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To the fans, thank you for it all we would have never been on this journey without you. To all who made this show possible- we did it. 8 years, wow. Thank you all.
Love,
Ian
— Ian Somerhalder on Instagram [1]

Ian Joseph Somerhalder (born 8 December 1978) is an American actor, fashion model, director and producer who plays Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries.

He directed The Downward Spiral, Days of Future Past and We Have History Together and produced the eight season of The Vampire Diaries.

Biography[]

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Ian Somerhalder

Ian Somerhalder was born in Covington, Louisiana on December 8, 1978. His father, Robert Somerhalder was a building contractor of French and English descent, and his mother, Edna, who is of Irish and Choctaw descent, was a massage therapist. He has a brother, Robert, a wood worker, and a sister, Robyn, a broadcast journalist. Boating, swimming, fishing and training horses filled much of his recreational time growing up, as did the school drama club and performing with the local theater group.

With his mother's encouragement, at age 10 he began a modeling career that took him to New York each summer. By the time he was in  junior high, he opted to put modeling on the back burner and focus more on sports and school. A few years later, when the opportunity to model in Europe arose, Somerhalder grabbed it, embarking on an enriching path of work, travel and study that took him to cities including Paris, Milan and London.

At 17, he began studying acting in New York, and by 19 had committed himself to the craft, working with preeminent acting coach William Esper. His fate was sealed while working as an extra in a club scene in the feature film Black & White (1999). A talent manager visiting a client on the set spotted Somerhalder in a crowd scene of 400 and immediately signed him for representation. Happy to be anchored in New York, Somerhalder spends much of his time studying acting, writing and practicing yoga. His recreational interests include water and snow skiing and horseback riding. Recently, he has helped raise funds for Disaster in the Gulf, to help the people affected by an oil spill on the coast. 

Early life[]

Somerhalder was born and raised up in Covington, Louisiana, the son of Edna, a massage therapist, and Robert Somerhalder, an independent building contractor. He was raised as a Catholic, he attended St. Paul's, a private Catholic school in Covington. He embarked on a modelling career from the age of 10. By the age of 17, he began to give acting a try.

Personal life[]

Ian-Nikki-Wedding

While working on the Vampire Diaries, Ian dated his co-star Nina Dobrev from mid-2010 to May 2013. He enjoys reading, music, yoga and traveling. He has 3 cats with Nina Dobrev; Jama-Lynx, Dennis and Moke. He likes the colors red, black, blue and white. He is currently in a relationship with Twilight star, Nikki Reed. On January 2015, it was announced that Ian and Nikki are engaged.[2] Nikki Reed also confirmed their engagement.[3] The couple married on April 26, 2015, in Santa Monica, California.[4] On May 5, 2017 Ian Somerhalder announced the pregnancy of Nikki Reed on his Instagram account.[5] They welcomed their daughter, Bodhi Soleli, on July 25, 2017.[6]

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, who falls in love with a fellow student. The series was filmed in Havre de Grace, Maryland. In 2002, Somerhalder played 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. In May 2006, Somerhalder was named one of DNA Models' Top 10 Male Models. He played the role of Boone Carlyle on the hit TV-series Lost. Somerhalder guest starred as Nick in HBO's Tell Me You Love Me, appearing fully nude in a sex scene with actress Michelle Borth. In September 2009, Somerhalder appeared in the movie The Tournament where he played the role of an assassin participating in a lethal competition with other assassins. On 10 October 2009, it was announced that he will star in the Gothic movie Cradlewood, which is to be directed by Harry Weinmann. The movie doesn't have a schedule yet. Somerhalder also appears in the limited-edition coffee table book About Face by celebrity photographer John Russo and Pixie Press Worldwide publishers. Somerhalder, formerly stars as the vampire Damon Salvatore in the CW TV drama series The Vampire Diaries, is returning to the vampire genre with the starring role in Netflix's 10-episode, straight to series drama V-Wars.[7]

IS Foundation[]

For his 32nd birthday he established a foundation.

Rare Birds Productions[]

Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed's Rare Birds Productions has signed a pod deal with Warner Bros Television. Under the new pact, the production company will produce new series projects for WBTV and be housed on the Warners lot.[8] The CW has put in development Transience, an hourlong drama from Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed's recently launched Rare Birds Productions.[9] The CW buys southern soap Prohibited from Ian Somerhalder & Nikki Reed.[10]

Filmography[]

Year Title Type Role
2019 V-Wars TV Series Dr. Luther Swann
2009-2017 The Vampire Diaries TV Series Damon Salvatore
2016 Swimming With Wild Dolphins in 360° Virtual Reality: The Dolphin Project Video short
2014 Nature Is Speaking TV Series short Coral Reef
2014 The Anomaly Harkin Langham
2013 Caught on Tape Officer Lewis
2010 When Vampires Don't Suck Video
2010 How to Make Love to a Woman Daniel Meltzer
2004-2010 Lost TV Series Boone Carlyle
2009 Fireball TV Movie Lee Cooper
2009 The Tournament Miles Slade
2009 Wake Tyler
2008 Lost City Raiders TV Movie Jack Kubiak
2008 The Lost Samaritan William Archer
2007 Tell Me You Love Me TV Series Nick
2007 Marco Polo TV Movie Marco Polo
2006 The Sensation of Sight Drifter
2006 Pulse Dexter
2006 TV: The Movie Guy
2004 Fearless TV Movie Jordan Gracie
2004 Recess Short Cooley
2004 The Old Man and the Studio Short Matt
2004 Smallville TV Series Adam Knight
2004 In Enemy Hands Danny Miller
2003 CSI: Miami TV Series Ricky Murdoch
2003 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit TV Series Charlie Baker
2002 The Rules of Attraction Paul Denton
2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV Series Tony Del Nagro
2002 Changing Hearts Jason Kelly
2001 Life as a House Josh
2001 Anatomy of a Hate Crime TV Movie Russell Henderson
2000 Young Americans TV Series Hamilton Fleming
1999 Now and Again TV Series Brian
1997 The Big Easy TV Series I.Q.

Director[]

The Vampire Diaries[]

Season Six

Season Seven

Season Eight

Producer[]


Awards[]

Year Award Category Nominated Result
2002 Young Hollywood Awards Exciting New Face - Male Won
2005 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Breakout Performance - Male Lost Nominated
2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (with cast) Lost Won
2010 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Villain The Vampire Diaries Won
Choice Male Hottie Nominated
Young Hollywood Awards Cast to Watch (with Nina Dobrev & Paul Wesley) The Vampire Diaries Won
2011 J-14 Teen Icon Awards Iconic TV Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Drama Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi The Vampire Diaries Won
Choice TV Vampire The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Choice Male Hottie Nominated
2012 Do Something Awards Best TV Star: Male The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Twitter Nominated
Environmental Media Awards EMA Futures Award Won
Fright Night Awards Favorite Male TV/ Movie Vampire The Vampire Diaries Won
Genesis Awards Wyler Award (for his environmental work) Won
International Green Awards Most Responsible Celebrity Won
J-14 Teen Icon Awards Iconic TV Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Drama Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi The Vampire Diaries Won
Choice Male Hottie Won
2013 J-14 Teen Icon Awards Iconic TV Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Drama Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi The Vampire Diaries Won
2014 J-14 Teen Icon Awards Iconic TV Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Iconic Heart Nominated
mtvU Fandom Awards Ship of the Year (with Nina Dobrev) The Vampire Diaries Won
People's Choice Awards Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor The Vampire Diaries Won
Favorite On Screen Chemistry (with Nina Dobrev) The Vampire Diaries Won
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy The Vampire Diaries Won
Choice Male Hottie Nominated
Choice Twit Nominated
Choice Social Media King Nominated
Young Hollywood Awards Best Threesome (with Nina Dobrev & Paul Wesley) The Vampire Diaries Won
2015 J-14 Teen Icon Awards Iconic TV Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
mtvU Fandom Awards Ship of the Year (with Kat Graham) The Vampire Diaries Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Favorite TV Duo (with Nina Dobrev) The Vampire Diaries Won
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Choice TV: Chemistry (with Kat Graham) The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Choice TV: Liplock (with Nina Dobrev) The Vampire Diaries Won
Noble Awards Activism in Film Won
2016 People's Choice Awards Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Choice TV: Chemistry (with Kat Graham) The Vampire Diaries Nominated
2017 People's Choice Awards Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi The Vampire Diaries Nominated
Choice Changemaker Nominated

Trivia[]

  • Ian's nickname is 'Smolderholder'
  • Ian is best friends with his on-screen brother Paul Wesley, and even refers to him as his real-life brother.
  • Ian, along with Paul Wesley, appears in all and, thus, more episodes of The Vampire Diaries than any other cast member.
  • Ian's full name is Ian Joseph Somerhalder.
  • Ian was born in Covington, Louisiana, USA.
  • Ian attended St Pauls.
  • Ian's favorite food is fish.
  • Ian's favorite colors are blue, yellow and red.
  • Ian's favorite song is 15 step by Radiohead.
  • Ian's favorite sport is football. He has also played varsity soccer and baseball.
  • Ian's favorite actor is Sean Penn.
  • Ian's favorite movie is The Graduate (1967).
  • Ian owns a pizza parlor.
  • Ian owns a charity called Ian Somerhalder Foundation.
  • Ian was voted "Sexiest Beast" in an Entertainment Weekly poll.
  • Ian was the first actor to be cast in Lost.
  • Ian originally auditioned for the role of Jason Stakehouse in the show, True Blood. [11]
  • Ian is the fourth oldest cast member of the Vampire Diaries. Caspar Zafer (Finn) is the oldest then Daniel Gillies (Elijah) is second oldest and Matthew Davis (Alaric) is third oldest; he is exactly seven months older than Ian.
  • Ian played a recurring role in Smallville as Adam Knight, one of Lionel Luthor's genetic experiments who befriended Lana in order to find information on Clark Kent.
  • He is well known for his role as Boone Carlyle in Lost.
  • Ian is the second of the three cast members to appear on Smallville before the Vampire Diaries. The first was Paul Wesley (as Lucas Luthor), the third was Sara Canning (as Kat) and the fourth was Cassidy Freeman (as Tess Mercer).
  • Ian is a Sagittarius.
  • Ian is right-handed, as seen in videos.
  • Ian is of English, French, Choctaw and Irish descent.
  • Ian was raised a Catholic.
  • In 2011,  he recorded a music video with Dima Bilan [12]
  • He dated his co-star, Nina Dobrev since 2010, but broke-up in May 2013.
  • Ian is currently in a relationship with Twilight star, Nikki Reed as of July 2014. The couple got married on April 26, 2015. On May 2, 2017, the couple announced they were expecting a child.[13]
  • Ian is close friends with his co-stars.
  • Ian plays the piano well.
  • He is the newest model for Penshoppe All-Stars.
  • Ian is 5'9 (177cm)
  • He is 79 kg.
  • In December 2005, he played "Matt" in the Off-Broadway play, "Dog see God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead", at the Century Center for the Performing Arts.
  • Ian, along with Kayla Ewell (Vicki) and Sara Canning (Jenna) are the only cast members among the main cast that haven't played a 2nd role.
  • Ian's favorite episode of The Vampire Diaries is Lost Girls.
  • According to Ian, it takes about 8-10 days to shoot an episode of TVD.
Ian somerhalder 616

TVD Season 6 Episode 16

  • Ian directed his first episode, The Downward Spiral.
  • If he hadn't become an actor, he would have chosen a career in marine biology, writing, or advertising.
  • He enjoys reading, music, yoga and traveling.

References[]

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Accepting Genesis Award

External links[]

See also[]

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