An article at IESB has an interview with Ian Somerhalder. Ian will be playing Damon on the Vampire Diaries. In the interview he talks about the show and his character. You can read the entire interview here.
Here is a little excerpt from the interview where he talks about his character:
Q: How would you describe Damon?
Ian: He’s angry. He feels like he’s been wronged, very badly, and he wants vengeance and redemption. However, he is lonely. He’s the most lonely person I’ve ever known. Imagine being 170 years old. However old you are, at this point in time, imagine thinking about how much you know about life and quadrupling that, and seeing all the people you’ve ever known die around you. That probably makes you very cynical and lonely.