'Vampire Diaries' étoile, star Paul Wesley on why he cut a shirtless scene from the episode he directed 

\'Vampire Diaries\' star Paul Wesley on why he cut a shirtless scene from the episode he directed

‘ Paul Wesley took a seat behind the camera for his directorial debut with “Resident Evil,” after which he let it slip that he had cut a shirtless Stefan scene. Now in season six, Wesley has returned to the director’s chair for this week’s “Woke Up With a Monster.” And although he might be more comfortable in his directorial role this time around, one thing hasn’t changed: He’s still cutting shirtless scenes.

Tristin Mays joins 'The Vampire Diaries' as the 'real' Sarah Salvatore

about his experience directing the episode, what fans can expect, and that shirtless moment we’ll never see.

: Did you find that directing was easier the second time around?

PAUL WESLEY: It was easier on me mentally. I’ll tell you why else it was easier: I literally had no locations. My entire episode was indoors, on the studio, so I didn’t have to worry about weather, I didn’t have to worry about the sun going down. It’s a rare, rare thing. But apart from the logistics of it, I was much more comfortable in the director chair. I really trusted the process and it was a really pleasurable experience. Not that the other one wasn’t; it just was like I felt more comfortable in my own skin, in a way.

Going into it, was there anything you knew you wanted to do differently from your first experience with directing?

I definitely let go of some control, and by that I mean you just let people do their jobs. And not that I didn’t do that on the last one—it’s just that I really wanted everything to go so well that I almost was mentally psyching myself out. [But] on this one I was like, “I know how this is going to go, I know what’s going to happen, I know what I’m going to do, and I know what everyone else is capable of, so I’m going to trust the process.” Don’t get me wrong, there’s still bumps in the road, but that comes with the job.

In this episode, we know Kai is hiding Elena. Did that mystical element present a challenge for you?

This episode in my opinion is a much more grounded episode. It’s actually not as mystical. There’s not a lot of mythology in my episode; it’s really about the more tender moments. The best and most exciting moments are the moments when we step away from all of that and we really get down to some beautiful interaction between two characters that is really intimate. What I love about my episode is that it is fast-paced, fast-paced, fast-paced, exciting, entertaining, and then it sort of slows down and there’s this moment of real tenderness, which I think is so important on our show. It’s all about the people and there’s some really beautiful moments and amazing performances. I’m excited about that interesting sort of juxtaposition.

Speaking of those moments, we know that Stefan and Caroline are headed to North Carolina. But Stefan is also secretly going to see Sarah Salvatore, so is he still being a good friend to Caroline?

Yeah, for sure. He really cares about her. He really loves her. That’s not even a question. That’s never really something that he doubts. But it’s true; in the story they go there together, but then they kind of separate. They kind of go their own ways to do their own things and investigate their own personal interests.

With Sarah coming into present day, how will seeing her affect Stefan?

I don’t really know what their relationship is like. We haven’t explored it a hell of a lot, but for me—it sounds a little weird since they look like they’re the same age—but it’s almost like his little daughter that he’s proud of. It’s like his little project. It’s almost like he’s her godfather. [He’s] like, “Okay, I’m going to look out for this kid.”

The last time you directed, you talked about taking out a shirtless scene. Were there any last-minute tweaks this time around?

I actually think I took out a shirtless scene again.

I swear to God. Stefan wakes up and then he has to walk around the house and I’m like, “Does he wake up shirtless and then you want me to do like nine scenes shirtless, walking around the house? This is ridiculous. He wakes up, I need to put a shirt on.” That was my pitch. Because that’s what I would do. If I had to go downstairs and talk to [people], I would put a shirt on. It’s like the Playgirl mansion or something…

Ian Somerhalder is currently directing his first episode. Did you give him any advice?

You know, not really. He didn’t really ask me for any so I didn’t offer any.

I think the biggest advice I would give to any actor who’s directing and also acting at the same time is don’t even watch your coverage. You do a scene and then, you know what you did, it doesn’t matter what you look like. Ask your DP if the focus was good, ask him if the shot looks good, trust your DP and move on. Otherwise you’re going to spend hours criticizing yourself because that’s what we do as actors. We’re never satisfied with ourselves. Maybe I’ll watch literally six seconds of it just to make sure that it was set up the way I wanted to, but other than that, I do not want to watch myself. I have no interest in watching myself act.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Patrick J. Adams shares his all-access photos from the \'Suits\' set

2015\'s sequels/spinoffs as retro (im)posters: Everything new is old again

Elizabeth & Katie, Plus Ben Affleck, NKOTB & More!

\'Hannibal\' casts Tony winner Nina Arianda

\'American Sniper\': TIME\'s full Chris Kyle Q&A

Justin Bieber gets a Comedy Central Roast

'Jane the Virgin': Top 5 moments from the midseason premiere Lauren Gallaway, Community Contributor

'Castle' gets his first real case as a P.I. Brandi McCormick, Community Contributor

'The Librarians' season finale jumps timelines Kiersten Hallie Krum, Community Contributor

'The Fosters' is back and taking big risks Maggie Fremont, Community Contributor

, a little movie 12 years in the making, lapped the competition to become this year\'s Oscar front-runner.

The Moment of Ruth: Ruth Wilson got our attention for her star turn on Showtime\'s

. Now the British actress is planning to continue her momentum. First stop: a date with Jake Gyllenhaal on Broadway.

and more than six movie projects in development, author Grahame-Smith proves why he\'s Hollywood\'s new monster talent.

Marvel\'s \'Star Wars\' #1 comic book: First Look

On the Books: Literary adaptations rule in French cinema

Read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie\'s new short story, \'Olikoye\'

Mark Millar on \'Jupiter\'s Circle\': Your parents are human beings too

John Lewis on \'March\' and revisiting the Civil Rights movement in 2015

What We\'re Reading Now: \'The Girl on the Train,\' Paula Hawkins

Leaving Before The Rains Come A Alexandra Fuller

Oscars 2015 nominees are...: See the complete list

20 great movies from 2014 that the Oscars nominated for...nothing?

Casting Net: Rob Lowe to star in British drama mini-series \'Apocalypse Slough\'

\'The Huntsman\' finds a new director, eyes Emily Blunt to join cast

Salma Hayek kills it in action-packed trailer for \'Everly\'

A$AP Yams, founder of hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, dies at 26

Sleater-Kinney go record shopping: Carrie, Corin, and Janet talk Kanye, Clash, Television, more

Hear St. Vincent\'s \'Bad Believer,\' from upcoming deluxe reissue

Artist Nick Gazin explains the meaning behind Run the Jewels\' viral logo

Hear Giorgio Moroder and Kylie Minogue team up on \'Right Here, Right Now\'

Eddie Murphy on music after reggae: \'I could put out a country album\'

Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance A- Belle and Sebastian

\'Parks and Rec\' boss dissects Leslie-Ron showcase: \'like a two-person play\'

\'Justified\' season premiere recap: \'Fate\'s Right Hand\'