Somerhalder quit acting after 'V Wars' cancelation, moved to farm
Ian Somerhalder, famous for The Vampire Diaries, stepped away from Hollywood back in 2019 and settled on a California farm with his wife Nikki Reed and their kids.
On a recent podcast (July 9, 2026), he shared that the cancelation of his Netflix series V Wars was the tipping point for leaving acting behind.
Somerhalder raised $6 million, 'V Wars's canceled
Somerhalder tried everything to keep V Wars alive, even raising over $6 million for reshoots, but Netflix pulled the plug after its December 2019 premiere because of executive disagreements.
Feeling frustrated by industry power struggles, he said he was not there for his career and livelihood to be dictated by someone who has mommy or daddy issues, or they weren't popular in school, and decided acting just wasn't for him anymore.
Somerhalder regained 'V Wars' rights
By 2024, Somerhalder confirmed acting was "in the rearview mirror," but in 2024, he revealed he and his producing partner got back the rights to V Wars.
He's unsure about making another series, so while it's not likely, there's still a tiny chance fans could see V Wars return someday.