Ian Joseph Somerhalder (/ˈsʌmərhɔːldər/; born December 8, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama Lost, Damon Salvatore in The CW's supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries, and Dr. Luther Swann in Netflix's sci-fi horror series V Wars.

Early life
Ian Joseph Somerhalder was born on December 8, 1978, in Covington, Louisiana, the second of three children of Edna (née Israel), a massage therapist from Mississippi, and Robert Somerhalder Sr., an independent building contractor.: 2  He has an older brother, Robert, and a younger sister, Robyn.: 2  His father has Cajun ancestry while his mother is of half Choctaw and half Irish descent.: 2  Somerhalder lived with his mother after his parents divorced when he was 14.: 3 

Somerhalder attended Saint Paul's School, a private school in Covington. He embarked on a modeling career from age 10 to 13, and by the age of 17 he decided to go into acting.