Ian Then Some...The WB Press Kit
The WB Biography for
Ian Somerhalder,
"Hamilton Fleming"
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.
January 2000