Nearly seven years after stepping away from the camera, The Vampire Diaries alumnus Ian Somerhalder has finally broken his silence on why he chose to leave Hollywood. The 47-year-old actor, also celebrated for his performance in Lost, has pinned the blame entirely on streaming powerhouse Netflix following the abrupt cancellation of his sci-fi series V Wars.
Speaking on a lifestyle podcast, Ian recalled his excitement about playing a scientist rather than his signature supernatural roles. However, after relocating his entire family to Northern Ontario and dedicating nearly a year to the project, the initial cut turned in by the studio left him horrified. “The show that got turned in wasn't even watchable,” Ian confessed, adding that he even offered to return millions of dollars to the studio to keep his name off the project.
Determined to save the series, Ian and his producing partner demanded creative control. Though Netflix agreed, they refused to offer additional funding. In response, the pair raised over six million dollars independently and endured brutal six-day reshoots to pull together new footage, an intense effort that ultimately landed Ian in the hospital from exhaustion.
Despite the revamped series finding success with audiences upon its December 2019 premiere, internal politics at the network doomed its future. “The execs were fighting, and someone quietly canceled the show,” Ian alleged. When network bosses refused to reverse the decision to avoid setting a bad precedent, he decided he had reached his limit.
Refusing to let his livelihood be dictated by feuding executives, Ian chose to prioritize his life outside of the industry. “So I pulled the plug. That was it. I walked away,” he stated. Since walking away from the limelight, Ian has shifted his focus to sustainable business ventures and farm life alongside his wife, Nikki Reed. While he has managed to reacquire the rights to V Wars, a return to acting remains firmly in the rearview mirror.
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