Ian Somerhalder

Ian Joseph Somerhalder<ref name="Meroney">Template:Cite interview</ref> (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; born December 8, 1978) is an American former actor and current business owner. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in ABC's science fiction adventure drama television series Lost (2004–2010) and Damon Salvatore in the CW supernatural teen drama series The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017).

Early life

Somerhalder was born on December 8, 1978,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in Covington, Louisiana, United States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Hello Mag">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His mother, Edna (Template:Nee),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> is a massage therapist of Choctaw and Irish descent<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> originally from Mississippi,<ref name="Minnick">Template:Cite AV media</ref> while his father, Robert Somerhalder Sr., is an independent building contractor<ref name="knutzen">Template:Cite news</ref> of Cajun descent.<ref name="Meroney" /><ref name="Chassen">Template:Cite interview</ref><ref name="Highfill">Template:Cite interview</ref> Somerhalder is the second of three children, with an older brother and a younger sister.<ref name="Rickman">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp<ref name="Cave">Template:Cite news</ref>

Somerhalder graduated from Saint Paul's School, a private school in Covington.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He embarked on a modeling career from age 10<ref name="knutzen" /><ref name="Cave" /> to 13.<ref>Template:Cite interview</ref> Somerhalder's parents divorced<ref name="Meroney" /> when he was 14, and he subsequently lived with his mother.<ref name="Rickman" />Template:Rp At age 17, Somerhalder decided to refocus on acting<ref name="Hello Mag" /> and began studying with acting teacher William Esper.<ref name="Rickman" />Template:Rp<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career

File:Ian Somerhalder February 2015.jpg

Somerhalder at the 2015 Wizard World Convention, February 2015.

In the summer of 2000, Somerhalder starred in the short-lived WB series Young Americans, a spin-off of Dawson's Creek. He played Hamilton Fleming, the son of the dean of a prestigious boarding school. In 2002, Somerhalder played bisexual character Paul Denton in Roger Avary's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel, The Rules of Attraction, alongside James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, and Jessica Biel.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2004, Somerhalder scored his breakthrough role when he played Boone Carlyle in Lost. Despite his character's death in the twentieth episode of the first season, he returned to the role of Boone for seven more episodes between 2005 and 2010, including the series finale. He was the first major character to die.<ref name="Malcom">Template:Cite interview</ref> Following his departure from the show, ABC signed him to another one-year contract.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> In 2005, he stated that being a part of Lost was "the greatest experience" of "the greatest year of his life".<ref>Template:Cite interview</ref><ref name="Williamson">Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2009, Somerhalder appeared in the movie The Tournament where he played the role of an assassin participating in a lethal competition with other assassins. He appears in the coffee table book About Face by celebrity photographer John Russo.<ref>[1]Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Metro Source LA magazine</ref> Also in 2009, Somerhalder began playing the role of Vampire Damon Salvatore as a series regular in The CW television drama series The Vampire Diaries. The series premiere attracted The CW's highest premiere ratings of any season premiere since the network began in 2006. The series has continued to be the highest-rated series on its channel with both his performance and the show receiving a positive response from critics. He began directing The Vampire Diaries in its third season and produced the series at the start of season 8. He received several Teen Choice Award's and a People's Choice Award for his participation on the series.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Somerhalder acted in the short subject Time Framed (2013).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He played Dr. Luther Swann as a series regular in the Netflix science fiction horror series V Wars, which ran from 2019 to 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2020, Somerhalder shot footage for and served as an executive producer on the film Kiss the Ground, a documentary centered on regenerative agriculture.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He returned as an executive producer on its follow-up documentary, Common Ground, in 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In a 2024 interview, Somerhalder revealed that he had retired from acting a while back after relocating outside of Los Angeles, though he would still be involved in producing and environmental activism.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Foundations and causes

File:The Vampire Diaries Cast Comic-Con 2012.jpg

Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev and Somerhalder in 2012

Somerhalder was involved in the cleanup after the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling disaster on April 22, 2010. His efforts included cleaning of oiled wildlife and taping public service announcements to let the public know how they could help.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Somerhalder also supports the St. Tammany Humane Society, an organization for animal shelter and welfare. On November 13, 2010, he hosted a Bash on the Bayou charity fundraiser for the Society. During the event, Somerhalder was presented with a donation of $11,100 by The Vampire Diaries fandom for his birthday project.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Unleashed Recap Plus More on Ian Somerhalder's Foundation Template:Webarchive (November 17, 2010). Vampire Diaries Online.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Together with his The Vampire Diaries co-stars Candice Accola and Michael Trevino, Somerhalder supports the It Gets Better Project, which makes it a goal to prevent suicide among LGBT youth<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> associated with The Trevor Project.<ref>Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref> For his second campaign, Somerhalder teamed up with The Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley to release a limited edition shirt designed by a fan, with the words "Blood Brothers Since 1864."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This campaign sold almost 10,000 shirts.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On December 8, 2010, Somerhalder's 32nd birthday, he launched the "Ian Somerhalder Foundation" which he hopes will educate people on the importance of protecting the environment and animals: "Instead of gifts this year, my birthday wish is that we come together and raise funds to support projects that protect our habitat and nurture our furry friends.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Vee (November 16, 2010). Template:Usurped, vampire-diaries.net.</ref> To spread awareness for his foundation, Somerhalder sponsors and often walks in Mardi Paws, a parade and organization held in his hometown of Covington.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He opposes GMO foods and factory farming, and supports ecologist Allan Savory in his crusade to let cows graze in sync with nature to enrich soil, enhance biodiversity, and reverse climate change. In 2011, Somerhalder visited Savory in Africa and announced he was making a documentary about him with the goal of winning him a Nobel Prize.<ref name=isfsavory>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=esavory>Template:Cite news</ref>

Somerhalder is also a celebrity campaigner for RYOT, a Los Angeles-based media company known for RYOT.org, its cause-based, take action online news source.<ref>Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Personal life

Somerhalder dated his Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev from 2010 to 2013.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2014, he began dating actress Nikki Reed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They married on April 26, 2015, in Malibu, California.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They had a daughter in 2017,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and a son in 2023.<ref>Blackwelder, Carson (June 29, 2023). "Nikki Reed welcomes baby No. 2 with Ian Somerhalder, talks home birth". Good Morning America.</ref>

While working on Lost, Somerhalder and Maggie Grace adopted a feral cat named Roo which that they found "literally dying" in the jungle, and it later became Grace's "travel buddy."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Somerhalder stated that being a part of Lost was "the greatest experience" of "the greatest year of his life".<ref>Us Weekly, (April 20, 2005) "Ian in Us Weekly Template:Webarchive," Lost-Media.com. Retrieved on August 5, 2007.</ref><ref>Williamson, Kevin, (April 27, 2005) "Lost Boy: Actor Faces Life After Death on TV Blockbuster," Calgary Sun. Retrieved on August 5, 2007.</ref>

Brother's Bond Bourbon

Somerhalder has remained close friends with his former Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley, and in 2020, they announced the launch of a straight bourbon whiskey named Brother's Bond Bourbon.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Tooltip
1998	Celebrity	Unconfirmed	Uncredited
2001	Life as a House	Josh
2002	Changing Hearts	Jason Kelly
	The Rules of Attraction	Paul Denton
2004	In Enemy Hands	U.S.S. Swordfish Danny Miller
	The Old Man and the Studio	Matt	Short film
2006	National Lampoon's TV: The Movie	Unconfirmed	Uncredited
	Pulse	Dexter McCarthy
	The Sensation of Sight	Drifter
2008	The Lost Samaritan	William Archer
2009	Wake	Tyler
	The Tournament	Miles Slade
2010	How to Make Love to a Woman	Daniel Meltzer
2013	Caught On Tape	Officer Lewis
	Time Framed	Agent Black	Short film
2014	The Anomaly	Harkin Langham		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Tooltip
1997	The Big Easy	I.Q.	Episode: "The Black Bag"
1999	Now and Again	Brian	Episode: "A Girl's Life"
2000	Young Americans	Hamilton Fleming	Main role
2001	Anatomy of a Hate Crime	Russell Henderson	TV film
2002	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Tony Del Nagro	Episode: "Revenge Is Best Served Cold"
	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Charlie Baker	Episode: "Dominance"
2003	CSI: Miami	Ricky Murdoch	Episode: "The Best Defense"
2004	Fearless	Jordan Gracie	Unsold TV pilot
2004–2007; 2010	Lost	Boone Carlyle	Main role (season 1); Special Guest Star (seasons 2–3, 6); 28 episodes	<ref name="Malcom" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2004	Smallville	Adam Knight	6 episodes
2007	Marco Polo	Marco Polo	TV film
	Tell Me You Love Me	Nick	Recurring role; 6 episodes
2008	Lost City Raiders	Jack Kubiak	TV film
2009	Fireball	Lee Cooper	TV film
2009–2017	The Vampire Diaries	Damon Salvatore	Main role; Producer (season 8)
2014	Years of Living Dangerously	Himself	Documentary series; Episode: "Ice & Brimstone"
2019	V Wars	Dr. Luther Swann	Main role; executive producer	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2020	Kiss the Ground	Himself	Documentary; executive producer

Web

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Tooltip
2009	The Vampire Diaries: A Darker Truth	Damon Salvatore	Episode: "A Darker Truth Part 4"	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As director

Television

Year	Title	Notes	Template:Tooltip
2015	The Vampire Diaries	Episode: "The Downward Spiral"	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite interview</ref>
2016		Episode: "Days of Future Past"
2017		Episode: "We Have History Together"
2019	V Wars	Episode: "The Junkie Run of the Predator Gene"

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Template:Tooltip
2002	Young Hollywood Awards	Exciting New Face – Male	Template:N/a	Template:Won
2005	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Breakout Performance – Male	Lost	Template:Nom
2006	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series	Lost (with cast)	Template:Won
2010	Young Hollywood Awards	Cast to Watch (with Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev)	The Vampire Diaries	Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Villain		Template:Won
		Choice Male Hottie		Template:Nom
2011		Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi		Template:Won
		Choice Vampire		Template:Nom
		Choice Male Hottie		Template:Nom
	People's Choice Awards	Favorite TV Drama Actor		Template:Nom
2012	People's Choice Awards			Template:Nom
	Genesis Awards	Humane Society	Template:N/a	Template:Won
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi	The Vampire Diaries	Template:Won
		Choice Male Hottie		Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Do Something Awards	Best TV Star		Template:Nom
		Twitter	Template:N/a	Template:Nom
	Environmental Media Awards	EMA Futures Award	Template:N/a	Template:Won
	Fright Night Awards	Favorite Male TV/Movie Vampire	The Vampire Diaries	Template:Won
	International Green Awards	Most Responsible Celebrity	Template:N/a	Template:Won
2013	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Dramatic TV Actor	The Vampire Diaries	Template:Nom
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi		Template:Won
2014	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor		Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
		Favorite On-Screen Chemistry (with Nina Dobrev)		Template:Won
	mtvU Fandom Awards	Ship of the Year (with Nina Dobrev)		Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi		Template:Won
		Choice Male Hottie		Template:Won
		Choice Twit	Template:N/a	Template:Nominated
		Choice Social Media King	Template:N/a	Template:Nominated
	Young Hollywood Awards	Best Threesome (with Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev)	The Vampire Diaries	Template:Won
2015	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor		Template:Nominated
		Favorite TV Duo (with Nina Dobrev)		Template:Won
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi		Template:Nominated
		Choice TV: Chemistry (with Kat Graham)		Template:Nominated
		Choice TV: Liplock (with Nina Dobrev)		Template:Won
	mtvU Fandom Awards	Ship of the Year (with Kat Graham)		Template:Nom
2016	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor		Template:Nominated
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi		Template:Nominated
		Choice TV: Chemistry (with Kat Graham)		Template:Nominated
2017	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor		Template:Nom
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi		Template:Nominated
		Choice Changemaker	Template:N/a	Template:Nominated

External links

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