The Vampire Diary

Okay so he isn’t a bloodsucker, but he does manage to get our blood pumping week after week as one of the many, many male hotties on “The Vampire Diaries.” With the show returning on Thursday for what is sure to be an action-packed season two, we want to take a moment to learn a bit more about Matthew Davis and honor him as this week’s Hump Day Hottie.

Press play on the video below to see more of Matthew, and then keep reading for more details about him!

Vital Stats: This Salt Lake City, Utah native attended college at the University of Utah. When he isn’t being all cool in real life, he tweets under a pseudonym, Ernesto Riley, and weighs in on everything from the Biebs to philosophy. Now 32, it seems that our boy is single (or at least isn’t publicly in a relationship). We know a great place he can mingle (cough, MTV offices, cough).

Where you might have already seen him: He played Elle Woods’ sort of terrible beau, Warner, in “Legally Blond,” before starring in a number of flicks including “Blue Crush” and the “Donnie Darko” sequel, “S. Darko.” But, it’s what he’s done on the small screen that has had girls swooning for quite some time. He had a role on the short-lived “What About Brian” before settling down in Mystic Falls.

Why you should take notice of him now: He plays sort of brooding and uber tough history teacher Alaric Saltzman on “Vampire Diaries.” And when he isn’t trying to woo Elena’s aunt, Jenna, or pining over his vampire wife, Isobel, he’s just trying to fend off the fiendish vamps that are trying to take over the small town he works in. But as Sara Canning, who plays Jenna, has explained, it won’t be easy for her and Alaric to settle down.

“I don’t think it’s going to remain all sunshine and rainbows,” she hinted. “I haven’t gotten the exact storyline, and I think things could change, but there’s so much conflict anyway. I think the fact that Alaric is dating Jenna, and knowing that her niece is dating a vampire and being in an alliance with these vampires—I think that alone will cause some pretty major conflicts. I think we’ll see some happy times and see how things progress from there.”

Until next week, when we chose another Hump Day Hottie, you can salute Matthew by pressing play on the video above!