The actor who plays the hero off-screen instead of on – Ian Somerhalder

When you think of American film, gossip mags overflowing with Hollywood hunks immediately pop to mind. The UK has a thriving indie and dramatic scene, however we thought it was high time to flag some rising Hollywood stars (and their films/shows) who deserve to be on your radar. Who are we kidding? This liberal newspaper needs more than naturist-inspired weekly centerfolds to sate a college-level appetite for eye-candy. It’s relatively easy to find mouthwateringly sexy Hollywood actors, however when considering what ancillary characteristics might intrigue our science, tech and business-oriented student body, Ian Somerhalder easily tops the list. Your blank stare, squeals of “Boone” (Lost), or drool pooling on your well-worn copy of Entertainment Weekly’s Sexiest Beast issue slots you into either the uninitiated or swooning fan category.

Somerhalder’s current fan-fave sexy beast Damon Salvatore (of hit US show The Vampire Diaries) won. Hey, you must be doing something right if you’ve managed to take the New York Post PopWrap’s Best of 2010 Television No. 1 rank, as judged by a full-blooded male TV critic! Not Twilight nor overly teen girl-oriented, if you can bury your fear of the undead for an hour, “TVD” and the deliciously conflicted, psychopathically unstable and eternally sarcastic “knight in tarnished armor” Damon Salvatore is not to be missed. However, it’s not only Somerhalder’s compelling and often eerie performance, suggestive of future box office potential à la Johnny Depp, which convinced us to do a profile. If you’re in the mood to dive into the indie and smaller budget drama flicks Somerhalder’s acted in, you’re in for a treasure-trove full of sexy and hilarious moments. Our favorites are The Rules of Attraction, Life As A House and Wake.

The Rules of Attraction is a delightfully dark and twisted satire of university life. Amongst an ensemble of drug-addled, sexually promiscuous misfits, Somerhalder plays a disaffected, cynical bisexual student dealing with the harsh realities of a straight crush. Highlights include the most sexy and hilarious method of an undressed male selecting an outfit in digital existence. Best watched with your girl/boyfriend; this edgy, extremely liberal flick just can’t stop flaunting everything from straight sex, to male-on-male action, to a house full of naked ladies.

Life As A House is a surprisingly quirky, humorous, sad and profound tale about a terminally ill architect searching for the existential meaning of his life by constructing his dream home alongside his drug-addicted son (Star Wars’ Hayden Christensen). Somerhalder’s roaring entrance in a red Porsche catalyzes the story’s abrupt departure from emo-fest to hilariously dark as his cocky pimp/drug dealer character rips through the veil of the film’s seemingly idyllic neighborhood via activities like an ongoing tryst with the local cougar.

Wake is an indie romcom with drama/gothic/thriller overtones that led the Cinequest Film Festival’s opening night. Somerhalder plays the widow-with-a-secret of a mysteriously deceased woman and the new love interest of a dark, quirky girl who attends strangers funerals to entertain herself. Hilarious romantic and murder investigation hijinks ensue.

Somerhalder’s performance doesn’t rely on his trademark sultry stare. He has a peculiar quirk, adding character through facial micro expressions and eyebrows with a life of their own. Perhaps this is why he’s won over critics and was nominated for Best Drama Actor in the People’s Choice Awards. Or maybe it’s because he’s one of a only handful of actors who can pull off the “sympathetic murder,” ripping characters’ hearts out. By hand. (Recall: Emmy nods to Dexter). Most actors play hero on screen, however Somerhalder favours the antagonist. Chances are, it’s because he has a hero complex in real life.

He recently started the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF) to foster youth-led awareness initiatives within the realms of animal welfare, environmental issues and clean energy as well as to “fund applications and sources for green energy.” He’s personally involved in a green power entrepreneurial venture (Go Green Mobile Power). He became quite a large presence within social and mainstream US media this past year due to his vocal statements and awareness-raising during the BP Gulf Oil Spill. Inspiring and collaborating with an increasingly large set of fan-initiated awareness and fundraising groups, he’s also spoken on a panel at the Washington Energy Summit and, as a spokesperson for the Alliance for Global Conservation, will be going on a mission to Central America to assess environmental issues which he’ll present to Congress in autumn 2011. For more information, volunteering, or to find out how the IS Foundation may be able to assist projects in Imperial’s myriad of student energy, environmental and entrepreneurial clubs or research programmes, check out www.isfoundation.com (Twitter: @IS_Foundation, Facebook: Ian Somerhalder Foundation).