An actor and model, Ian Somerhalder is perhaps best known for his role in the serial drama, Lost. From Louisiana, he modelled as a child before getting into acting in his late teens. At the age of nineteen, he made his debut in an episode of the crime drama, The Big Easy (1997). Since then, he has appeared in well over 30 different television series and films.
Born on December 8, 1978 in Covington, Louisiana, Ian Somerhalder was raised in the city of Mandeville with his two siblings. Blessed with good looks, he started to work as a model at the age of ten while still in grade school. Ultimately, he posed in front of the cameras for a few years before venturing into acting at the age of seventeen.
In 1997, he appeared on television for the first time in an episode of The Big Easy. Two years later, he landed another minor part in the comedy, Now and Again (1999). Then in 2000, Somerhalder scored his first major role in the WB series, Young Americans.
Over the next few years, he continued to land various acting roles in Anatomy of a Hate Crime (2001), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2002), and Life as a House (2001), the last of which also served as his movie debut. After playing his second recurring role in Smallville (2004), the actor received a career breakthrough after being cast in the hit TV series, Lost (2004). To this day, it remains to be one of the greatest highlights of his acting career.
How Ian Somerhalder Became Famous
A member of the main cast, Somerhalder played as Boone Carlyle, one of the original survivors of the plane crash. Introduced in the pilot episode, his character is also the stepbrother of fellow castaway, Shannon Rutherford. Premiered on September 22, 2004, Lost was hugely popular right from the beginning, having drawn in over 18 million viewers during its series premiere.
Hailed as one of the greatest TV dramas of all time by mainstream critics, it received hundreds of award nominations throughout its six year run. At the peak of its popularity during season two, it attracted more than 23.4 million viewers to the television. Aside from Somerhalder, Lost’s star studded cast also included Naveen Andrews, Matthew Fox, Maggie Grace, Emilie de Ravin, Josh Holloway, and Daniel Dae Kim, among many others.
Responsible for launching his acting career, Somerhalder received much recognition for his role on the show. In fact, his work in Lost later earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award which he shared his his fellow cast mates. Not only that, but it also garnered him a Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Male Breakout Performance in 2005.
Though he was only a main cast member for the first season, he later returned for a few guest appearances in the subsequent seasons; in total, he appeared in 31 episodes.
Ian Somerhalder’s Other Television Roles
While filming for Lost, Somerhalder also took time out to guest star in a few other series including Marco Polo (2007), and Tell Me You Love Me (2007). Afterwards, he starred in a couple of made for television films, Lost City Raiders (2008), and Fireball (2009) before landing his next major role in the supernatural drama, The Vampire Diaries (2009).
His second most prominent role to date, Somerhalder starred as Damon Salvatore, a malevolent vampire who serves the show’s initial anti-hero. A member of the main cast, he is joined by actors Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, Steven R. McQueen, and Sara Canning. Based on a novel series of the same title by L.J. Smith, the series premiered on The CW on September 10, 2009 to 4.9 million viewers in the United States.
A popular TV show, Somerhalder has appeared in all eight seasons from 2009 to 2017. Though reviews were mixed, the series had its own devoted fanbase that tuned in every week. For his acting in The Vampire Diaries, he received several accolades including two People’s Choice Awards, five Teen Choice Awards and a Young Hollywood Award.
Perhaps his best remembered portrayal on television, he appeared in all 171 episodes of the drama during its eight-year run.
Ian Somerhalder on Film
In 2002, he played a protagonist on screen for the first time in the black comedy, The Rules of Attraction alongside James van der Been, Jessica Biel, and Shannyn Sossamon. Adapted from a novel, it was released in theatres on October 11, 2002. Though not a major blockbuster, it made nearly triple that of its production costs at $11.8 million.
Then in 2006, he joined the cast of the horror film, Pulse– a remake of the Japanese original, Kairo (2001). Also starring Christina Milian, and Kristen Bell, was screened in theatres on August 11, 2006. Despite being panned by critics, it ended up grossing over $29 million at the box office.
Since then, Somerhalder has appeared in several other titles including The Sensation of Sight (2006), The Lost Samaritan (2008), Wake (2009), The Tournament (2009), and How to Make Love to a Woman (2010). Most recently, he co-starred in the British action thriller, The Anomaly (2014).
Ian Somerhalder Snapchat Name – IanS78
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Ian Somerhalder’s Other Social Media Accounts
Ian Somerhalder’s Facebook Account
If you want to follow the actor on Facebook, you can like his official page at @iansomerhalderofficial- he already has over 17 million fans on the site!
Ian Somerhalder’s Twitter Account
Want to keep up to date with the star? Now you can join over 6.8 million other fans in following the actor over on Twitter at @iansomerhalder.
Ian Somerhalder’s Instagram Account
Interested in seeing some of the actor’s photos? You can do so over at his official Instagram page at @iansomerhalder.
Ian Somerhalder’s Youtube Account
From what we can tell, Ian Somerhalder does not have a Youtube account at this time.
