D

stelena is over!!!elena chose damon, loves damon and she wants be with damon!she is not a bitch, who will still exchange two brothers!!!

I agree!! What the hell did they do to this show! Delena wants a rain kiss, delena gets a rainkiss,it’s so unreal. Elena loved stefan so so much that love just can’t dissapear just because she became a vampire. It also sucks that every scene there is between stefan and elena they just end up talking about delena. This show was about a love triangle, the books are about a love triangle, i can’t believe that they just let go what the show was all about. Damon and bonnie? AMAZING chemistry and they just don’t do anything with it! same goes for klaus and caroline the fans want caroline to go to new orleans so bad and they just don’t give it to them!! And stelena.. well don’t even get me started about that, that couple had so much love for eachother so much chemistry and they destroyed everything that that fandom had left.. Hope. Delena’s fire is out, Steroline is so boring and sick, they are like brother and sister, caroline was a freaking stelena shipper. It makes no sense at all. Can’t believe these writers.

I can’t stand Damon and Elena either, they wig me out and have no chemistry. However you talk about fan service and then proceed to fan service for Caroline and Klaus which is another gross coupling. You can’t hate it for 1 and not the other, otherwise you’re a hypocrite.

I want Damon and Elena to get married. Their relationship is the reason I watch the series. They have chemistry and are good together. I don’t mind the age afterall the originals are thousands of years old

It seems like Ian always takes the time to credit the crew. Good of him, so many actors don’t.

I’m excited to see where the Lily Salvatore story goes and to see what happens with Caroline’s downward spiral and Steroline. IDK if I believe Ian about Delena not getting engaged/married????? I’ve felt like there were a few hints this season that they might do and sometimes it seems like Ian gives the most definitive answers when he’s lying to keep spoilers secret, LOL. I love Delena so if they’re getting hitched, great. If not, as long as they’re together that’s all I care about LOL!!!

S6 has been a good season, hopefully the end of the season will keep that up.

Don’t get Elana”s age makes a difference in marriage but not when it comes to having a relationship. Will stop watching after season 6 if that’s the case. 6 years is long enough to wait.

I think they all need to finish singles, each character needs to be rediscovered themselves and maybe years later reunited as friends, especially girls, they’re too young to talk about eternity with someone.

finally alaric gets a storyline this season

Damon cares about Bonnie, more then he admits.

I think Damon and Elaina should get married what a ending to a beautiful EPIC story. With everything they have been through i think a wedding is perfect for the two. Please consider this in your episodes. They have wonderful chemistry and if their on screen chemistry is epic i can only imagine their off screen. Two people who clearly have it,don’t loose it please.

Sadly this show has been horrible since they turned it into the Dullena Diaries and now the forcing of Stefan with Caroline will lose even more fans/former fans. Just cancel it already. How they could take such a great show that EVERYBODY went absolutely crazy for and turn it into what it is now is such a shame. I was a loyal fan since the very first episode and LOVED seasons 1, 2 and 3 and Thursday’s couldn’t come fast enough. The show was exciting, suspense, scary, love and so much more. Now it’s just Damon, Delena, Damon, Delena and a little bit of what ever. Like so many I’ve tried hanging on/watching but honestly Dullena killed the show. I’m done with the show. Bye

I want Bamon, Stelena, and Kleroline(if he comes back). But, to be honest, I really wanted to slap Caroline for doing what she did in Season 6 Episode 16. GRRRRRR

Is Damon going to ask Elena to marry him the next episode

Matt\'s Inside Line: Scoop on Castle, Haven, Bones, Mad Men, Good Wife, Teen Wolf, Blue Bloods and More!

American Idol Top 11 Recap: Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Kathy Griffin Exits Fashion Police — Read Her Official Statement

1Idol Recap: And Then There Were 12...329

2American Idol Top 11 Recap: Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow170

4Sleepy Hollow Showrunner Exits Ahead of Potential Season 3120

5American Idol: Top 11\'s \'Party Song\' Spoilers Revealed!103

Pilot Scoop: Ed Westwick to Wreak Havoc in ABC\'s