Ian Joseph Somerhalder (born December 8, 1978) is an American model, actor and producer, best known for playing Damon Salvatore in the TV drama The Vampire Diaries and Boone Carlyle in the TV drama Lost.
Early life and 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'The Rules of Attraction, alongside James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, and Jessica Biel. novel,
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. In an ironic twist, Somerhalder was the first actor to be cast in a role for the series, but he was also the first character to die. He has stated that he was going to buy a house in Hawaii, where filming took place, until he learned his character was being killed off.
In May 2006, Somerhalder was named one of DNA Models' Top 10 Male Models.
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.[3] The movie is set to be released in 2013.[4]
Somerhalder appears in the limited-edition coffee table book About Face by celebrity photographer John Russo and Press Worldwide publishers.Somerhalder currently stars in the CW television drama The Vampire Diaries
Together with his The Vampire Diaries co-star Candice Accola, Somerhalder is also one of many supporters of the It Gets Better Project, a project that has made it a goal to prevent suicide among LGBT youth,[13] associated with The Trevor Project.[14]
Somerhalder announced, via Twitter, and in various interviews that he is in the process of setting up The Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which he hopes will educate people on the importance of protecting the environment and animals. Somerhalder has stated:
He hopes that donations will be used to provide proper medical services to stray animals and he established the foundation on December 8, 2010, his 32nd birthday.[16]
Philanthropy
Somerhalder was the first actor/celebrity to become actively involved in the cleanup after the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling disaster on April 22, 2010.[citation needed] His efforts included cleaning of oiled wildlife and taping public service announcements to let the public know how they could help.[8] 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 St. Tammany Humane Society. During the event, Somerhalder was presented with a donation of $11,100 by The Vampire Diaries fandom for his birthday project.[9][10][11][12]Together with his The Vampire Diaries co-star Candice Accola, Somerhalder is also one of many supporters of the It Gets Better Project, a project that has made it a goal to prevent suicide among LGBT youth,[13] associated with The Trevor Project.[14]
Somerhalder announced, via Twitter, and in various interviews that he is in the process of setting up The Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which he hopes will educate people on the importance of protecting the environment and animals. Somerhalder has stated:
| “ | 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.[15] | ” |
[edit] Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Celebrity | Unconfirmed | Uncredited |
| 2001 | Life as a House | Josh | |
| 2002 | Changing Hearts | Jason Kelly | |
| The Rules of Attraction | Paul Denton | ||
| 2004 | In Enemy Hands | U.S.S. Swordfish: Danny Miller | |
| "The Old Man and the Studio" | Matt | short film | |
| 2006 | National Lampoon's TV: The Movie | Unconfirmed | Uncredited |
| Pulse | Dexter | ||
| The Sensation of Sight | Drifter | ||
| 2008 | The Lost Samaritan | William Archer | |
| 2008 | Lost City Raiders | Jack Kubiak | |
| 2009 | Wake | Tyler | |
| The Tournament | Miles Slade | ||
| 2010 | How to Make Love to a Woman | Daniel Meltzer | |
| 2012 | Cradlewood | Josh | Pre-production |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 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 | 8 Episodes |
| 2001 | Anatomy of a Hate Crime | Russell Henderson | TV Film |
| 2002 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Tony Del Nagro | Episode: "Revenge Is Best Served Cold" |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Charlie Baker | Episode: "Dominance" |
| CSI: Miami | Ricky Murdoch | Episode: "The Best Defense" | |
| 2004 | Fearless | Jordan Gracie | TV Film |
| Smallville | Adam Knight | 7 Episodes | |
| 2007 | Marco Polo | Marco Polo | TV Film |
| Tell Me You Love Me | Nick | 6 Episodes | |
| 2008 | Lost City Raiders | Jack Kubiak | TV Film |
| 2009 | Fireball | Lee Cooper | TV Film |
| 2004–2010 | Lost | Boone Carlyle | 27 Episodes |
| 2009–present | The Vampire Diaries | Damon Salvatore | Lead Role |
[edit] Awards
| Year | Category | Shared with | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Hollywood Awards | ||||
| 2002 | Exciting New Face – Male | N/A | N/A | Winner |
| Teen Choice Awards | ||||
| 2005 | Choice TV Breakout Performance – Male | N/A | Lost (2004) | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | ||||
| 2006 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Cast | Lost (2004) | Winner |
| Teen Choice Awards | ||||
| 2010 | Choice TV Villain | N/A | The Vampire Diaries (2009) | Winner |
| Choice Male Hottie | N/A | The Vampire Diaries (2009) | Nominated | |
| People's Choice Awards | ||||
| 2011 | Favourite TV Drama Actor | N/A | The Vampire Diaries (2009) | Nominated |
