A strikingly handsome player who proved his versatility with accomplished forays into acting and modeling, Ian Somerhalder possesses the piercing eyes and chiseled features that spell success in the more adult modeling world and the emotional intensity and shy rebellious charm that makes perfect teen heartthrob material on screen. The son of a massage therapist and a building contractor, Ian 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. A Louisiana native who spent many summers in Manhattan working after he made his modeling debut at age ten, Ian Somerhalder took some time off to enjoy a regular school career, but returned to the business in his mid-teens with extensive print and runway work that took him to Europe as well as NYC.

At age 17, Ian Somerhalder began his acting training, going on to work with William Esper by age nineteen. Around that time he was spotted working as an extra in a crowd scene in the James Toback feature "Black and White" (2000). Intrigued by his unique look, a manager signed him. Ian Somerhalder subsequently made his TV debut on an episode of the acclaimed CBS sci-fi drama "Now and Again" in 1999. The following year Ian Somerhalder starred on the teen drama "Young Americans" on The WB, playing the brooding Rawley Academy student Hamilton, son of the prep school's dean. Unexpected feelings related to his close friendship with the mysterious Jake (Katherine Moennig) lead the young man to question his sexuality, and while the girl-posing-as-boy storyline somewhat trivialized the very serious topic of sexual orientation, Hamilton's honest response to his feelings and his confusion rang true, proving Ian Somerhalder an actor with promise and potential, not just primetime eye candy.