Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley battled 'insane anxiety issues' on Vampire Diaries set

24 March 2023

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley battled "insane anxiety issues" while filming 'The Vampire Diaries'.

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley suffered anxiety on the set of The Vampire Diaries

The 44-year-old actor has revealed the pair drank "20 to 30" cups of tea every day on set because the dark-coloured liquid was used as a substitute for the whiskey their characters were often seen sipping - and Somerhalder says the large amounts of caffeine led to mental health problems and lack of sleep.

Somerhalder - who played Damon Salvatore in the show - told New York Post column PageSix: "“We had the most insane anxiety issues because there was so much caffeine ... You’re drinking 20 to 30 cups of tea, so by the end of the day you’re, like, ‘Ahh!' We didn’t [sleep]."

However, the production team soon realised they had a problem so they switched to a herbal tea and both stars appreciated the change.

Wesley explained: "We switched to decaf, so we felt a lot better," with Somerhalder adding they started drinking "herbal tea" instead.

Somerhalder is currently expecting his second child with his actress wife Nikki Reed, and he's full of admiration for his pregnant spouse.

He told the publication: "We’re in the home stretch, big time, so it’s really, really special ... I will say, men just have no clue what women go through and it is just so amazing to see.

“She’s just such a goddess. You see this life happening and you’re like, ‘Wow, you’re doing this'."

The couple married in 2015 and are already parents to a five-year-old daughter named Bodhi. They recently moved out of Hollywood and set up home on a farm outside of Los Angeles.

Ian recently revealed they have never been happier.

He told PEOPLE: "[It's been] magic. It's really the way it's always supposed to have been. I think now you're seeing a lot of people who were working in corporate offices, and you can see it now from a societal standpoint. People are having a really hard time getting back to work.

"People have seen that their time and the value of their time and the value proposition of time has shifted a bit. Be more engaged, be outdoors more, spend more time with one another."