Background

Ethnicity: His father was of French descent and his mother was of Irish.

Somerhalder was born on December 8, 1978, in Covington, Louisiana. His mother, Edna, used to be a massage therapist and father, Robert Somerhalder, was a building contractor. Ian is the second of three children.

Not much is known about his childhood but Ian has mentioned that he had quite a troublesome childhood as his parents constantly fought with each other. They divorced while Ian was 13 years old, and this had a deep impact on him. He was then taken into custody by his mother, who was an avid follower of eastern medicine and pushed him from early childhood to lead a healthy life. Ian heeded her advice and was stuck to a healthy clean diet and regular workout, which eventually prepared him for the modeling career.

Education

Ian Somerhalder attended Mandeville High School, a public school in Mandeville, Louisiana. Being an active and athletic kid, Ian loved outdoor sports like horse riding and soccer.

He has stated in many of his interviews that he was always fascinated with the world of show business. The modelling offers started pouring in as soon as he turned 10. Eventually, he got tired of modelling and expressed his desire to be seen as more than just a perfect face.

Ian didn’t finish his high school education and left for Europe midway for pursuing modelling. Prior to that, he was an above-average kid in academics and he also actively participated in almost all the extracurricular activities in school. He also showed a keen interest in writing and said that if he wasn’t an actor or model, he would have made a career in writing or advertising.

Career

Ian started modelling when he was 10 years old and continued that until he was 17. He earned name and fame as a supermodel and walked the ramp for some of the best designers working at that time. His glorious run as a model continued until he bagged the role of Hamilton Fleming in a spin-off series of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ titled ‘Young Americans’. The series was short-lived and was largely unsuccessful. But Ian’s talent didn’t go unnoticed and soon after it was over, he appeared as a bisexual character Paul Denton in Roger Avary’s ‘The Rules of Attraction’.

Ian got the necessary exposure to the industry and bagged the most important role of his lifetime that turned around his professional career. In 2004, he played Boon Carlyle in the cult TV series ‘Lost’. Although he only appeared in the first twenty episodes of ‘Lost’ before he was killed off, he gathered a massive following. Several polls stated that he was the most loved character on the show and killed off too early. On popular demand, the producers made him a reappearing character and Ian kept showing up in several episodes here and there. After that Ian kept making appearances in several big and small roles in films and TV shows such as Fearless, Smallville, Marco Polo, Lost City Raider etc.

In 2009, Ian appeared in the role of an assassin in the American film ‘The Tournament’. He became a household name when he was finally cast for the show ‘the Vampire Diaries’ and that changed his life forever. He played a lovable anti-heroic vampire named Damon Salvatore as one of the two main characters in the show. The show garnered CW network the highest ever rating for a TV show and continues to be be the most popular show for the network.

Ian has also shown interest in direction and has even directed a few episodes of Vampire diaries, which were quite well received. He has also indicated that he may direct a full-length feature quite soon.

In October 2012 Somerhalder was cast in the film Time Framed, which had begun filming in Los Angeles. In April 2018, Somerhalder was cast in the role of Dr. Luther Swann as a series regular in Netflix Vampire drama series V-Wars.

Achievements

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  Ian Somerhalder is an American actor who gained a massive fan following due to his role of a hunky vampire, Damon Salvatore, in the hit American series ‘Vampire Diaries’. The blue-eyed heartthrob has appeared in many movies and TV shows and is one of the most popular American actors across the world. His godly looks made him popular among women of all ages. Somerhalder has received several Teen Choice Award's and a People's Choice Award for his participation on the television drama series The Vampire Diaries.

Works

More photos

• movie

  • The Sensation of Sight

    (In an awe-inspiring fusion of dream/reality, this offbeat...)

    2006
  • The Tournament

    (A tournament is watched by dozens of wealthy men betting ...)

    2009
  • Watch How To Make Love To A Woman

    (When Andy (Josh Meyers) hears his girlfriend Lauren (Krys...)

    2010
  • Pulse

    (Horrifying supernatural events consume the life of Mattie...)

    2006
  • National Lampoon's TV: The Movie

    (National Lampoon's TV: The Movie is a comedy film that wa...)

    2005
  • Celebrity

    (Celebrity is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written an...)

    1998
  • The Anomaly

    (An ex-soldier finds himself living alternate lives in ten...)

    2014
  • In Enemy Hands

    (At the height of Hitler's notorious U-boat war, the crew ...)

    2004
  • The Rules Of Attraction

    (Forget everything you thought you knew about higher educa...)

    2002
  • Life as a House

    (Kevin Kline stars as George, who is diagnosed with cancer...)

    2001

• TV series

  • Smallville: The Complete Series

    (A young Clark Kent struggles to find his place in the wor...)

    2004
  • Lost: The Complete Seasons 1-5

    (The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work togethe...)

    2004
  • Vampire Diaries: The Complete Series

    (The lives, loves, dangers and disasters in the town, Myst...)

    2009

Religion

Somerhalder was raised a Catholic, he attended Catholic school, and describes his mother and her influence on his childhood as “very spiritual.”

Politics

Somerhalder is a Democrat and was a giant Obama supporter.

Views

Also a philanthropist, Ian actively participates in social campaigns. Ian is an environmentalist and has expressed a deep concern about the constantly changing environment and the loss of natural habitat of wildlife. 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. 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.

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 associated with The Trevor Project. 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." This campaign sold almost 10,000 shirts.

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. 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.

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.

Quotations: "I have a million acquaintances but just two or three true friends. I can't hide anything from them."

"Every love story needs a catalyst of some sort."

"I can't let time move on without fighting tooth and nail and hopefully being a part of a revolution that is positive."

"No one knows what women want!"

"The quality of life is so much higher anyplace you can ski in the morning and surf in the evening - there's something to be said for that."

"Kids are meeting in coffee shops and basements figuring out what's unsustainable in their communities. That's the future."

"I work with the Humane Society a lot and have three rescue cats."

Membership

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  Ian Somerhalder Foundation

Personality

Somerhalder regrets his modelling days stating that he was taken as just a pretty face back in the days and he would love to never talk about that time.

He has 3 cats. Their names are – Miss Linx, Moke, and Thursday.

Physical Characteristics: Height - 5 ft 9½ in (177 cm)

Weight - 71 kg (156.5 pounds)

Hair color - dark brown

Eye color - blue

Distinctive features - bold blue eyes

Measurements:

Chest – 38 in or 96.5 cm

Biceps – 15 in or 38 cm

Waist – 30 in or 76 cm

Shoe size - 9 (US)

Interests

• Yoga, traveling

• Politicians

  Barack Obama

• Writers

  Fifty Shades Of Grey (by E. L. James)

• Artists

  Favorite actor: Sean Penn
  
  Favorite movie: The Graduate (1967)

• Sport & Clubs

  Soccer, baseball

• Music & Bands

  5 Step (by Radiohead)

Connections

Somerhalder dated his The Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev from 2010 to 2013.

In mid-2014, Somerhalder began dating actress Nikki Reed. They confirmed their engagement in February 2015 and married on April 26, 2015, in Malibu, California. Their daughter, Bodhi Soleil was born on July 25, 2017.

Father:

Robert Somerhalder

Mother:

Edna Somerhalder

Spouse:

Nikki Reed

(born May 17, 1988)

She is an American actress, screenwriter, singer-songwriter, and model known for her portrayal of vampire Rosalie Hale in The Twilight Saga (2008–2012).

Sister:

Robyn Somerhalder

Brother:

Robert Somerhalder

Daughter:

Bodhi Soleil Reed Somerhalder

colleague:

Nina Dobrev

(born January 9, 1989)

She is a Canadian actress.

Friend:

Paul Wesley

(born July 23, 1982)

He is an American actor, director, and producer.

colleague:

Kat Graham

(born September 5, 1989)

She is a Swiss-born American actress, singer, dancer and model.

colleague:

Robert Pattinson

(born 13 May 1986)

He is an English actor, model and musician.

References

• Fame: Ian Somerhalder
• The Vampire Diaries: Unlocking the Secrets of Mystic Falls
• Entertainment Weekly February 17, 2012 Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev & Ian Somerhalder
• Ian Somerhalder 2017: Star of Vampire Diaries
• Blindfold Magazine 2012 Ian Somerhalder