Ian Somerhalder (Boone Carlyle)

Biography for
Ian Somerhalder

Date of Birth
8 December 1978, Covington, Louisiana, USA


Birth Name
Ian Joseph Somerhalder


Height
5' 9" (1.75 m)


Mini Biography
The son of a massage therapist and a building contractor, Somerhalder was born and raised in the small southern town of Covington, LA. Boating, swimming, fishing and training horses filled much of his recreational time growing up, as did the school drama club and performing with the local theater group. With his mother's encouragement, at age 10 he began a modeling career that took him to New York each summer. By junior high, he opted to put modeling on the back burner and focus more on sports and school. A few years later, when the opportunity to model in Europe arose, Somerhalder grabbed it, embarking on an enriching path of work, travel and study that took him to cities including Paris, Milan and London. At 17, he began studying acting in New York, and by 19 had committed himself to the craft, working with preeminent acting coach William Esper. His fate was sealed while working as an extra in a club scene in the feature film _Black & White(1999)_. A talent manager visiting a client on the set spotted Somerhalder in a crowd scene of 400 and immediately signed him for representation. Happy to be anchored in New York, Somerhalder spends much of his time studying acting, writing and practicing yoga. His recreational interests include water and snow skiing and horseback riding.




Trivia
Began modeling at age 10, modeled for Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabanna, Gucci, Versace and Guess (Was the face of Guess? for two consecutive fall seasons).

Was the face of Guess? for two consecutive Fall seasons.

Modeled for Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabanna,and Gucci. However, he doesn't like to talk about his modeling career because of the impressions people might get of him as being just another pretty face.

Played varsity soccer and baseball.

Ironically, the first actor to be cast as one of the survivors in "Lost" (2004).

In 2005, he bulked up, adding about 20 to 30 pounds of muscle to his slim frame, so he would be considered for more leading-man-type roles.

Has said in an interview he was planning to buy a home in Hawaii when was filming the hit show "Lost" but couldn't after his character was killed off in the show.

He has a brother, Robert (Bob), and a sister. Their parents divorced when he was thirteen.

His father, Robert Somerhalder, was a building contractor of French and English descent, and his mother, Edna, who is of Irish and Choctaw descent, grew up on a pig farm in Mississippi.

Grew up with his mother, whom he has described as being "very spiritual".

Attended Catholic school.

The surname "Somerhalder" originates from his adoptive great-grandfather. His biological great-grandfather, a wealthy English landowner, got one of his mistresses pregnant and paid an immigrant worker of his to marry this woman and give the baby a name, which was Somerhalder. The biological great-grandfather's name was Hull.



Personal Quotes
[On his reasons for becoming an actor] "To explore different parts of yourself and different emotional lives....not to hide from who you are but to actually explore who you are".

"I have a million acquaintances but just two or three true friends. I can't hide anything from them."

"I kind of think too much, I try do too many things at once." [On his biggest weakness]

"This program teaches people that it only takes a single unlucky moment to lead to tragedy, if you come into contact with one really f***ed-up person, they can truly take your life away." [In regards to the Matthew Shepard killing and MTV's Fight for Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Discrimination campaign]

"You can't get anywhere without the people who have come into your life."



Where Are They Now
(December 2005) Playing "Matt" in the Off-Broadway play, "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead", at the Century Center for the Performing Arts.

Filmography

Actor:
In Production
2000s
1990s
The Tournament (2008) (post-production) .... Miles Slater


"Tell Me You Love Me" .... Nick (1 episode, 2007)
- Episode #1.4 (2007) TV Episode .... Nick
"Lost" .... Boone Carlyle (28 episodes, 2004-2007)
- Exposé (2007) TV Episode .... Boone Carlyle
- Further Instructions (2006) TV Episode .... Boone Carlyle
- The Other 48 Days (2005) TV Episode (voice) (uncredited) .... Boone Carlyle
- Abandoned (2005) TV Episode .... Boone Carlyle
- Exodus: Part 2 (2005) TV Episode .... Boone Carlyle
(23 more)
Marco Polo (2007) (TV) .... Marco Polo
The Sensation of Sight (2006) .... Drifter
Pulse (2006) .... Dexter
TV: The Movie (2006)
... aka National Lampoon's TV the Movie (USA: complete title)
Recess (2004) .... Cooley
The Old Man and the Studio (2004) .... Matt
"Smallville" .... Adam Knight (6 episodes, 2004)
... aka Smallville Beginnings (USA: rerun title)
... aka Smallville: Superman the Early Years (UK: promotional title)
- Crisis (2004) TV Episode .... Adam Knight
- Obsession (2004) TV Episode .... Adam Knight
- Velocity (2004) TV Episode .... Adam Knight
- Hereafter (2004) TV Episode .... Adam Knight
- Delete (2004) TV Episode .... Adam Knight
(1 more)
In Enemy Hands (2004) .... U.S.S. Swordfish: Danny Miller
... aka U-Boat (Europe: English title: DVD box title)
Fearless (2004) (TV) .... Jordan Gracie
"CSI: Miami" .... Ricky Murdoch (1 episode, 2003)
- The Best Defense (2003) TV Episode .... Ricky Murdoch
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" .... Charlie Baker (1 episode, 2003)
... aka Law & Order: SVU (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka Special Victims Unit (New Zealand: English title)
- Dominance (2003) TV Episode .... Charlie Baker
The Rules of Attraction (2002) .... Paul Denton
... aka Regeln des Spiels, Die (Germany)
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" .... Tony Del Nagro (1 episode, 2002)
... aka C.S.I. (USA: short title)
... aka CSI: Las Vegas (USA: syndication title)
... aka CSI: Weekends (USA: promotional title)
... aka Experts, Les (Canada: French title)
- Revenge Is Best Served Cold (2002) TV Episode .... Tony Del Nagro
Changing Hearts (2002) .... Jason Kelly
Life as a House (2001) .... Josh
Anatomy of a Hate Crime (2001) (TV) .... Russell Henderson
"Young Americans" .... Hamilton Fleming (8 episodes, 2000)
- Will Bella Scout Her Mom? (2000) TV Episode .... Hamilton Fleming
- Free Will (2000) TV Episode .... Hamilton Fleming
- Gone (2000) TV Episode .... Hamilton Fleming
- Winning Isn't Everything (2000) TV Episode .... Hamilton Fleming
- Cinderbella (2000) TV Episode .... Hamilton Fleming
(3 more)


"Now and Again" .... Brian (1 episode, 1999)
- A Girl's Life (1999) TV Episode .... Brian
Celebrity (1998) (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
"The Big Easy" .... IQ (1 episode, 1997)
- The Black Bag (1997) TV Episode .... IQ

Producer:
Recess (2004) (producer)

Self:
"Tavis Smiley" .... Himself (1 episode, 2007)
- Episode dated 22 May 2007 (2007) TV Episode .... Himself
"The Tony Danza Show" .... Himself (2 episodes, 2005)
- Episode #2.64 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself
- Episode #1.74 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself
Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot (2005) (V) .... Himself
Before They Were Lost: Personal Stories and Audition Tapes (2005) (V) .... Himself
"Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" .... Himself (1 episode, 2005)
... aka Live with Regis (USA: new title)
... aka Live with Regis & Kelly (USA: new title)
- Episode dated 7 April 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself
"Good Morning America" .... Himself (1 episode, 2005)
- Episode dated 7 April 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself

Archive Footage:
The Lost Survival Guide (2006) (TV) .... Boone Carlyle
Cinco caras de David LaChapelle, Las (2006) (TV) .... Boone Carlyle
Lost: Revelation (2006) (TV) .... Boone Carlyle
Lost: The Journey (2005) (TV) .... Boone Carlyle
Destination: Lost (2005) (TV) .... Boone Carlyle