Ian Somerhalder Is Explaining Why He Left Hollywood

 

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Ian Somerhalder has been off the Hollywood scene for a couple of years – and now he’s explaining why!

The Vampire Diaries star stole the hearts of every girl who watched the show (unless you were a hardcore Stefan girl), so fans have been wondering where he’s disappeared to in recent times.

Well, it turns out Ian’s been up to some seriously wholesome stuff, and it’s easy to see why he’s moving on to a new chapter.

In an exclusive interview with E!, Ian spoke about how his family decided to pack up their beachside house in LA to move into the countryside and start a new life.

 

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The Louisiana native now runs a farm with his wife, Nikki Reed (who you may know as Rosalie from Twilight) and their two children, a 6 year old daughter and a five month old son.

Speaking to how he loves life on their farm, Ian shared that while “it is a lot of work…it’s unbelievable when you see these amazing creature life forms, and how they all live on the farm together is really special.”

He continued to gush about the beauty of living so closely with nature, and how well it suits his family.

“We’re farm people, we produce most of our own food, I live in my cowboy boots.

 

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“Walking through the farm with kids and dogs and family, every stop, you’re pulling off of trees or off of bushes, pulling up out of the ground and feeding everyone as you’re moving through the farm.”

Ian shares that his farm grows lavender, cucumbers and rosemary, and that they have donkeys, cows and goats – alongside fifteen other animals, either domestic or for the farm!

However, while Ian and Nikki haven’t featured in any major Hollywood flicks for four years, that doesn’t mean they’ve deserted the media world altogether.

Instead, they’ve begun focussing on a new passion; projects that focus on environmentalism and climate change.

 

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Ian has released two major documentaries about climate change, Kiss The Ground and Common Ground.

He’s worked with famous actors, Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson and Donald Glover to narrate the films, which he describes as a”love letter to our children”.

Explaining the purpose of the documentaries, Ian told E!, “By using healthy soil management practices, we are building a secure future today, or tomorrow. And once you do have children, you realise I am no longer alone here. I am leaving this to my children.”

He went on to say, “Once you become a parent, you realise everything you do throughout your day, you have the ability to make these little tiny incremental changes, whether it’s who you buy your cat and dog food from, what restaurants you eat in, how you dispose of your own waste.”

 

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While moving away from a more classic movie star lifestyle, Ian has set up environmentally friendly brands, and partnered with companies who share his values.

He owns pet food brand Nutro, and Brother’s Bond bourbon with Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley.

“I stepped away from acting a little over four years ago, to raise my kids, build my companies and get these films launched.”

We love a sustainable king!