Dodging the Super 8 creature — and while under the influence! — may soon seem like a walk in the park for David Gallagher, who has nabbed a Vampire Diaries role with some real… teeth… to it.

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Vampire Diaries, Nikita, 90210 and More!

Best known by TV fans for his run as 7th Heaven‘s Simon, Gallagher will appear on the first two episodes of the CW hit’s new season, TVLine has learned. Playing werewolf Ray Sutton, he will have a grim run-in (a howlingly bad time?) with Klaus in Tennessee.

Vampire Diaries Dish: New Season Opens with a Big Event

Though this does mark a homecoming on The CW for Gallagher, I am told that it was actually his scene-stealing work in the summer crowd-pleaser Super 8 that caught the eye of the Vampire bosses.

Matt’s Inside Line: Scoop on Vampire Diaries‘ Bad, Bad Stefan

The Vampire Diaries stakes out its new season starting Thursday, Sept. 15, at 8/7c.

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Vampire Diaries fans, mark your calendars for September 15. That’s The CW drama’s third-season premiere — and a special day for Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev). “Our first episode is Elena’s 18th birthday,” spills exec producer Julie Plec. What’s in store for the birthday girl?

“There will be a small time jump [from where last season ended] as we celebrate Elena’s birthday,” says Plec. “But as is the pattern in Mystic Falls, the event never reaches its climax.” Elena will now be a senior in high school, but don’t bank on a season-ending graduation.

Now that she’s 18, “Elena and Jeremy technically don’t need a parent living in their house [following Aunt Jenna's death],” says Plec. “She will be taking care of herself.”

On the romantic front, might the show now capitalize on the real-life romance of Nina and Ian Somerhalder (Damon) and have their characters hook up? While Plec stresses she would never exploit her actors’ personal lives, she hints that “over the course of the season, Elena will be struggling with a deep, deep attraction toward Damon. That’s going to be a big problem for her.” As will Rebecca, a yet-to-be-cast vampire from Stefan’s “darkest ripper days who loves that Stefan’s back to his bad behavior.” She’s not the only one.

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When Jeremy (Steve R. McQueen) was suddenly able to see his dead exes, Vicki and Anna — after witch girlfriend Bonnie resurrected him in the season 2 finale of The Vampire Diaries – was crowned the Single Most Clever Twist by readers in EW.com’s annual Season Finale Awards. So where do we go from here? “When we come back to see him at the beginning of the season, we’ll see that he still hasn’t had any success figuring out what it is that they want, or understanding even what it is that they are,” exec producer Julie Plec tells EW. “We’ll see that maybe he’s been keeping this a secret, that nobody else is aware of what he’s been going through, and that his behavior has changed quite a bit and people are starting to wonder if he’s perhaps getting back into some old bad habits. When in reality, he’s just trying to figure out why the hell he’s being haunted by his dead girlfriends.”

The mystery will continue for a handful of episodes; then we’ll get some answers in an hour that EP Kevin Williamson describes as “the climax of the haunting of Jeremy” in October. “Are they there for good? Are they there for bad? It will once again be another twisty story,” he says. “It’s gonna take a lot of turns and also involves some unlikely participants.”

Plec continues the tease. “We’re gonna have some fun with Vicki and Anna and start to really reveal the secrets of why they’re here, what they want, and who else they have access to from our past,” she says. So we may be seeing more of the show’s dearly departed? Fingers crossed. “That’s the most beautiful part of our show,” Plec says, “just because somebody faces their demise in our world, doesn’t mean we’ll never get to see them again.”

As for what Jeremy’s situation means for Bonnie, we’ll get to see her dealing with a new kind of drama. “Because of her love for Jeremy and bringing him back to life, she’s given him access to two people who were very important to him romantically and emotionally. So for the first time, we’ll get to see Bonnie trying to navigate the difficulties of a relationship,” Plec says. “It’s not about being a witch or having access to the power of a 100 witches, it’s about being a girl who loves a boy whose heart is a little bit torn in different directions. I think it will be nice for us to see Bonnie explore some good relationship stuff for a change instead of just being the witch on duty.”

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Now that Vicki Donovan (Kayla Ewell) and Anna (Malese Jow) are suddenly back from the dead on The Vampire Diaries, who knows where show creators Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec will take things? Well, Kayla Ewell might have a few ideas. We caught up with Kayla over the phone while she was vacationing with her boyfriend (an actor you haven’t heard of… yet, she says) and his family in Alberta, Canada. In her exclusive Wetpaint interview, Kayla tells us why she didn’t believe the great news at first, what catfights could be brewing in the future, and how she’d like to see the show return to its roots.

What did you think when you heard you were coming back to the show?
I was just as shocked as everyone else was. When I received the phone call, I had thought my time on The Vampire Diaries had passed. It was April Fools’ Day and I literally thought it was a joke. I really thought my managers and agents were playing a cruel joke on me and they thought it would be really funny to trick me. It took me a whole day — at the very end of April Fools’ Day my manager was like, “Okay, you know what? You really need to listen to us and get over the fact that you think this is a joke because we need to talk contracts.” I was just like, “Oh my gosh! Wow, this is actually real!” Then I was so excited and jumping up and down.

How did everyone manage to keep such a big secret?
I got a call from Candice Accola (Caroline Forbes) the next morning at like six because the first version of the script came out without Malese and I in it, on purpose so that no one would know. So Malese and I were already committed to it and knew what was happening but it was so secretive that they kept it from the cast in the very beginning. I’m so grateful that they thought it was such a big deal to keep it a secret. And Kevin and Julie planned stories with us in case anyone had seen us in Atlanta, what we would say and stuff like that. That’s how devoted and loyal they are to their fans. They really wanted it to be a complete surprise. I’m happy to say I think we did a really good job with that, because I don’t think anyone knew.

I didn’t even tell my brother and sister because they’re both in college and they have Twitter and Facebook. And with one slip-up it could get out there, and I didn’t want Warner Brothers to be upset. So we did a good job keeping the secret and it’s just going to be so much fun to go back and be with my friends and be a part of a show that I was with since Day One. It will be nice to be part of the family again.

Who do you think Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) should be with: Vicki, Anna, or Bonnie (Katerina Graham)?
Well, I’m obviously Team Vicki because I am Vicki. But I do think Jeremy has his work cut out for him because he has three lovely, beautiful ladies and each kind of gives him something different. It depends where they’re going to go with it and what Jeremy’s going to need.

What can you tell us about your role in Season 3? Do you know how many episodes you’ll be in?
Actually, they’ve verbally said seven, and then they’ve said ten, and then they’ve said three, and then they’ve said… so I really actually have no idea. I’m not sure if they really know either. We’re just going to have to see. I really think it depends on the fans and how much they enjoy it. So hopefully we get really great people who want to write in and talk about it.

What’s your theory on Vicki’s return?
For me as an actress it’s an interesting job to get the script, to know that I was coming back, and to have absolutely no idea what I was — if I was a ghost, if I was an angel, if I was actually there in person? It was really interesting for me to have to come up with kind of a reason as to why I was there. I have a theory that I’m kind of keeping to myself because I want to see if it comes true or not, and we’ll have to see if it does. It was just so much fun to create a backstory, and to realize why I was there. It was interesting to go back to [the writers] and talk to them because they were like, “You know what? Actually, we don’t really know what you are yet either. So we’re going to have to come up with that.”

I think what’s interesting about Vicki coming back is that it’s not just solely about Jeremy. It’s about having unfinished business with my brother, Matt (Zach Roering), and my ex-boyfriend, Tyler (Michael Trevino). There are just so many different ways to go with the story. And after my little talk with Kevin Williamson I think they’re going to do some really fascinating things. There’s going to be so many twists and turns — even just talking to him about it I had butterflies in my stomach! I was just so excited about the ideas they’ve been tossing around. So we’ll see what they come up with, but I just know that Kevin and Julie will do a fantastic job whatever they decide.

Do you think Vicki will cause problems for Jeremy and Bonnie?
Absolutely. Instead of a triangle there’s a love rectangle going on right now, and I think with Vicki, wherever she goes she stirs up trouble. I don’t even think she means to, she just does. I think Vicki and Jeremy really do love each other, and I think Jeremy really loves Bonnie too, so there’s bound to be some drama stirred up. There’s room in there for some major catfights, because if you throw in two vampires and a witch there’s bound to be trouble.

You’ve mentioned that you think Vicki will be “coming back with a vengeance.” What would you like to see happen with the character this season?
I have a hard time saying what I want to see, because what I really want to see is what they write. Kevin and Julie come up with things that I as the character can’t even fathom in the very beginning, so whatever they chose to do is going to be so much more fascinating than anything I can actually tell you right now. All I would like to do is stir up trouble and have some fun, and really bring the storyline back to the beginning, back to what it was in the very beginning of the show.

Do you think Matt will be reunited with his sister?
I do. Matt has gone through the death of his sister — you know, quote-unquote — and the death of his mother. I don’t know if she died or if she left, but so many people have left him. And now he just realized that there are vampires that exist, so I definitely think there’s room to explore that. I’ve heard that Zach is going to have a much bigger storyline this season, which is great, and I do believe that Vicki is big part of it, but I as the actor don’t even know what to expect. I have no idea what’s in store and that’s how it’s been since the very beginning.

What are you most excited for when you return to the TVD set and Atlanta this summer?
Everything. The people are so wonderful. They have such Southern charm about them and everyone is just so wonderful and nice. And then throw in grits and all the good southern food! The city itself is so beautiful and it’s nice to escape L.A. and be able to go a new city and meet new people. I love the rain and it rains all the time. Shooting in a city that is not L.A. or New York, no one really cares who we are. I think that really helps to keep the whole cast really grounded. To be in that little bubble and just be happy and working, it’s really wonderful.

Like I said, I’ve been there since the pilot, and I’ve developed such strong friendships with so many of those people. I would go to Atlanta and visit the girls even when I wasn’t working, so to be able to come back and work with my girlfriends again will be so wonderful. I really feel like we’re part of a special little family.

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Before Malese Jow jetted off to Nimes, France for the Mystic Love Convention — where she’ll meet up with Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, Michael Trevino, and Candice Accola — the busy actress took a few minutes out of her packing session to talk to Wetpaint.

Malese was super sweet and answered all our questions about what’s going down in Mystic Falls now that Anna and Vicki (Kayla Ewell) have returned, what other characters she wants to bring back from the dead, and what it’s like to kiss Steven R. McQueen. Here’s a hint: Her answer has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she called him a puppy dog.

Wetpaint: You’re about to leave for Nimes, France.

Malese Jow: I am, yeah, with some of the cast. It’s going to be really fun. I can’t wait to see that part of the world. It’s so crazy that people know who I am and know the show. I mean, you’re just kinda in a little bubble when you’re here in America. But I mean, it really is all over the world. And there are some fanatics that I can’t wait to meet.

Are you staying in Nimes or traveling around?

I think I’m just gonna be there through the weekend. I’m going a little bit early just to get used to the time change because I’ve never experienced anything like that before. It’s gonna be some major jetlag. But I’m going to be there throughout the weekend. The itinerary is jam packed with meet and greets and autograph signings and Q and As, so I mean, it’s gonna be pretty jam packed but it’s gonna be the good kind. I mean, I get to meet everyone and it’s gonna be good.

What are you looking forward to most?

Just being in that part of the world and meeting all those people. I mean, English isn’t their native tongue — I mean, that’s so weird to me. I mean, they see the show in French. And that’s so fascinating, and I can’t wait.

Are you dubbed over in the French version of the show?

I mean, I’m guessing so. I’ve seen some clips on YouTube of Jeremy/Anna scenes in German. So, I’m guessing that it’s dubbed in French, which is crazy. The voices don’t sound anything like us. But, I mean, the material on the show is all that matters.

That must be a strange experience…

Yeah! It’s really weird. I mean, I think that my voice, the one that I heard, she sounded very womanly, and I was like, whoa, look at me.

So, what’s in your suitcase?

Some essentials, you know, packing heels, and the dressy stuff. I mean, I’m way into maxi stuff. I’m packing my maxi skirt. And definitely, like, three different kinds of cameras. I’m gonna try to document everything because, you know, aside from this being a cool experience going to this convention and meeting everyone, it’s my first time, like I said, going somewhere so far away from home. So it’s very exciting for me. It’s kind of a monumental moment in my life, really …

The whole show has kinda provided me with a whole new part of my life and growing up and getting now to see parts of the world that I wouldn’t get to otherwise.

Kayla Ewell is convinced your characters are angels. Do you agree?
I’m totally down with that. I mean, I’ve heard everyone’s predictions, and, you know, I kind of have a few myself, because I haven’t heard anything definite from anyone over at The Vampire Diaries. So, right now it’s all speculation. And an angel/spirit thing would be a great facet to the show, I think.

I mean, I think they definitely portrayed vampires and werewolves in a non-cheesy, very convincing way. And I think if that’s a new part of the show, that they’ll make it really creepy and really cool and incorporate it really well. So, that’ll be great. And there’s always the option we could be resurrected for real. So, I mean, I guess we’ll see what happens and to what extent we’ll be part of the show. It’s really exciting.

Do you know when you’re due back on set in Atlanta?

No, once again, I have no idea! But that’s kind of how the show goes. It’s very last minute, on the fly. You just have to be ready for anything. For the first season, when I was recurring, I would find out the day before that I would have to be on a plane the next day, getting the script. So, that’s how the show works, but it keeps you on your toes. And I think that’s why it works out so well, ‘cause you’re not in your head too much. You just kind of have to go for it.

Why do you think Anna and Vicki have returned?

Oh, my gosh. I don’t know. I try not to think about it too much because usually I am very wrong. So, I’m just letting them handle the direction of the show, and I’m not going in with too many ideas of my own. But I do hope Anna continues to be a loving character. I hope that she’s not turned to the bad side. Because, you know, that’s what she was known for. She was strong, but yet she was strong and, you know, threatening for a reason. Like, she was doing it all for love.

It’s interesting that Anna and Vicki are such different characters but both came back.

Yeah, exactly. I mean, I can’t wait to see if we’re gonna be, you know, together for the majority of everything. I’m not quite sure, because we are polar opposites. We suffered the same fate and we kinda had that relationship with Jeremy, but other than that … [Vicki] started out mortal and Anna’s hundreds of years old with history with the Salvatores and Katherine and all that stuff. So I’m really curious to see how they’re gonna do that.

It’d be great if we got some more of Pearl and Anna’s back story.
I’m really crossing my fingers for some more flashbacks because there are a lot of questions that myself and the viewers have that would be really cool to touch on as far as what is the relationship with Katherine and you know, and Damon and Stefan and my mom. There’s a lot of stuff that we didn’t get to know about Anna. But it would be really interesting to see, I feel.

Along those lines, what other characters would you like to see resurrected?

Oh, my gosh, I would, actually, I would resurrect Jenna! Because that’s so sad. They kind of need that motherly, family person there with them. Or Kelly Hu. I mean, obviously. I love her as a person. Working with her was absolutely great. And I love that she was my mom. I mean, she was cool. But yeah, I definitely think that Jenna’s death was a very sad one. I can’t imagine how the feel was on set, because I can relate.

What was the mood like on set when you found out Anna was going to be killed?

Oh, my gosh. That whole week, there was just kind of this downer mood going on. And everyone was comforting me and just coming up to me individually, just telling me how great I am. Which, I’m like, thanks guys, but you know, this is a job. And, you know, you have to move on because it really is a job. And I was so thankful for them giving me such an arc on the show. I was just amazed with what Anna became. But yeah, and to be brought back now after a lot of people have died. The fact that it’s Kayla and I, that’s such an honor. And I can’t wait to see where they go with it.

What happened when you got back on set? Did you have a reunion party?

Everything was so secretive about that scene. Like, whenever I got the phone call from my manager, he definitely stressed to me like, do not tell a soul. So there are like, best friends and family members that I didn’t even tell that are, you know, fans of the show. And they were so mad at me when it came out because I knew for weeks and I had to keep it a secret. So that scene was actually the last scene of the season. That’s how secretive it was.

So I barely got to see anyone. I only got to see Nina for like 2 seconds and Kat for 2 seconds and then Steven, obviously. But down to the wire they kept it very hush hush. I’m so surprised it didn’t get out but it was so worth it that it didn’t … The shock was very effective. It did what they intended it to.

So you get to kiss Steven R. McQueen. What’s that like?

[Laughs] What’s it like to kiss Steven? Oh, my gosh. Well, Steven and I, we knew each other before I came onto the show and whenever he found out that it was me and I showed up for my first day, it was like, oh, my gosh, this is so awesome. And we were just immediately just so close from then on out.

I mean, people would dread us having scenes together because it would constantly be a giggle fest and we had millions of inside jokes. So, kissing him was… it was just natural. I mean, I was so comfortable with him that it wasn’t an awkward thing. He is a good kisser, girls. Yes, I will give him that. And he’s very charming. So it’s definitely not a hard thing to interact with that face.

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Vote every day at Teenchoiceawards.com in the Categories below and support Our Cast and Show! Teen Choice Awards will air August 7th, Live on Fox.

Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi: The Vampire Diaries
Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi: Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley
Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi: Nina Dobrev
Choice TV Villain: Joseph Morgan
Choice TV: Female Scene Stealer: Kat Graham
Choice TV: Male Scene Stealer: Michael Trevino
Choice Male Hottie: Ian Somerhalder
Choice Female Hottie: Nina Dobrev

The Ian Somerhalder Foundation is in full swing, reaching 195 countries in just six months. The Louisiana-born actor who currently plays Damon Salvatore on the CW television series The Vampire Diaries and was Boone Carlyle on the ABC drama Lost, has been known to step up to help environmental and animal welfare causes, such as the oil clean up in the Gulf of Mexico and hosting a fundraiser for the St. Tammany Humane Society in his hometown of Covington, but his ultimate goal was to have his own Foundation.

In December, 2010, after setting up his team of specialists and advisors, The Ian Somerhalder Foundation was launched and this month it held its first board meeting in Toronto, where executive director Kim Klingler lives. “This Foundation would not exist without her,” he says.

Somerhalder was also in town to present the UR Fave Artist award (to Justin Bieber) at the MuchMusic Video Awards where he spoke to Samaritanmag about the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, or IS Foundation for short.

“We came here to do that and do a branding workshop for the Foundation with this genius branding strategist [American Kevin George], one of the best in the world, to really figure out how to reach everyone and really include everyone,” Somerhalder says. “It’s been the most incredible two days of going through that process and we’ve come up with a lot of pretty incredible programs.”

In the “About” section of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation web site, it explains that the team of people behind the non-profit view the planet as an “interdependent organism” (trees, rivers, animals, humans) and wants all the charities and organizations working together to affect change: “Nature does not behave independently,” it states.

“It works in unison with all its elements. Working independently to transform our planet is like trying to [play] a violin without strings. Communities of businesses, organizations, people and projects must begin to connect resources and skills to passions and projects. The IS Foundation will behave in full collaborative spirit by joining with other non-profit, for-profit and governing bodies globally.”

For example, Somerhalder tells Samaritanmag, the Foundation’s mandate covers several different spectrums. “It’s planet and creatures. So you have Habitat, and under Habitat you have conservation, biodiversity, water, land, air. It seems like broad strokes, but it’s all very compartmentalized. This isn’t just a tiny organization. This is now in like 195 countries. It’s everywhere,” he says proudly.

“There is also a huge animal component,” he adds. “We are funding and finishing all the research for species-specific oral sterilization drugs, which will basically end stray animal populations globally in the next 10 years. Awesome stuff.”

On the Foundation’s site are more details. Under three “Upcoming Area of Focus” are Habitat (extinction, deforestation & reforestation; conservation; and biodiversity); Energy (fuel transportation impact reduction; green technology; local Biofuels; green disaster relief; greening the entertainment industry; and empower public participation in legislation); and Animals (habitat & extinction; cruelty; empowerment of No Kill shelters; sterilization; and assistive & therapy animals).

There are also separate youth and kids sections focusing on inspiring young activists, as well as a “Get Involved” section. There, the Foundation asks young people to submit their age, interests/passions, and skills, and, if they wish, to become an IS Foundation Youth Catalyst, or to share a project or idea.

“This about being very proactive and engaging,” Somerhalder tells Samaritanmag. “This is about engaging youth to create generational shift, generational change. You understand bureaucracy as well as I do, and we’re not going to change the politicians; we’re not going to change bureaucracy right now, for this generation, but we can change it for the next one.

“And so when I explain to a 12 or a 15-year-old about energy policy or about the fact that a tree left planted in the ground, not cut down, is worth more to them in the ground than it is as a leg on one of their stools, that’s when you start seeing that process happening in [these kids’] brains, realizing that protecting their environment is much more valuable to them in the future than watching it waste away. It’s such an incredible process.”

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Between jetting off to awards shows, filming “The Perks of Being A Wallflower” and gearing up for season three of “The Vampire Diaries” in September, there’s no question that Nina Dobrev has a lot on her plate. But is it too much?

We caught up with Nina at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards post party earlier this month—where we found her unwinding with “TVD” executive producer Julie Plec and co-stars Steven R. McQueen and Kayla Ewell—to get the scoop on how she manages her workload and whether, after two seasons, it’s still exciting to slip into the roles of Elena and Katherine.

“It’s definitely fun still,” Nina said (feel free to let out that sigh of relief!). The 22-year-old, however, shared that since the show is so fast paced, she sometimes fears they might run out of twists and turns for the viewers. (Confession: We’ve totally been afraid of that too!) “I wonder when we’re going to burn out and when there won’t be anymore story to tell,” she said.

Luckily, that’s where scribe Julie comes in.

“She is brilliant, and she keeps delivering. The storylines keep getting more intense and bigger, and the cliffhangers are crazier and steeper,” said Nina. Yet, as the arcs get meatier and Nina’s schedule gets more and more packed, the challenge of managing her workload is that much greater.

“For me personally, it’s finding that balance between life and work and having a life within my work because I have to live to have something to pull from, and I’m trying,” she said.
Considering she’s already a pro at juggling two characters and multiple on-screen love interests, we’ve got no doubt she’ll manage to find some harmony in her off-screen life as well.

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On Thursday, September 15, The CW’s #1 show, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) returns.

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