Ian Somerhalder 'stepped away from acting' to raise children
Ian Somerhalder turned his back on Hollywood in order to raise a family.
The Vampire Diaries actor put the breaks on his career not long after his six-year-old daughter Bodhi, with wife Nikki Reed, was born.
The pair welcomed a son earlier this year and now enjoy living off their own land. Farming is such a passion for Ian, he has made two documentaries on the subject; 2020's Kiss the Ground and newly released follow-up Common Ground.
He told E! News: "I stepped away from acting a little over four years ago to raise my kids, build my companies and get these films launched."
The features focus on regenerative agriculture in the fight against climate change. Common Ground, made with filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell, boasts a star-studded voiceover cast including Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson and Donald Glover
"(It's a) love letter to our children," Ian explained. "As a parent, you never want to have to look at your kids and say, 'I'm sorry.' You want to be able to look at your children and say, 'We did something. And as a result of that we secured our future.'
"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."
Ian, 44, says he and 35-year-old Nikki are now "farm people", and the family are able to produce most of their own food.
"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," he smiled.
