With the overwhelming success of supernatural drama 'The Vampire Diaries', imagining Ian Somerhalder cry on set can be difficult. The 34-year-old actor plays the role of the troubled Damon Salvatore. Such role requires intense feelings which in turn leave the actor emotionally wrecked.

While many think that being an actor is all about being glamorous, the environment advocate feels different: "Don't, for a second, think it's always cotton candy. Sometimes it really hurts and a lot of stuff that Damon goes through is super cathartic for me as an individual."

He likewise added that being on set can be brutal: "It's not always fun. Sometimes it's brutal and I'll walk off set and I'll cry for 10 minutes alone in my trailer and I look at myself in the mirror and go, 'What the hell are you doing? Why are you crying in the trailer? Go have a coffee or something'. But for me, that's acting, that's what I do every day, it's pretty weird."

Many are speculating whether the presence of his former girlfriend Nina Dobrev at work makes shooting more difficult. Somerhalder and Dobrev dated for three years but eventually parted ways. Friends of the couple believe that the 10-year age gap between the two might have affected the relationship. The 'Lost' actor also reportedly expressed his intent to marry the Bulgarian-born beauty but the latter felt that it was too early.

Despite the dismal feelings that come with being an antagonist, the founder of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation wouldn't want it any other way: "I would obviously rather just remain the bad-ass dude who gets all the great lines and rips everybody's heads off. That's what I would prefer. I know it sounds a little sadistic."

Do you think Somerhalder being so accustomed in playing a conflict-ridden role makes him the perfect Christian Grey?