The Vampire Diaries Actor Ian Somerhalder talks about his decision to step away from acting

Ian Somerhalder just shared some insights about his time on The Vampire Diaries and Lost, where he gained recognition for his roles. He also opened up about his decision to step away from acting post his involvement in these series. Somerhalder highlighted the impact of 'streaming' on these shows, emphasizing how it brought in a fresh wave of viewers to appreciate his work.

In a recent chat with People magazine, Ian Somerhalder expressed his gratitude for being part of Lost and The Vampire Diaries. While he appreciates his previous roles, Somerhalder highlighted that his current priority lies beyond the screen.

He shared that it's been "August 19 marks five years" since he was last seen on camera as an actor and producer. After V Wars, he made the choice to step back from acting to focus on developing his companies, aiming to release films like Kiss the Ground, Common Ground, and Ground Swell, and to devote time to raising his children.

He remembered the moment he informed his management and talked about his choice, mentioning that he was walking away from the sole career that had always supported his family.

He looked back on reaching a high point in his career, a time when he could have chosen any path, yet stressed that these new collaborations held far greater significance for him. Somerhalder continued, "I say this in all humility, in all respect, but I would much rather do this than go spend two months in some city, shooting a TV show away from my family or transporting my family back and forth."

He detailed how, after achieving a certain level of success, the focus shifts to family and the "future of farming and food and energy and the big things," expressing that he no longer seeks accolades or anything to boost his self-worth.

In his honest conversation with the magazine, he looked back on his time on ABC's popular series Lost, describing it as a "very humbling experience." He mentioned, "Losing that, I was the first one cast and the first one killed, that was a sort of tough pill to swallow."

He shared with the magazine that after departing from that series in 2005, he delved into The Vampire Diaries in 2009, expressing that it "was a rocket ship. Initially, it was a very, very, very young audience, but that audience matured, and it got bigger and bigger." The actor noted that it has now been seen by almost "1.2 billion people globally."