Most people know him as Damon Salvatore from the TV drama, “The Vampire Diaries,” where he plays the older of two vampire brothers. What demands attention is the obvious: his piercing eyes that I bet are the reason why most TV viewers don’t miss an episode.
Recently in the Philippines to be a part of a local clothing brand’s campaign dubbed The Penshoppe All-Stars, which has tapped other international celebs like Ed Westwick, Mauro Maurer, Zac Efron and Leighton Meester, Ian Somerhalder proves that beyond that pretty face, he possesses three other important qualities—wit, charm and intelligence.
Began as model at age 10
His take on aging.
Somerhalder began his career in the public eye at age 10 as a child model, saying it was not a problem for him to switch from acting to modeling.
“There’s no separation for me, oddly enough, between a still camera and a moving camera,” he shares.
Why older women shouldn’t worry about aging
“I’ve been in front of the camera for 20-something years now,” he shares, “and I remember being 16-years-old in the fashion business, and these girls literally labeled as supermodels were 14-years-old.”
For older women who find themselves confronted by pictures of very young models being touted as the ideal for women, Somerhalder counsels, “How does a 45-year-old-woman, who is beautiful and wonderful, but agonizing that she looks so old, compare herself to this model? Well, there’s one thing she’s forgetting about, and that is that this model is a freshman in high school.”
He calls for us to be the agents of change in an industry practice he doesn’t necessarily believe in, but knows is part of the business.
What’s amazing about aging
“I’m 33 now and I have more energy and ability to reason with myself than I did when I was 18 or 20,” says Somerhalder.
He continues and says, “I feel so much better about myself. There’s something amazing about aging.”
It’s unsurprising coming from someone good-looking in the first place and also considers Deepak Chopra a good friend and mentor. Chopra is well-known for his books and lectures on how to harness the healing power of the mind.
In fact, he cites Chopra as one of the biggest influences in the conception of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF), an organization he put up to help create awareness, educate, empower and collaborate with people who are likewise concerned about the environment.
‘Extremely passionate’ about the environment
Bernie Liu, Chairman of Golden ABC, which Penshoppe is a part of, announced at a press conference that the brand will be supporting the foundation and he hopes Penshoppe supporters help in this advocacy.
He was thoroughly impressed with Somerhalder as they worked on the campaign, saying he was “a pleasure to work with, results-oriented, intelligent and extremely passionate about taking care of the environment.”
Somerhalder says, “I’m so looking forward to this partnership and what it means, and more importantly, what it’s gonna give back. I’ve never heard of a brand linking up with a foundation to promote and create good and raise the monetary resources to put it in motion.”
He thanks everyone involved for the support and adds “I think we’re all going to see some real concrete progress very soon.”
Have a fashion or beauty question for Erica? Drop her a line at ericaparedes1@yahoo.com
Erica Paredes has been working in the publishing industry for almost a decade as a fashion and beauty editor, newspaper columnist, stylist and make-up artist. Nowadays she juggles her time between food and fashion, beauty and travel plus mommy duties to her 8 year old daughter.
