Q. You can currently be seen on the show "Vampire Diaries," are there any other projects that you've been working on?A. Right now I am currently in post production on a film I produced this summer. I'm doing a lot of things, doing a little light reading, some hiking, stuff like that.
Q. What about your role as Matt on "Vampire Diaries" that continues to challenge you?A. I think that no matter how often we try to be selfless, we sometimes end up being a little selfish in the process, and Matt is never selfish. He is selfless all of the time, every decision he makes is selfless. I would say that's been hard to adapt to.
Q. What do you think it is about the show that continues to garner so many viewers?A. Well for starters there is a vampire phenomenon. Everyone knows that we're kind of riding the same wave that a lot of other people are riding, but what I think separates our show from the other shows, is that we're in a constantly evolving world that people are privy to watch.
Q. You had to dye your hair to play a natural blonde. Is this something that's hard for you to maintain?A. No, no, not at all, I was born a toe head, my hair was white when I was born and started getting darker as I got older. They cut it kind of short, I like it, it's a lot easier and my eyebrows are still white as snow.
читать дальшеQ. In a previous interview we did with Katerina Graham she mentioned you had a project you were working on with the Children's Hospital in Atlanta. Can you tell us a little bit about it and why it's so important to you?
A. Why it's so important for starters is that we're in Atlanta right now and none of us had really been based out of Atlanta and now our show is floating off of the charts with filming here in Atlanta. I decided it would be nice to give something back to Atlanta. They've been so cool to us with having us in their city. I love kids and I know that everyone else on the set loves kids.
Q. In an interview Julie Plec did with Soap Opera Weekly she said that, "One character that won't be on the roller coaster is the show's most steadfast guy, Matt, that he's such a good guy in the book that they didn't want to mess with that. She went on to say that in most shows you don't get the hot, well-liked athlete who happens to be a good person with a good heart." What are your thoughts on her comment about that because there it's rare to find that truly great guy on TV, that Matt shouldn't be messed with?
A. Two reasons I don't think Matt should be messed with. First, because TV needs a nice guy like Matt, a guy that is pure and doesn't have a motive at the end of the day. Second, you never, ever want to mess with the most polite, quiet athlete type because you know they're always hiding some kind of secret and by the time you try to mess with them all hell will break loose. I think Matt's got some hidden rage, I mean look at his life, he's never exhibited any ounce of anger or emotion and so I feel like it's going to be a Ned Flanders kind of explosion.
Q. You and many of the other cast members are on Twitter and have a lot of interaction with the fans of the show. Why is it important for you to reach out to the fans this way?
A. Twitter, to me honestly, is really easy. I have been horrible with fan mail my entire career. I think you really have to be diligent about it and stay on it and I never was. With Twitter, it's so easy, I can see what the fans are saying. Should I choose to comment on it, I can, and I feel like it's the easiest way for me to contact the fans.
Q. Where do you draw from for your portrayal of Matt?
A. I am from the Midwest, I'm from Ohio, and there are guys like Matt all over where I'm from. They always put the woman first and family comes first. Matt is small town and I grew up in a small town.
Q. We have seen a few photos and articles about the female cast members hanging out together outside of the show, but not too much of the guys. Do the male cast members get together outside of the set as well?
A. Definitely! The girls and the guys, we all hang out together, it's just that Ian and Paul work all the time. Their only free time is on the weekend, they are constantly doing press and stuff like that. Ian and I have a lot in common, we're actually going to spend some time together over this Thanksgiving, and Michael Trevino I hang out with all of the time. Paul Wesley is a pretty cool guy too though, we all get along.
Q. Do you have a latest obsession? Are you into any particular music group, sport, book, or activity?
A. My latest obsession is iMovie because I got a flip cam about a month ago and I figured out how to edit all of my little flip videos together.
Q. What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?
A. Thank you very much, I appreciate your support along the way, and I continue to appreciate it.