Ian Somerhalder Says Netflix Is the Reason He Walked Away From Hollywood
By Alexus Mosley
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Ian Somerhalder is opening up about why he left acting, and he says Netflix played a major role.
While appearing on the Haley on the Go podcast, The Vampire Diaries star reflected on the cancellation of his 2019 Netflix series V Wars, calling the experience the turning point that made him walk away from Hollywood. Somerhalder said he poured nearly a year into the project and was so unhappy with the final version that he even offered to return his salary rather than have his name attached to it.
After raising millions of dollars to film additional scenes and working himself to the point of hospitalization, Somerhalder said he was devastated when Netflix canceled the series after just one season. According to the actor, the decision ultimately changed the course of his career. “I walked away,” he said, explaining that he no longer wanted his livelihood to be determined by studio executives.
Somerhalder hasn’t appeared on screen since V Wars debuted in 2019, instead focusing on life outside of Hollywood with his family and other business ventures.