Ian Somerhalder on why he didn't celebrate the 10 year anniversary of 'The Vampire Diaries'

September 10th marked 10 years since The Vampire Diaries was released and all our lives changed forever, but while Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley celebrated on social media, Ian Somerhalder - who played Damon Salvatore - stayed quiet.

Now, the actor has revealed why he waited a week to celebrate the CW show that made him famous.

"Full transparency. The 10th year Anniversary of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES was too close to 9/11 and it hurt my heart a bit to celebrate in such a deep and thoughtful time," Ian began.

WATCH: Ian Somerhalder to Star in New Netflix’s Vampire Series 'V-Wars'

Ian then went on to share his gratitude for the show and its fans:

"So here goes...10 years... wow. The memories, the friendship, the fans, exploring all ends of the earth and the work. Oh the amazing luxury of the work."

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Full transparency. The 10th year Anniversary of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES was too close to 9/11 and it hurt my heart a bit to celebrate in such a deep and thoughtful time. So here goes... 10 years... wow. The memories, the friendship, the fans, exploring all ends of the earth and the work. Oh the amazing luxury of the work. Who could have ever thought, that incredibly stressful week of waiting for an answer, multiple auditions and ultimately the phone call from my manager and agent (after biting off several fingernails) that I had indeed gotten this role of Damon Salvatore in this little @thecw Vampire show Called the Vampire Diaries would change the course of my life forever. The laughs, the cries, the colds days and warm Georgia summer nights. It seems like thousands of them. Not far from... I could never pen or type the words to express the enormity of the gratitude I have for @Kevinwilliamson, @Julieplec @carolinedries amongst so many others and all the powers that be at @WarnerBrosTV, The CW and CBS the cast, crew and post production team and marketing gurus. BUT most importantly: YOU the fans. Thank YOU you amazing people. You're connection to and love of this show fueled by passion and insight gave way to many many years of experiences, knowledge, skill sets and access to the joy of humanity I will carry with me for a lifetime. I've gotten the pleasure of meeting so many of you around the world and hearing your thoughts on social channels. What a joy and thank you for your energy. Thank you for this amazing opportunity. I will strive continuously to keep creating great characters, great content, great companies and necessary beneficial non-profit projects with my beloved @isfofficial to positively impact our planet and all it's creatures. I will not always win, not all will be hits but I thank you in advance for your trust, support and the precious time out of your life that you take to watch me on screen, buy one of my products or help my foundation @isfofficial make real change in the world. With immense gratitude and appreciation, Ian and Damon

Ian wrote in his emotional post the nerve-wracking nature of the audition process, revealing he had to wait a week to hear if he got the role of the sexy vampire we now know and love.

"Who could have ever thought, that incredibly stressful week of waiting for an answer, multiple auditions and ultimately the phone call from my manager and agent (after biting off several fingernails) that I had indeed gotten this role of Damon Salvatore in this little @thecw Vampire show Called the Vampire Diaries would change the course of my life forever."

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Posting three pics to her Instagram, Nina Dobrev - who played Elena Gilbert - also celebrated the 10-year anniversary of The Vampire Diaries writing: "10 years since TVD 😱"

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Paul Wesley - who potrayed Stefan Salvatore - commented on the photo: "Why have I never seen this photo and why are we sitting in scattered debris/ what’s up with Ian’s pose."

Meanwhile, Riverdale star Camila Mendes wrote what we were all thinking: "Iconic"

Milly H

Milly is the Digital Content Editor for Entertainment. A devout tea and chocolate enthusiast, Milly is a lover of all things pop culture (with a little dash of politics).