"The Vampire Diaries" star, Ian Somerhalder, continues to be a favourite of "Fifty Shades of Grey" fans. Matt Bomer of "White Collar" may be leading the web polls for Christian Grey casting but Ian Somerhalder and his fans aren't giving up the fight. Ian's latest nude photo for Origin Magazine has catapulted him into the Christian Grey casting spotlight once more.

Somerhalder may be 34-years of age but the Salvatore brother sure doesn't look a day over 30. With the sexy and smouldering stare, Somerhalder fits the role for Christian Grey perfectly. Before Matt Bomer of "White Collar" and Henry Cavill of "Man of Steel" even came into the picture, Ian Somerhalder had been beloved and adored by "Fifty Shades" fans as the most suitable actor to play Christian Grey.

Despite the fact that casting is far off schedule, fans continues to round up actors suitable for the role of the 27-year old dominant entrepreneur. Matt Bomer, Henry Cavill and Ian Somerhalder have been all-time fan poll favourites though the ranking is sure to change with the recent hype on social networking sites.

Ian Somerhalder has been claimed a favourite by the author herself, E.L. James. Blame it all on a tweet send out by Book Temptations.

@BookTemptations: "All I can see of his face is his beautiful chiseled mouth and strong jaw.#FiftyShadesDarker @E_L_James," stated the tweet to which E.L. James replied with @E_L_James: "@BookTemptations :D."

The tweet wasn't the only reason why Ian Somerhalder continues to be raved about online. Somerhalder's latest nude photo and cover for Origin Magazine has got people, women in particular, wanting more. While Ian isn't particularly naked for the cover, the magazine's headline reads "The Naked Truth."

Why exactly is Ian Somerhalder the top contender for the role of Christian Grey?

"Some fans think that Somerhalder has the perfect look and attitude to portray the suave, handsome, and successful businessman Christian Grey. Those piercing eyes and that silky brunette mane could probably do the trick, and his role as the sexy, "bad boy" vampire Damon Salvatore in the hit novel/television series "Vampire Diaries" leaves some fans swooning. The only setback would probably be his age - Grey is only supposed to be 27 at the start of the "Fifty Shades" trilogy. But the fact that Somerhalder is already in his mid-30s doesn't seem to affect many "Fifty Shades" enthusiast... in several recent Mstarz polls, he remains neck-in-neck will fellow fan favorite Matt Bomer. A sneak-peak trailer for Somerhalder's latest acting project - a series of six short films entitled "Time Framed" - also has some fans and critics buzzing that the short clip would make the perfect screen test/audition for "Fifty Shades," states Mstarz.

Clearly, if casting is close by, Ian Somerhalder would win by a landslide.

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