Ian Somerhalder Says He Believes His Acting Career “Is In The Rearview Mirror”

Ian Somerhalder has been outspoken about leaving his acting career behind after he and his wife Nikki Reed moved out of Los Angeles to pursue a life in farming and healthy living.

The Vampire Diaries and Lost alum spoke about his previous life as an actor with People at the Environmental Media Awards Gala on Oct. 26. “I think it’s in the rearview mirror. I do,” he said. But there is one thing that could possibly reel him back in.

“Well, I dunno, we got the rights back for V Wars, but I just don’t know how the hell we would ever make a TV show,” he told the publication. He and Reed starred in the series which aired for one season in 2019 on Netflix. “We’re building three companies at the same time, raising kids,” he added.

Reed also told People at the event that she has no plans for now to return to acting.

“I don’t make any definitive statements about anything. I don’t look at anything,” she said.

“I work over 90 hours a week right now. I’m running a company full time and just launched another, a shared company with the Absorption Company,” she said. “And I just can’t imagine being able to pivot my energy away, but there’s no door closed.”

“August 19th makes five years since I was professionally on camera as an actor/producer,” Somerhalder told People in an interview in September. “I stepped away from that after V Wars to build these companies, launch films like Kiss the Ground, Common Ground and Ground Swell and raise my kids.”

Somerhalder recalled the moment he told his management company he had decided to retire from acting.

“‘Hey, this is the only thing I’ve ever known that’s ever sustained my family, and I’m walking away from it,’ at this sort of peak, could have gone and done anything, but these partnerships mean way more to me.”

“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 shared.

“Once you reach a certain level, you’re like, ‘Okay, I want to focus on family and the future of farming and food and energy and the big things,'” Somerhalder added. “I don’t need to chase awards and anything that would make me feel better about myself.”