Did Ian Somerhalder Quit Acting Because of The Vampire Diaries?
The TVD star will not be returning to acting. And the show that made him famous is part of the reason why.
Summary
- It's been four years since The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder last performed as an actor, and since then he's only done documentary projects.
- At a recent red carpet appearance, he shared that he will not be returning to acting.
- Somerhalder is now devoting his time to his family and businesses, including one with a longtime friend from TVD.
It has been more than six years since The Vampire Diaries, a cult teen vampire drama, wrapped its run. Of course, one of the highlights of the show was its amazing cast. We instantly fell in love with the two protagonists, good-natured vampire Stefan Salvatore and his brother Damon, who was introduced as a foil and then developed into a person worthy of redemption. And let's be honest, we wouldn't be able to stand him from the very beginning, if it weren't for the great performance of Ian Somerhalder.
However, Somerhalder hasn't appeared on the small or big screen since December 2019, when he last starred in the scripted show V Wars. Since then, he has only been credited as an executive producer on documentaries, and now, after four years, he has finally made a public appearance to share that he has no plans to return to acting.
But what is the reason behind Ian Somerhalder's departure from acting and does The Vampire Diaries have anything to do with it?
Ian Somerhalder Will Not Return to Acting
When Ian's name has appeared in the media outside of the TVD context in recent years, it's either been about his business or eco-activism. In June 2023, for example, there was a limited theatrical release of the documentary Common Ground, the sequel to Kiss the Ground, both of which Somerhalder executive produced.
The new documentary follows farmers implementing regenerative agriculture, with the goal of increasing conscious consumption and encouraging politicians to take action to protect the environment. Somerhalder narrates the film alongside stars including Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Jason Momoa, Rosario Dawson and Laura Dern.
On Thursday, January 11, 2024, a special screening of the documentary took place in Los Angeles and Somerhalder himself appeared on the red carpet along with his wife Nikki Reed. Speaking to an E! News reporter, the former actor shared that he has no intention of returning to acting again.
'I loved what I did for a really long time,' he shared. 'I don't miss any of it. I love making films, and I just did it for so long. We had an amazing run.'
What Made the Actor Decide to Quit?
In other words, we have to brace ourselves, dear fans, because we will probably not see any more of Ian's charming vampire iterations. But what was the reason behind his decision to leave the acting craft? Did the overwhelming fame of The Vampire Diaries affect him so much that it destroyed his enthusiasm? Well, to some extent, TVD definitely had something to do with his decision.
'I stepped away from acting a little over four years ago. To raise my kids, build my companies and get these [documentary] films launched,' Somerhalder told E! News back in November of 2023. Ian now devotes most of his energy to his family, living on a farm outside of Los Angeles with his wife Nikki Reed and their two children.
In addition to farming, family life, film production and eco-activism, the actor is also involved in business. And that's where TVD comes in, as one of his ventures is with his longtime friend and fellow actor Paul Wesley. Together they run their own brand of bourbon and it definitely takes up a lot of their time.
'Not to sound like a D-bag, but I'm working harder now than when we were the stars of a show,' Somerhalder told DuJour. 'We built a business and we're running a f----ing company.'
Somerhalder also donates a portion of his and Paul's bourbon profits to support regenerative agriculture.