Ian Somerhalder Net Worth

Biography of Ian Somerhalder

Ian Somerhalder forever inscribed his name in the history of cinema, playing the role of the pampered major Boone in the TV series Lost and the deadly beautiful Damon in The Vampire Diaries. The actor carefully approaches the proposals and does not often please with new films, but each of them invariably becomes a gift for fans of Ian’s multifaceted talent.

Childhood

Ian Somerhalder was born December 8, 1978 in Louisiana; he is the middle child of three children of massage nurse Edna and building contractor Robert. There is Irish and Indian blood in his veins, and Ian’s great-great-grandfather was an English aristocrat.

Ian spent his childhood in Mandeville, he grew up as an ordinary boy, loved to ride horses, went fishing with his father and older brother, and was engaged in a drama club.

When Ian was 13 years old, Edna took him to the summer Young Models and Actors Conference in New York, where the handsome boy was noticed, and until the age of 17 he took part in fashion shows of famous fashion houses and starred in commercials.

Despite the fact that Ian’s modeling career was more than successful, he was attracted by other shores. After graduating from high school in 1997, the young man moved to New York, where he entered the studio of William Esper, which graduated from Sam Rockwell, Aaron Eckhart, Kim Basinger, Jeff Goldblum and other movie stars.

Career. Start

For the first time on the big screen, the young actor appeared in the film “Celebrity”, directed by Woody Allen himself, but this event went unnoticed: Ian was involved in extras and was not even listed in the credits. While continuing his studies, he appeared in episodes of the popular TV series Law & Order, Now or Never, GSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and GSI: Miami.

The first successful work of the actor was the participation in the melodramatic film “Life is like a house”, shown in 2001 at the festival in Toronto. In a touching story about life and its joys, which a person begins to appreciate only when he loses, Ian got the role of a friend of the hero Hayden Christensen. Despite the fact that the role of Somerhalder was very small, the actor managed to give it significance and received the Young Hollywood film award.

From 2001 to 2004, the actor played in the films Dolce Vita, Rules of Sex and U-429: Underwater Prison, and also starred in six episodes of the cult youth project Smallville. During this period of his career, he polished the edges of his dramatic talent, trying to show that he was capable of more than being an on-screen handsome man who exploited his appearance.

Stay alive and become a star

In 2002, Somerhalder played one of the key roles in the satirical comedy The Rules of Sex. After the release of the picture, critics went into a unanimous negative, they did not like the image of innocent students, in which there simply cannot be so much sex, drugs and mutual disrespect.

But the viewer liked the picture, both its plot and the characters: the virgin whore Lauren, played by Shannyn Sossamon, and the local macho Sean, who turned out to be a junkie dealer, played by James Van Der Beek. But a special reaction from the audience of both sexes was caused by the bisexual Paul performed by Ian, who struck with a combination of promiscuity and intelligence, and exceptional external data emphasized the absurdity and tragedy of the story told, in which, as in life, everything is not what it seems.

Participation in the Lost project, which was watched by viewers all over the world, confirmed the rise of Ian Somerhalder’s star on the battered Hollywood Olympus. The actor starred in the series for twenty episodes, playing the role of Boone, who found himself in conditions that he could not dream of even in his worst dream. From series to series, Boone grew up, turning from a spoiled major into a man, and Ian managed to brilliantly convey this process. Together with Somerhalder, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Matthew Fox and Terry O’Quinn worked on the project.

From 2005 to 2009, Yen took part in more than ten films, in many he played the main roles, taking his place among the brightest movie stars. In the thriller “Random Witness”, the actor played the role of William, who became a bargaining chip in the games of corrupt FBI agents.

The action movie Human Torch, according to critics, would have had no chance at the box office, if not for Somerhalder, who brilliantly played Lee Cooper, who escaped from prison to avenge his broken fate.

In a duet with Bijou Phillips, the actor played in the comedy melodrama Awakening. Playing the role of Tyler, he was able to convey the whole gamut of feelings that his hero experienced, resurrecting to life after the loss of his beloved.

The role of Marco Polo, who travels to China, was played by the actor in the television drama of the same name, which was remembered both for the beauty of the landscapes and for the already mature beauty of Yen and his deep understanding of the adventurous nature of the historical character. In the film, the actor collaborated with Brian Dennehy and B.D. Wong.

The Vampire Diaries

By agreeing to play Damon in the 2009 vampire saga The Vampire Diaries, the actor gained immense fame. In this role, Ian managed to reveal the nature of the dark part of the soul of his character, to show the pain of betrayal that he experienced and which led to unprincipled cruelty.

The subtle sensual drama of Somerhalder’s game, the deadly charm of danger, skillfully conveyed by him, became the key to the popularity of the project and was awarded the “People’s Choice”, “Best Villain” and “Best Actor in a Fantasy Series” award. The partner of the actor in this project was Nina Dobrev.

Other roles

In the 2009 thriller The Tournament, the actor played the role of one of the killers taking part in a deadly competition. The role of an exquisite psychopath came as a surprise to the actor’s fans, but showed that Mr. Perfect is capable of any role. The roles of the other killers were played by Robert Carlyle and the incredible Kelly Hu.

In the mystical detective of 2011 “Cradlewood”, the actor will again have to fight the dark forces guarding the terrible secrets of the old estate. The role of the hero’s wife Ian was played by Emma Lang. In the political mini-series Time Doesn’t Wait, which ended in 2013, Ian plays an FBI agent in a fight with corrupt officials. The project involves Seymour Cassel.

The thriller quest “Anomaly” promised to be the event of the season, according to most reviews, the presence of Somerhalder is one of the few pluses of the picture. It is his game that makes you not take your eyes off the screen for all 98 minutes. Brian Cox also played in the film about the confrontation between good and evil.

Personal life of Ian Somerhalder

The object of dreams of millions of women has never suffered from loneliness, it is known that both the famous designer Sarah Maleitesta and socialite Nicky Hilton were his girlfriends. For three years, Somerhalder was in a relationship with the producer and beautiful blonde Megan Old, after which he had an affair with Kate Bosworth. During the filming of The Vampire Diaries, the actor began dating Nina Dobrev, but this girl did not become his life partner either.

The lucky one, whom Ian offered his hand and heart, was Nikki Reed, whom he had known for almost 10 years and who was married to Paul McDonald. For a long time, young people were connected only by friendly relations, but gradually spiritual intimacy grew into true love.

Nikki divorced the singer and married her prince in 2015. In the summer of 2017, the star couple had a daughter, Body Soleil.

Ian Somerhalder now

In the role of a scientist trying to figure out the reasons for the appearance of vampires, the actor will appear in the Netflix series, the release of which is eagerly awaited by fans of Ian, who does not often delight them with new films. This project, called “Vampire Wars”, involves Adrian Holmes, Peter Outerbridge, Sidney Meyer and other actors. In addition to working on new projects, Somerhalder is actively involved in social activities, managing the affairs of his environmental protection fund.