TV Hits
Young Americans
hits the small screen this month - and hunky Ian Somerhalder stars...
You play a
complex bloke on
Young Americans.
Tell us some more about him...
I think I landed one of the more juicy plotlines in the show because initially,
everyone thinks he's gay! At his age there are a lot of things going on, and
it's quite unsettling for him. He's a sweet kid, and is more comfortable in
Rawley Academy
(the school where the show is set)
than anywhere else in the world. And then he's freaking out!
So are you
similar to the character you play?
Hamilton is the kind of guy who sits around and dreams. He also writes a lot of
poetry. In that aspect, yes, I'm quite similar. I also grew up near a school
where my older brother went, and I got to know everything about the place, just
like Hamilton does on the show.
Young
Americans is being broadcast all around the world! What reaction have you had
from TV viewers?
It was the biggest response that I could've ever imagined! I used to get up to
2,000 emails a day - and it keeps going! It's great! Everyone thought that me
and Kate
(Ian's co-star on the show)
were dating. Then many people thought I was gay! It's been a crazy journey!
One of the good things about the show is that everyone can enjoy it. Youngsters
can relate to what's going on and people who are much older can sit back and
reminisce!
And it must
have done wonders for your career?
It worked, believe me! I booked five films right after the show. At the moment
I'm shooting one with Kevin Kline. It's got an all-star cast and we're hoping
it will be up for Academy Awards next year. It's going really well!
You lucky
fella! So have you spent much time in the UK?
Not too much time, but I was a model for 10 years and have lived all over
Europe. But I love London especially! My girlfriend lives in New York and I
want to spend a lot more time there. But London's only a hop, skip and a jump
away, so you'll definitely see me there soon!
Was it fun
travelling the world as a young model?
Yeah! Travelling gets in your blood, becomes who you are. You look at life as
one big journey, and it feeds you, drives, you. But this business doesn't allow
you to travel that much! You have to buckle down and it can be tough.
So what's in
store for you in the future?
I want to write, direct and produce. I want to take control! It's going to
take a while, but that's the plan.
