Photo: Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What fascinates me about Ian Somerhalder is the clean break. Most actors cling to fame; he played two of television's most beloved characters, Boone in Lost and the deliciously wicked Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, and then simply walked away to pour himself into environmental causes and business. The Genesis Award and his foundation suggest the activism is no vanity project but a genuine second act. I admire performers who treat acting as one chapter rather than an entire identity. The smirk made him famous, but the conviction is what keeps me interested in wherever he goes next.
Overview
Ian Joseph Somerhalder ( SUM-ər-hawl-dər; born December 8, 1978) is a retired American actor. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in ABC's science fiction adventure drama television series Lost (2004–2010) and Damon Salvatore in the CW supernatural teen drama series The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017).
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ian Somerhalder
- Name (Japanese)
- イアン・サマーホルダー
- Reading
- いあん・さまーほるだー
- Born
- December 8, 1978 (age 47)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Horse
- Origin
- Covington, Louisiana, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 178 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / television actor / film actor / stage actor / businessperson
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Mandeville High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Genesis Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Vampire Diaries | — | |
| Notable work | Lost | — | |
| Notable work | V-Wars | — | |
| Notable work | The Anomaly | — | |
| Notable work | Lost City Raiders | — |
6. Links
Actor — see all → · Television actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.