Fans of E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey are having a tough time waiting for the casting process to unfold for its highly anticipated big screen adaptation. In terms of potential Christian Grey suitors, one actor that seems to resurface on the daily is Ian Somerhalder of Vampire Diaries.

While James and her producers have been extremely tight-lipped over the entire protocol for evaluating candidates for the role, I Digital Times reports that the now famous author may have inadvertently hinted that she's favoring the 34-year-old TV star for the role of the S&M-crazed CEO.

While James recently told New York Post that the production team isn't even close to casting, her Twitter followers pointed out a peculiar post that was put up on Feb. 19 by @BookishTemptations in response to a picture of a masked Somerhalder.

"All I can see of his face is his beautiful chiseled mouth and strong jaw."

James replied to the message on Twitter with the following:

":D"

While the smiley face doesn't necessarily indicate that Somerhalder is a clear-cut frontrunner, it does tell the fans that the author doesn't disapprove of him.

James had actually spoken to Ryan Seacrest in October during a radio talk show appearance and stated that she's indeed a "big 'Vampire Diaries' fan."

While Somerhalder is undoubtedly interested in donning the role of Grey, he also had explained that the lingering chatter is just a rumor at best for now, according to Mr Porter.

"Oh man, there's nothing official. It's just talk. Yeah, there's a website you can go to where you can just outfit your basement as a dungeon. So, you know, I thought I'd get prepared, just in case," he said.

Many "Fifty Shades" fans feel that Somerhalder has the perfect look to pull off the Grey role with his deep blue eyes and brunette mane.

To top it off, Somerhalder continues to effectively play a similar part as the "bad boy" in Vampire Diaries.