Movies or TV, movies or TV — how does an actor choose? Ian Somerhalder is reportedly closer than ever to becoming Jack Hyde in Fifty Shades Darker, because rumor has it he may be quitting The Vampire Diaries and that wife Nikki Reed is really pushing him to take the big-screen plunge.
With just a few months left to go until director James Foley rounds up the troops to start shooting Fifty Shades Darker, a few crucial roles have yet to be cast, including Jack Hyde, who is Christian Grey's rival for Anastasia Steele's affections in the sequel. Two actors' names have been repeatedly mentioned as possible contenders: Somerhalder and lesser known (equally as hot) model and actor Theo James. (Yes, Henry Cavill would be the most perfect Hyde of all, but he has already pretty much said it's not happening.)
In order to take on the role, Somerhalder would likely have to quit playing Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries — something Reed would reportedly love to see him do, both because she knows Fifty Shades Darker would help raise his profile and possibly lead to other film projects, and because it would also mean her new husband could stop working alongside his ex-girlfriend Nina Dobrev.
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I haven't met many women who want their husbands to work with other gorgeous women with whom they had romantic connections for many years, so it's not that I don't find that part of this story believable. But Reed seems pretty confident in her relationship and Somerhalder is smitten with her — my guess is that she, like many of his fans, has his best interests at heart and truly feels a leap to movies will catapult him into an even more varied and interesting acting career.
If he is chosen as Jack Hyde, Somerhalder will appear in both Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. Like Somerhalder, both Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson acted in projects prior to their roles as Grey and Steele, but the opportunities that have opened up for them since (Johnson is starring alongside Johnny Depp in Black Mass and Dornan plays a lead role in Anthropoid) have been incredible. This could be huge for Somerhalder, who has had success with TV shows like Smallville and Lost but really has few big movie credits to date.
As Nikki is his wife and best friend, I'm sure his career is the first thing on her mind as she supports his decision (though never seeing Dobrev again is obviously a teeny, tiny perk).
Image via London Entertainment/Splash News