'Vampire Diaries' Star Ian Somerhalder Reveals Why He Quit Hollywood

Ian Somerhalder talks about selling his beachside Los Angeles home and leaving Hollywood behind with his wife, Nikki Reed. "Walking through the farm with kids and dogs and family," the actor told E! News, "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." 

With their 6-year-old daughter and 5-month-old son, they grow lavender, rosemary, and cucumbers, graze their cows on halters, and have mini donkeys keep a close eye on goats from predators. "It is a lot of work," he admitted. Farm life is not without its rewards, however. "It's unbelievable when you see these amazing creature life forms," he remarked, "and how they all live on the farm together is really special."

The Vampire Diaries alum, 44, and his Twilight actress spouse, 35, haven't taken on any new roles in the past four years but instead devoted their time to a different endeavor. "We're farm people, we produce most of our own food, I live in my cowboy boots," noted Somerhalder. 

Neither has seen the inside of a studio except when narrating bits of Kiss the Ground and its follow-up Common Ground, each describing how regenerative farming and soil improvement can help fight climate change. "I stepped away from acting a little over four years ago," Somerhalder told the outlet, "to raise my kids, build my companies and get these films launched."

Despite his long-standing environmental advocacy, becoming a father in 2017 only further strengthened his resolve to help combat climate change. "By using healthy soil management practices, we are building a secure future today, or tomorrow," he explained. "And once you do have children, you realize I am no longer alone here. I am leaving this to my children."

With filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell and celebrity narrators including Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Glover, he set out to create Common Ground as a "love letter to our children." "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.'"

After discussing the subject with people and witnessing their reactions, he knows how intimidating the idea of overhauling the agriculture industry can seem. 

As for those unsure where to begin, he told E! News, "You have the ability every day you walk out of your house to have the single most powerful vote on the planet, which is to vote with your dollar. What companies are you going to support? Are those companies good stewards of not just the environment but of the communities that support that?"

In terms of his family, Somerhalder and Reed appear to be settling well into life as a four-member unit. "It's the best thing ever," Somerhalder said of creating a family, which has only reinforced his desire for a better world. "Once you become a parent, you realize everything you do throughout your day, you have the ability to make these little tiny incremental changes, whether it's who you buy your cat and dog food from, what restaurants you eat in, how you dispose of your own waste."