Anyone that has seen “The Vampire Diaries” knows Ian Somerhalder and his brooding but lovable face. This actor has truly etched his place in the entertainment world and made his face one of the most recognizable on the planet. Despite this lofty status, Ian Somerhalder focuses much of his attention on things outside of his own notoriety. Instead, he uses that notoriety to try to do some good in the world. One thing is for sure…Ian Somerhalder is an interesting guy both on and offscreen. Here are five things you might not know about this superstar actor:
Ian Somerhalder understands the power of social media – Most of you probably know that Ian Somerhalder has a foundation called the “Ian Somerhalder Foundation.” The ISF is all about giving back to the planet and various worthy causes that support a green lifestyle. That said, it is powered largely by social media. Somerhalder has leveraged Facebook and various other social networks to save his foundation all kinds of money in advertising and spreading the word. The power of social media is not lost on this media superstar.
He also tried out for True Blood, but blew the audition – By his own admission he absolutely butchered the audition for True Blood and for a long time was convinced that he would be unable to play a vampire. After all this time with The Vampire Diaries, I guess he has laid that fear to rest. Very few people have ever played a better vampire in my estimation and it was True Blood’s loss. (No pun intended)
He was the face of Guess Jeans for two straight Fall seasons – Are you surprised? Ian Somerhalder was a blue jean and fashion model for Guess. In fact, he was the model for the franchise for two straight years. It is easy to understand why with all of the popularity he now enjoys. He is on the most sexy lists for virtually every magazine on the planet. Who knew he could model clothes?
He once considered being a marine biologist – Given his noted love of animals and the environment, this one came as little surprise. Somerhalder has said that if he was not an actor, he would have liked to have been a marine biologist. From that position he would have been able to do a wonderful job of saving the planet one animal at a time. I love that he is still making that dream come true through his foundation and social work.
He can write in cursive….with his feet – Interestingly enough, Mr. Somerhalder can write fancy cursive with his feet. I could find no mention of how or why he learned to do this, but it is clearly a talent that we all should be impressed with. I mean….how many people do you know that can do such a thing?
Ian Somerhalder is a very unique and talented actor that has determined that the world at large is more important than his celebrity. If we had more people out there that had a similar outlook, we would be much closer to some real world solutions. Perhaps his example can change some things. Until then, we can continue to enjoy his work on film and television and work alongside him for some better natural resource solutions.
Image credit: JKING/FAMEFLYNET PICTURES
