Ian Somerhalder confirms he has officially left Hollywood behind
Ian Somerhalder has no regrets after officially leaving Hollywood and his acting career behind.
“I love what I've done for a long time. I love making films, I've just done it for so long. We had a great run,” said 45-year-old Somerhalder E! News on Friday, January 12 during a joint interview with wife Nikki Reed. “But this is our 2.0 version – about to become the 3.0 version.”
The update on Somerhalder's professional life may come as a surprise to some fans. He previously hinted that he decided to quit acting while discussing his and Reed's move to a farm outside Los Angeles. The couple, who share two children, were excited about creating a new home with 18 pets – both farm-related and domestic – after selling their previous property.
“[I love] walking around the farm with kids, dogs and family,” Somerhalder discussed E! in November 2023. “Every stop you pull out of trees or bushes, come out of the ground and feed everyone as you walk through the farm.”
Celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Rick Moranis have risen to fame in Hollywood but left their acting careers in the past. Diaz got her start with a role opposite Jim Carrey in the 1994 film The Mask. The actress continued to find success with films such as My Best Friend's Wedding and There's Something About […]
The actor said at the time that he was loving his new normal, adding, “We're farm people, we produce most of our own food, I live in my cowboy boots.”
Ian Somerhalder in 'The Vampire Diaries'
CWSomerhalder became famous playing Boone Lostbut it was his role as Damon Salvatore on The CW's hit series The diary of vampires that made him a Hollywood heartthrob. After nearly a decade working on the supernatural drama, Somerhalder took on a new vampire project with Netflix V wars.
The 2009 premiere of The Vampire Diaries introduced fans to one of the most memorable vampire-themed series to date. The CW show, which ran for eight seasons until 2017, took place in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, home to both mythical creatures and humans. In addition to stories about people becoming vampires, or finding out about them […]
Since exchanging vows with 35-year-old Reed in 2015, Somerhalder has transitioned to producing climate change documentaries, such as 2020's Kiss the Ground. He has also collaborated with his former TVD costar Paul Wesley in 2020 to launch Brother's Bond Bourbon, which draws inspiration from their fictional characters.
“I quit acting a little over four years ago to raise my kids, build my businesses and get these movies launched,” Somerhalder explains. E! in November 2023.
The WB was a teen dream network before it became The CW in 2006, giving fans a ton of eye candy to watch across all their hit series. From Summerland and Supernatural to What I Like About You and Charmed, The WB was all about bringing the best actors to the forefront, and […]
Despite stepping away from acting, Somerhalder clarified why he kept returning to the spotlight.
“I was asked why I think this is important,” he added. “It's because I'm building my entire life and world to do just that. I will be a rancher and build existing brands, whether it's my bourbon or my health and wellness company, and the regenerative agriculture and healthy soil management practices that I live by and that our family lives by. That's where my life was going. So when people say, “Why do you care?” That's why I care. Because that's who I am, that's what I'm going to become.”