Before Ian Somerhalder stole millions of hearts in 'The Vampire Diaries,' he was giving a compelling performance as a conflicted gay man in 'The Rules of Attraction,' an onyx-black comedy based on a novel by Brett Easton Ellis, which made it to the big screen in 2002. The film plays with the conventions of a typical teenage 'coming of age' movie, in which the characters have to actually face the consequences of their actions.
Somerhalder's character Paul is hopelessly in love with his best friend Sean, but no amount of subtle hinting can get the message through to Sean, who is completely straight and wouldn't be interested anyway. The film was primarily a vehicle for James Van Der Beek, who was at the peak of his fame after his run in 'Dawson's Creek,' but it was arguably Somerhalder who really stole the show.