Actor Ian Somerhalder stepped away from his acting career seven years ago, a decision he attributes to a negative experience with the Netflix series "V Wars." Somerhalder, 47, who now lives on a sustainable farm near Santa Barbara, California, stated that the final catalyst for his departure was the state of the show, which he described as "unwatchable."
Somerhalder was slated to portray Dr. Luther Swann, a scientist attempting to combat a vampiric pandemic in the 10-episode adaptation of Jonathan Maberry's comic books. He recalled telling the studio he did not want his name associated with the project and offered to return his salary. Despite being granted creative control, Somerhalder invested his own funds, raising a $6 million budget for six days of reshoots in an attempt to salvage the series. The effort led to his hospitalization from exhaustion.
"I ended up in the hospital from exhaustion. Literally, the full body just shut down," Somerhalder said, according to a recent interview. He further explained that the production's outcome was disappointing, with the final cut being unwatchable. "The show that got turned in wasn't even watchable," he stated.
Netflix ultimately canceled "V Wars" in March 2020, a move Somerhalder found ironic given the onset of the real-life COVID-19 pandemic. He recounted a conversation with Netflix executives who, while acknowledging the show's shortcomings, declined to reverse the decision due to setting a precedent. "It's unfortunate. Yes, it shouldn't have happened. We can't go back, because it would set a precedent that would be terrible, so the show is done," Somerhalder recalled the executives saying.
Reflecting on his decision to leave, Somerhalder, who was 40 at the time, expressed his unwillingness to dedicate years to a project that was compromised by executive decisions he perceived as power plays stemming from personal issues. "I am not here for my career and livelihood to be dictated by someone who has issues in high school, so they want to exert power now," he said. "So I pulled the plug. That was it. I walked away."
Since leaving acting, Somerhalder has pursued entrepreneurial ventures. In 2021, he co-founded Brother's Bond Bourbon with his "Vampire Diaries" co-star Paul Wesley, securing $7.5 million in funding last year. In 2023, he and his wife, Nikki Reed, launched a supplement brand called The Absorption Company. Reed continues to manage her sustainable jewelry company, Bayou With Love, founded in 2017. Somerhalder also maintains an active presence on social media and offers personalized videos on Cameo.