Ian Somerhalder
Ian Joseph Somerhalder (/ˈsʌmərhɔːldər/; born December 8, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama Lost, Damon Salvatore in The CW's supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries, and Dr. Luther Swann in Netflix's sci-fi horror series V Wars.
Ian Somerhalder | |
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Somerhalder in 2023 | |
| Born | Ian Joseph Somerhalder December 8, 1978 Covington, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature | |
Early life
Ian Joseph Somerhalder[1] was born on December 8, 1978,[2][3] in Covington, Louisiana,[4][5] the second of three children of Edna (née Israel), a massage therapist from Mississippi,[6][7] and Robert Somerhalder Sr., an independent building contractor.[8][9]: 2 He has an older brother, Robert, and a younger sister, Robyn.[9]: 2 [10] His father has Cajun ancestry[1][11] while his mother is of half Choctaw and half Irish descent.[6][9]: 2 [12][13] Somerhalder lived with his mother after his parents divorced[1] when he was 14.[9]: 3
Somerhalder attended Saint Paul's School, a private school in Covington.[14] He embarked on a modeling career from age 10 to 13,[15] and by the age of 17 he decided to go into acting.
Career
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.[16]
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.[17] Following his departure from the show, ABC signed him to another one-year contract.[18] In 2005, he stated that being a part of Lost was "the greatest experience" of "the greatest year of his life".[19][20]
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.[21][22]
In June 2009, Somerhalder was cast in 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 has received several Teen Choice Award's and a People's Choice Award for his participation on the series.[23]
In October 2012, Somerhalder was cast in the film Time Framed, which had begun filming in Los Angeles.[24] In April 2018, he was cast in the role of Dr. Luther Swann as a series regular in the Netflix science fiction horror series V Wars.[25] The series premiered on Netflix on December 5, 2019[26] and was cancelled in March 2020.[27]
Foundations and causes
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.[28] 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.[29][30][31][32]
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[33] associated with The Trevor Project.[34] 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."[35] This campaign sold almost 10,000 shirts.[36]
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.[37][38] To spread awareness for his foundation, Somerhalder sponsors and often walks in Mardi Paws, a parade and organization held in his hometown of Covington.[39] 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.[40][41]
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.[42]
Personal life
Somerhalder had a relationship with his The Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev from 2010 to 2013.[43] In mid-2014, he began dating actress Nikki Reed.[44] They confirmed their engagement in February 2015[45] and married on April 26, 2015, in Malibu, California.[46] Their daughter was born on July 25, 2017.[47][48] On January 9, 2023, they announced that they are expecting their second child.[49][50]
Somerhalder has remained close friends with his former The Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley, and in 2020, they announced the launch of a straight bourbon whiskey named Brother's Bond Bourbon.[51]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Celebrity | Unconfirmed | Uncredited | |
| 2001 | Life as a House | Josh | ||
| 2002 | Changing Hearts | Jason Kelly | ||
| 2002 | The Rules of Attraction | Paul Denton | ||
| 2004 | In Enemy Hands | U.S.S. Swordfish Danny Miller | ||
| 2004 | The Old Man and the Studio | Matt | Short film | |
| 2006 | National Lampoon's TV: The Movie | Unconfirmed | Uncredited | |
| 2006 | Pulse | Dexter McCarthy | ||
| 2006 | The Sensation of Sight | Drifter | ||
| 2008 | The Lost Samaritan | William Archer | ||
| 2009 | Wake | Tyler | ||
| 2009 | The Tournament | Miles Slade | ||
| 2010 | How to Make Love to a Woman | Daniel Meltzer | ||
| 2013 | Caught On Tape | Officer Lewis | ||
| 2013 | Time Framed | Agent Black | Short film | |
| 2014 | The Anomaly | Harkin Langham | [52] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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" | |
| 2002 | 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 | [17][53][54] |
| 2004 | Smallville | Adam Knight | 6 episodes | |
| 2007 | Marco Polo | Marco Polo | TV film | |
| 2007 | 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 | [55] |
| 2020 | Kiss the Ground | Himself | Documentary; executive producer |
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Vampire Diaries: A Darker Truth | Damon Salvatore | Episode: "A Darker Truth Part 4" | [56] |
As director
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | The Vampire Diaries | Episode: "The Downward Spiral" | [57][58] |
| 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 | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Young Hollywood Awards | Exciting New Face – Male | — | Won | |
| 2005 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Breakout Performance – Male | Lost | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Lost (with cast) | Won | |
| 2010 | Young Hollywood Awards | Cast to Watch (with Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev) | The Vampire Diaries | Won | [59] |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Villain | Won | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Male Hottie | Nominated | |||
| 2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Won | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Vampire | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Male Hottie | Nominated | |||
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Drama Actor | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Drama Actor | Nominated | ||
| Genesis Awards | Humane Society | — | Won | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi | The Vampire Diaries | Won | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Male Hottie | Won | [60] | ||
| Do Something Awards | Best TV Star | Nominated | |||
| Do Something Awards | — | Nominated | |||
| Environmental Media Awards | EMA Futures Award | — | Won | ||
| Fright Night Awards | Favorite Male TV/Movie Vampire | The Vampire Diaries | Won | ||
| International Green Awards | Most Responsible Celebrity | — | Won | ||
| 2013 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Dramatic TV Actor | The Vampire Diaries | Nominated | |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Won | |||
| 2014 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor | Won | [61] | |
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite On-Screen Chemistry (with Nina Dobrev) | Won | |||
| mtvU Fandom Awards | Ship of the Year (with Nina Dobrev) | Won | [62] | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Won | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Male Hottie | Won | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Twit | — | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Social Media King | — | Nominated | ||
| Young Hollywood Awards | Best Threesome (with Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev) | The Vampire Diaries | Won | ||
| 2015 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Duo (with Nina Dobrev) | Won | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Chemistry (with Kat Graham) | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Liplock (with Nina Dobrev) | Won | |||
| mtvU Fandom Awards | Ship of the Year (with Kat Graham) | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Chemistry (with Kat Graham) | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Changemaker | — | Nominated |
References
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My mom's a Mississippi farmer, you know, Choctaw and Irish ... My great-grandfather was pure Choctaw.
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My mother is half Choctaw, half Irish.
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External links
- Ian Somerhalder at IMDb