Ian Somerhalder has revealed that the cancellation of the Netflix series ‘V Wars’ was the catalyst for his decision to quit acting.
On a recent episode of the Hailey on the Go podcast, Somerhalder recalled that she “worked really hard” on the show in 2019, and even moved her entire family to Ontario, Canada, for work.
But Somerhalder says the final installment of the sci-fi horror series was “not worth watching.”
“I told the studio, ‘I don’t want my name in this. I’ll give you my money back. I’ll give you millions of dollars,'” the Vampire Diaries alum recalls.
Even when Somerhalder and producing partner James Gibb asked for “creative control of the show,” Netflix refused to give Somerhalder any money, he said.
The pair took matters into their own hands by raising more than $6 million and filming “10 or 12 hours of footage over six days,” and Somerhalder was admitted to the hospital after he “just stopped moving.”
“We worked hard and the show was a hit,” Somerhalder, 47, explained. “We built the No. 1 show in 103 out of 120 regions, which was a big deal.”
Despite this, “executives were fighting, and someone secretly canceled the show,” Somerhalder said.
“And the powers that be at Netflix were like, ‘Too bad. Yeah, that shouldn’t have happened. There’s no going back. It sets a terrible precedent, so the show is over,'” he recalled.
The “Lost” actor said the decision made him realize he didn’t want his “career and livelihood dictated” by more powerful figures in the industry.
“So I pulled the plug. That was it. I walked away,” he shared. “The executives were complaining to each other, and I thought, ‘Are you kidding me? This is it. I’m quitting.'”
Mr Somerhalder added: “This is a very honest and controversial way of why I got out of the business.”
After Somerhalder and his wife, Nikki Reed, retired from acting, they moved to a farm in Southern California and began focusing on other businesses, including Absorption Company, which provides highly absorbable powdered supplements.
Somerhalder also co-founded Brothers Bond Bourbon with his Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley.
In April, Somerhalder revealed that he and Reid, 38, had run up eight-figure debts as a result of a failed business.
“The number eight is a tough hole to climb out of,” he told E! news. “But Nikki and I did it. You know, she really negotiated us out of this deal. But we sold the house, the paintings, the car, the watch, everything.”
Somerhalder is now seven years removed from his last acting role and has previously said he has no plans to resume his career in Hollywood, prioritizing his business and family.
“I think it’s in the rearview mirror, that’s for sure,” he said.
