'Vampire Diaries' exec producers endorse Ian Somerhalder in our Sexy Beasts Bracket Game

With polls set to close at midnight ET in their section of EW’s Sexy Beasts Bracket Game, The Vampire Diaries‘ Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) has a commanding lead over True Blood‘s Eric Northman with 61 percent of the vote in their quarterfinal match-up. We happened to be chatting with Vampire Diaries exec producers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec this afternoon, and gave them the update. They both (eventually) endorsed Damon and explained why Katherine (Nina Dobrev) will be a contender after the Sept. 9 season 2 premiere (“Katherine in a bra, episode 1, tune in”)…

Entertainment Weekly: Damon is beating the pants off of Eric in our Sexy Beasts Bracket Game.

Julie Plec: [Gasps] Oh, we have made it!

Kevin Williamson: What?

Plec: [Explains Sexy Beasts Bracket Game to Williamson, she voted last round] Ian is beating Eric. I love it. By the way, Eric — hot.

Williamson: Eric who? From True Blood? Ohmygod. I’m sorry, I’m voting for Eric. I love Ian, but I see him everyday. [Laughs] I don’t see Eric. I can vote for Eric, right?

Plec: That’s been one of the greatest things is watching the audiences, and the critics, and fans, and even our executives go super-excitable about Damon Salvatore and how he has become a villain that they love, and hate, and worship, and want to sleep with, and want to flirt with, and watching the character pop.

Williamson: You know, I’d pick Ian. Stepping aside, just as a viewer, I’d pick Ian. And even knowing what I know about Ian, I’d double-pick Ian, because Ian’s got the goods. The man has got it goin’ on. For me, he just sort of feels perfect. He has that wonderful definition. He’s athletic and naturally fit…

EW: Going back to what Julie said, my reaction to Ian, the actor, has always been a desire to slap him, then kiss him. [Eighty percent of PopWatch readers agreed with me, by the way, which delighted Somerhalder when he heard the poll results.]

Plec: Yes!

Williamson: You know, I’d kiss him, and then I’d slap him.

Plec: Me, too. Or I’ll just kiss him.

Williamson: Yeah, Julie will be on one side, I’ll be on the other. We’d just fondle him ridiculously.

Plec: Ian Somerhalder is as Damon is: One look into those blue eyes, and you’ll do whatever he asks.

So you both publicly endorse him for Ultimate Sexy Beast.

Williamson: Yes, 100 percent. We are under his spell. Paul [Wesley]‘s as well. I don’t want to give it all to the guys. I’m kinda like a Nina [Dobrev] fan. I’m privy to all of the footage of her playing Katherine that you guys have not seen. She’s a revelation.

Plec: Hopefully next year Katherine will be in the Sexy Beasts female side of the battle.

Williamson: Yeah, she’s amazing. She just keeps surprising us with her performance. You know how hard it is to find an actress to anchor your series, that can just carry it? And she does it. I’m blown away by her. Not just to have a lovefest about the boys.

Plec: Just incase this whole article was gonna be about men with no shirts on [Williamson laughs], we really wanted to get that last bit in there.

Williamson: And you know what, she looks pretty —

Plec: By the way. [Laughs] Someone takes her shirt off in the first episode.

Williamson: Someone else takes her shirt off in the first episode, and she rocks a nice little black lace number really nicely.

Are you serious?

Plec: Yes, you heard it here first. Katherine in a bra, episode 1, tune in.

Williamson: Will you see her bra? It gets ripped off of her.

Plec: It does. Amidst all of the hot and heavy making out. Dot, dot, dot… [Laughs]

Williamson: All the violent sex all around the room.

Plec: Dot, dot, dot…

Wait, now you’re just teasing me.

Plec: Yep.

Williamson: Yeah. But we’re not lying.

Plec: But we’re not lying. Exactly.

[A little too excited upon hearing playback] Sex as in not flashback sex, but current sex?

Williamson: Oh, we’re not gonna say.

Plec: Action. We’ll just call it action. Action in a black lacy bra.

Williamson: Let’s put it this way: It’s what Nina was waiting all season last year to do.

I know my guess… What’s yours?

More Sexy Beasts:
Vote: Quarterfinals, Part 1
Vote: Quarterfinals, Part 2
View the full Sexy Beasts Bracket Game