Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly
Christmas 2002
IAN SOMERHALDER Ian’s Not-So-Hollywood Screen Kiss
Ian Somerhalder’s had a short career as an actor, but he’s already cornered
the market on superhot, sexually and romantically confused characters. Whether
it’s the guy who falls in love with a guy who’s really a girl on the short-lived
series Young Americans, a bisexual hustler who’s into Hayden Christensen in My
Life as a House or Paul, part of the screwed-up quartet of crazy coeds whose
unrequited affection for James Van Der Beek runs The Rules of Attraction, Ian’s
the man when it comes to navigating modern love and lust. A&F sent director
Gregg Araki to get the scoop.
What was it like making out with James Van Der Beek? Oh, God. Oh, God. That is one really horrible question.
Why is it a horrible question? Well, first of all it wasn’t a makeout. It appears to be a makeout. I am not going to say anything bad. It was a very interesting experience. One I don’t plan on having again, actually.
Did you guys talk about it beforehand? Yeah, we talked a lot about it. What we came up with was, Hey, we are going to make this as cool and as fun as possible, because it kind of hasn’t been done and James has a lot of specific fans and I have very specific fans. So we just set out to have fun. What could be more fun than to have a good time and mess with people?
That was your intention? Yeah, to make it as believable as possible. Do your best to enjoy it. I know I am not gay. James knows he is not gay, so where is the problem? There was a lot of trepidation at first. But it goes away and you do it and you get it done. Now it’s going to be on-screen.
Forever and ever. I read somewhere that you had a ground rule of no tongue... That was both of our ground rules. Here is the thing: 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.”
It’s hot for some people... That’s cool. That’s totally cool. But it is what it is, and that’s what it is.
Didn’t Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair use tongue? Yeah, they did, but they are chicks and they can.
That’s allowed? That’s allowed. That’s very allowed.
Okay. We’ll get off the kiss. Thanks.
Your character in Rules, Paul, is obsessed with someone he can’t have. Have you ever been in that situation? What did you learn about yourself from it? I have always made it a point to get what I wanted, but in a good way. If you strive for something, obtain it, achieve it in some way, shape or form. The only thing I have wanted as far as girls I have gotten.
So you have never been obsessed with someone you couldn’t have? If you’ve been obsessed with them, you’ve had them? Yeah, kind of. Doesn’t that just sound absolutely horrible?
If that’s your reality, that’s your reality. In your career you have played a series of sexually ambiguous characters. Yeah, no kidding.
Are you concerned that you’ll be typecast as an ambisexual pretty boy, or do you not care what people think? I don’t really care what people think. Here is the thing. The more different roles you play, the more varied body of work you are going to have. I want a very diverse body of work—that’s all I am going for.
Is there an actor whose work you really
admire? Sean Penn.
This is your ethical dilemma. You have a really juicy, amazing part
costarring with Sean Penn, working with a director you love, but it’s scale—a
really independent movie. At the same time, you have an offer for a $3 million
paycheck in a really cheesy piece of s*** that you know is going to make a lot
of money, but you also know in your heart it sucks. What do you do? I would
do the independent movie with the really great director and Sean Penn. Here’s
the reason why: It’s obviously going to be a great film, and after that movie
comes out, you will find another $3 million deal. I refuse to do movies for
money. I believe in the end it will all pay off. There are all kinds of
successes. There is financial success and life success. I plan to be successful
at both of them. It’s just a matter of which one comes first and how much
patience you have for each one of them. Why have $3 million if you are going to
be miserable and ruin a career you have worked very hard to build? $3 million
doesn’t go so far, because out of $3 million you are going to get one quarter of
it.
When all your peeps take their cut? When your lawyers and agents and
managers are paid and taxes.
After you spend what's left on
sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, there is not much left.
Pretty much. I mean you can spend it on drugs and rock 'n' roll, but you
shouldn't have to spend it on sex: That should just kind of come to you. That
should be free.
That's a good closing statement. Ian Somerhalder says: "Pay for drugs and rock 'n' roll." But not for sex. That should come for free.