Ian Somerhalder ‘s been busy this summer while on hiatus from filming his hugely popular CW series The Vampire Diaries. No, he’s not breaking the hearts of the millions of fans who tune in each week to see the handsome former model play bloodsucker, Damon Salvatore. Nor, as the tabloids that ravenously track his every movement insist on reporting, is he tending to his own wounded ticker, after a much-publicized breakup with his gorgeous costar, Nina Dobrev.
Instead, the talented actor has been over in London filming The Anomaly, for British director Noel Clarke, a gritty action thriller about a traumatized ex-soldier who wakes up in the back of a van next to a young boy, and learns he has only minutes to escape before losing consciousness. Perhaps you might be having visions of Ryan Reynolds trapped in a coffin with nothing but a cellphone and a lighter in Rodrigo Cortes’s extremely claustrophobic 2010 film, Buried, but relax, Clarke’s movie promises quite a bit more.
First of all, Somerhalder isn’t carrying this pic alone. Award-winning Scottish actor, Brian Cox (Braveheart, The Bourne Identity) brings the gravitas, Pitch Perfect’s stunning brunette bombshell, Alexis Knapp brings the heat, and for good ole-fashioned rugged charm, there’s always Luke Hemsworth, oldest of that Aussie band of brothers (including Chris and Liam) who seem to be burning up the screen one toothy smile and bulging bicep at a time.
However, fans of the smoldering CW star need not worry about Mr. Somerhalder fading into the background; this dreamy-eyed vet with more than 10 years of experience in the business can more than hold his own. In addition to starring as one of the un-dead leads on The Vampire Diaries, the actor has also played memorable parts on Lost and Smallville, not to mention turned in a star-making performance in Roger Avery’s funny and twisted 2002 film The Rules of Attraction, (based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis), in which he shared a daring onscreen kiss with co-star James Van Der Beek three years before Heath and Jake made it de rigeur for “serious” young actors.
He might not be kissing Dawson in his new flick, but if Mr. Clarke’s previous films are any determinant, Somerhalder will be getting into all sorts of crazy antics onscreen. Clarke, a theater-trained actor with quite the resume of his own (Sex, Drugs, & Rock and Roll, Star Trek Into Darkness) excels at telling stories about people facing life or death situations, forced to make some serious decisions… quickly. Look for next year’s The Anomaly to deliver the same stylish and heart-pounding excitement that made 2008’s Adulthood and 2010’s 4.3.2.1 such a hit with fans. In fact, we can hear Somerhalder’s faithful devotees screaming already.
Movie Trivia: earlier this year Ian finished a short film titled “Time Framed” (directed by Sinisha Nisevic) where he played Agent Truman Black, a whistle-blower uncovering control and corruption.
Noel Clarke played Charlie in 2012 Sci-Fi “Storage 24” co-starring Colin O’Donoghue.
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CLICK HERE for NOEL CLARKE’s Facebook page.