Ian Somerhalder was born and raised in the small southern town of Covington, Louisiana. His mother, Edna (née Israel), is a massage therapist, and his father, Robert Somerhalder, is a building contractor. He has Cajun (French), English, and Scots-Irish ancestry. 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 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 and 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. He was cast later for the drama Changing Hearts (2002) directed by Martin Guigui. 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.
Ian Joseph Somerhalder is an American actor, model and director. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama Lost and Damon Salvatore in The CW’s supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries.
In the summer of 2000, Somerhalder starred in the short-lived WB series Young Americans, a spin-off of Dawson’s Creek. 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.
In 2004, Somerhalder scored his breakthrough role when he played Boone Carlyle in the hit TV show Lost. Despite his character’s death in the twentieth episode of the first season, Somerhalder returned to the role of Boone for seven more episodes between 2005 and 2010, including the series finale. Somerhalder was one of the first actors to be cast in a role for the series and the first major character to die.
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.
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 Somerhalder’s performance and the show receiving a positive response from critics. Somerhalder has received several Teen Choice Award’s and a People’s Choice Award for his participation on the series.
In October 2012 it was reported that Somerhalder had been cast in the film Time Framed, which had begun filming in Los Angeles.
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.
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.
The Ian Somerhalder Foundation was established in November 2010. Ian & Nikki’s shared passion for animals, youth and the environment inspire them to make the world a better place for this and future generations. Their combined efforts are the driving force behind the Ian Somerhalder Foundation.
The purpose of the Foundation is to advance science; promote the conservation of natural resources, such as forests, lands, and wildlife, for the benefit of the entire community; provide relief to the poor, distressed, and underprivileged; and support other organizations conducting activities under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
ISF empowers human action through programs and collaborations that promote education, innovation and build skills in empathy and effective leadership. ISF engages and supports youth – one of our most powerful, yet often disregarded, groups. Through programs, partnerships, grants, media initiatives and campaigns, ISF provides support for organizational and grassroots efforts that protect and restore our planet.
Body Measurements
Chest Size | 38 |
Biceps Size | 15 |
Waist Size | 30 |
Skin Colour | White |
Eye Colour | Blue |
Hair Colour | Dark Brown |

Personal Info
Home Town | Covington |
Nationality | American |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Address | Covington, Louisiana, United States |
School | St. Paul’s School, Covington, Louisiana |
College | N/A |
Qualification | N/A |
Hobbies | Wild Life & Environmental Activities |
Marital Status | Married |
Debut | As An Actor – (Film) Life As A House (2001) TV Series – The Big Easy (1997) As A Director -The Vampire Diaries (2015) |
Best Movies | The Rules of Attraction(2002), In Enemy Hands(2004), Pulse(2006), Wake(2009) & The Anomaly(2014) |
Best Friends | Kat Graham |
Net Worth | $ 8 Million |
Official Website | www.iansomerhalder.com |
Collections
Car Collections | Audi Q7 TDI & Audi A3 |
Favourites
Favorite Color | Blue, Red, Yellow |
Favorite Sport | Soccer |
Favorite Actor | Sean Penn |
Favorite Movie | The Graduate (1967) |
Favorite Song | 15 Step (Radiohead) |
Favorite Food | Fish |
Favorite Accessories | Fedora Hat, Sunglasses |
Favorite TV Program | Lost (2004) & The Vampire Diaries (2009) |
Favorite Book | Fifty Shades Of Grey (E. L. James) |
Shocking / Interesting Facts & Secrets About Ian Somerhalder
- He gained the popularity by the role of Boone Carlyle in the drama series Lost: The Disappeared from 2004-2010.
- His most notable roles are Boone Carlyle in the TV drama Lost and Damon Salvatore in The CW’s supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries.
- He married to the American Actress as well as screenwriters Nikki Reed in 2015.
- From 2014, he is the face of the Azzaro brand for the perfume Azzaro pour Homme
- He is passionate about boats and sports.
- At the age of 10, he became a model.
- He poses for the greatest such as Versace, Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana