Ian Somerhalder Explains Why He Left Hollywood

The Vampire Diaries star spoke in an interview about the reasons that led him to stop filming.

Ian Somerhalder comes out of silence to end the mystery. Thus, the star of Vampire Diaries had disappeared from the screens, raising questions and concerns. In an interview with People published Monday, he explains that he had moved away from the screen to devote himself to various “exciting” projects. A timing that is not necessarily insignificant, as this year we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the vampire series and the 20th of Lostthe one that made it emerge.

“August 19th marks five years since I was last in front of the camera professionally as an actor/producer. I stopped that after V Wars to build businesses, launch films like Kiss the Ground, Common Ground and Ground Swell and raise my children. I remember discussing this with my manager, saying, 'Hey, it's the only thing I've ever known and I'm walking away from it', at that peak, I could have done anything.”

“I have had the opportunity to work on many reef conservation projects. I have also had the opportunity to work on many soil and water conservation projects,” he explained again.

“In 2004, I was already doing that. My voice just wasn't as strong. In 2005, I left Lost, which humbled me. And then, in early 2009, came Vampire Diaries. And it was a real rocket. At the beginning, it was a very, very, very young audience, but that audience matured and became bigger and bigger.”

A success that sometimes scared him:

“So if you just do those numbers, you step back for a second and think about it. There are 8 billion people on the planet, so about an eighth of the people walking the face of the planet have in some way interacted with this story. They've been affected by it, maybe they've seen it, maybe they've heard about it. It's an unprecedented platform.”

Furthermore, he feels “immense gratitude” towards Lost And Vampire Diariesbecause “The path has taken me to where I feel most authentic anyway, which is with a pair of cowboy boots, feeding cows and running horses.” This break, which he does not say will be permanent, is in fact an opportunity for the actor to refocus:

“Once you reach a certain level, you say to yourself: 'OK, I want to focus on family and the future of farming, food, energy and big things.'I don't need to chase after rewards and anything that would make me feel better about myself'

Between his family, environmental conservation and a whisky brand, Ian Somerhalder seems to be quite busy, far from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.