It's Been 4 Years Since Somerhalder's Last Role; Here's Why He Won't Be Back Anytime Soon

Summary

• TVD lead Ian Somerhalder last starred in the vampire series V Wars.
• It's been four years, but Ian has no plans to return to acting.
• Instead, he continues to run a bourbon business with Paul Wesley and promote environmentalism.

It's been six years since the end of The Vampire Diaries, a series that has become a cult favorite for fans of vampire fiction and teen drama. From the very beginning in 2009, we instantly fell in love with the two protagonists, the good-natured vampire Stefan Salvatore, who somehow decided that he was not so good, and his brother Damon, who was presented as the antagonist and then turned into someone who deserved redemption. And of course, we wouldn't be able to stan these characters if it weren't for the great performances of their talented portrayers, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder, respectively.

These two exemplify one of the strongest friendships in Hollywood. It's not something you see often in the celebrity world, so the dynamic between the actors proved to be incredibly touching and heartwarming. And although both are often in the public eye as they are covered by the media, Wesley has been appearing in TV and film projects less and less, and Somerhalder has disappeared from the screen, last starring in a scripted show four years ago. Where are both actors? Busy with business and activism, apparently!

Somerhalder Has Been Working Relentlessly with Wesley

The last time Somerhalder jumped into a project as an actor was another vampire series, the sci-fi horror V Wars, which he also executive produced. After that, Ian only appeared in documentaries.

Somerhalder's close friendship with Wesley led not only to emotional responses from fans, but also to many activist initiatives and business ventures. First, Somerhalder and his TVD co-stars participated in a project to support LGBTQ+ youth. Then, together with Wesley, they launched a charity campaign to sell 'Blood Brothers Since 1864' t-shirts, with proceeds going to environmental causes.

In 2021, the two actors launched their own brand of bourbon, Brother's Bond, which is now available in 46 US states. The business has been so successful that they continue to put sweat equity into it.

'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.'

According to Wesley, with TVD and other projects, the responsibility falls not only on the cast, but on the entire production team, and as part of their growing whiskey business, the two have to do everything themselves.

'Now, the buck stops with us. Every single thing is in our control,' he said.

Creating personal brands of hard liquor is a popular trend among celebrities, so it's very competitive and you really have to put your whole self into it.

'We built the whole thing: the name, the bottle. We love to be part of the conversation,” Wesley continued. 'We blended this in Ian's kitchen. There's nothing that's not authentic. People can sense that.'

A prominent eco-activist, Somerhalder also donates a percentage of his and Paul's bourbon sales to support regenerative agriculture.

Somerhalder Continues to Be Involved in Activism Work

But Somerhalder's eco-activism doesn't stop there. In June of this year, his documentary film, Common Ground, was released, which focuses on farmers who practice regenerative agriculture and aims to increase conscious consumption, as well as to encourage politicians to actively promote environmental protection. Somerhalder narrated the film alongside such stars as Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Rosario Dawson, Laura Dern and Jason Momoa. The film won an award at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Ian Somerhalder now lives on a farm outside of Los Angeles with his wife Nikki Reed and their two children. He has retired from acting and keeps busy with his bourbon business and eco-activist projects.

Source: DuJour.