Ian Somerhalder
Hamilton Flemingin Young Americans
Marking his network series debut with "Young
Americans," Ian Somerhalder comes to The WB
from the world of modeling.
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." A talent
manager visiting a client on the set spotted
Somerhalder's amazing look 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.