<P> Ian Somerhalder was cast as Damon Salvatore at the end of March 2009, six months before the premiere of the series . The initial casting call for the character required an actor in his early - to mid-twenties to play a "darkly handsome, strong, charming, and smug vampire who can go from casual and playful to pure evil in less than a heartbeat ." Somerhalder had not read the books until filming began . </P> <P> Damon Salvatore is a vampire, turned by Katherine Pierce 145 years prior to the series' debut . He is the son of late Giuseppe Salvatore, ripper Lily Salvatore and older brother of Stefan Salvatore . He is portrayed as a charming, handsome and snarky person who loves tricking humans, and takes pleasure in feeding on them and killing them during the early episodes of the first season, unlike his brother, Stefan . Damon and Stefan bite humans to keep them alive since they're vampires . </P> <P> In the first season, Damon appears as the frightening older brother to Stefan Salvatore, and plays as the main antagonist for the first initial episodes with a hidden agenda . Slowly, Damon begins to be kinder to the other characters, showing brief moments of compassion such as erasing Jeremy's memory of vampires and removing his "suffering" so Jeremy gets his life back on track . Damon apologizes for turning Vicki Donovan into a vampire and admits it was wrong . Later at the Gilbert house, Elena returns home . Damon admits that he came to the town wanting to destroy it but actually found himself wanting to protect it after everything that happened at the Founder's Day celebrations and says he's not a hero and doesn't do good, saying it's not in him - those traits are reserved for Stefan, Elena and Bonnie . The two begin to kiss passionately before getting interrupted - it is later revealed that it wasn't Elena he kissed, but Katherine Pierce . Later in the season, it also implies that he actually feels human emotions, such as pain and love, which helps the viewer sympathize toward his character in some situations . But mostly, he likes to take care of himself and do the dirty work, in his own sadistic ways . </P> <P> In season two, Katherine tells Damon that she never loved him and that it was always Stefan . Elena says something similar later, leaving Damon heartbroken . As an expression of his anger, pain, and hopelessness, he snaps Jeremy Gilbert's neck, not realizing he is wearing a ring which reverses damage done by supernatural creatures or forces . Jeremy survives because of the ring, but Damon's action incurs Elena's wrath and pain . When Bonnie also discovers it was his blood that enabled Caroline Forbes to become a vampire, the two declare their hatred for him, leaving angrier than ever . After saving Elena with Stefan in episode 8 of season 2, Damon shows up in Elena's room with the vervain necklace that was ripped from her neck earlier in the episode . Before he gives it back, he tells Elena that he is in love with her, and because he is in love with her, he cannot be selfish with her . He also states that he doesn't deserve her, but that his brother does . He kisses her forehead and says he wishes she could remember this, but she can't . As the camera shows a close up of Damon's eye as he is compelling Elena to forget, a tear slips . Elena blinks and her vervain necklace is back around her neck, Damon is gone and her window is open with the curtains blowing . She had no recollection as to how the necklace was returned to her . In one episode, Damon joins Rose to find out why the originals are after Elena; after some time and clever banter, the two have sex, stating that they could rid themselves of emotion . However, when Rose, Damon's old friend who turned Katerina, suffers from a werewolf bite, he gives her the memory of her life prior to becoming a vampire, and helps her remember how good it felt to be able to walk and feel the sunlight, without it burning her . During this meaningful moment, Damon mercifully kills her, leaving him to mourn the death of his one of very few friends . Elena and Damon then begin to mend fences, and Elena gives him an affectionate hug to help comfort him after Rose's death . Damon begins showing another side of himself in small acts that help build what once was an impossible friendship between Elena and himself, after she clearly stated that he has lost her forever . After he spares Caroline's mother, Elena says how that was the person she was once friends with . And it's hard for Damon to accept that he has to change to have her in his life, which he explains to Andy Star, his compelled girlfriend a few more episodes in . Damon is bitten by Tyler the werewolf at the end of the season . Elena takes care of him, and right before he is cured by the blood of Klaus, the original hybrid, she gives him a "goodbye" kiss, because she was sure he was going to die . She even forgives him, telling him that she cares for him through grief - stricken tears . </P>

When does damon get his humanity back in season 1
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