Noel Clarke says Ian Somerhalder defies expectations in 'The Anomaly'.
Noel Clarke has revealed he was shocked by Ian Somerhalder's enthusiasm for action scenes in 'The Anomaly' as he thought he was too much of a "pretty boy".
The 'Doctor Who' actor, who stars in and directs the film, says Somerhalder - who is best known for playing charming vampire Damon Salvatore in 'The Vampire Diaries' - takes on a new kind of villain role and was better at action scenes than he was anticipating.
Speaking at a special screening of the film at London's Ham Yard Hotel last night (01.07.14), Clarke told BANG Showbiz: "People weren't expecting him [Somerhalder] to be physical because he's quite a pretty boy, but he was a dude and got in there and did all the fight scenes. He was great."
The 38-year-old star - whose other directing credits include 2010's '4.3.2.1' and 2008's 'Adulthood' - also admits he was inspired by J.J. Abrams to do more filmmaking after working with him on 'Star Trek Into Darkness.'
He said: "J.J. is a very inspirational guy. He leads from the front and has a positive energy on set. When you have someone like that at the top, it filters on down through the crew."
'The Anomaly' tells the story of a former soldier - played by Clarke - who is taken captive and awakens in the back of a van where he learns that he only has a few moments to figure out how he got there.
The film is set for UK release on Friday (04.07.14).
Tagged in Noel Clarke Ian Somerhalder