Latest news with #Somerhalder
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
''I know you're obsessed with me': I traveled to a fan convention where 'The Vampire Diaries' is still the biggest show in town
WHIPPANY, N.J. — My new friend Allana was several minutes into explaining her decades-long fan relationship with The Vampire Diaries when its star walked past us, flanked by security guards and staff and wearing a straw cowboy hat and a tie-dye sweater. He was on his way to a panel for the second and final day of Vampire Fan Weekend. 'Thanks for wearing that shirt,' Ian Somerhalder said to her, before reading the quote emblazoned on Allana's torso aloud: ''I know you're obsessed with me.' It's a great line, isn't it?' We both had to take 60 seconds to giggle before getting our conversation back on track, and I wouldn't even consider myself a fan. Somerhalder's aura was wildly charismatic, as it should be, since he was there to meet fans anticipating one of the best days of their life, having shelled out hundreds of dollars to take photos with him and hear him speak. It's a surprising feat for someone who starred in the CW's The Vampire Diaries series, which ran for eight seasons from 2009 and 2017. When I met 24-year-old Allana, she was leaning against the beige wallpaper of the Hanover Marriott with her boyfriend, 24-year-old Michael, who assured me that he 'liked the show' and 'there is no gun being held near me right now.' They live just a few minutes from the venue. We're all here for Vampire Fan Weekend, which is not to be confused with the merely mortal rock band Vampire Weekend, though I'm sure the playful association is intentional. On the second day of the convention, everyone was there to see the headliners, whose faces were plastered on signs and marketing materials: Somerhalder and Paul Wesley. The pair, who played the blood-sucking brothers from The Vampire Diaries, weren't the only supernatural actors on site, however. There was a handful of side characters from the CW series there, too, as well as memorable actors from Twilight, True Blood and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But everywhere I looked, people were declaring themselves Team Stefan or Team Damon, taking sides in a war that should have ended more than eight years ago. Creation Entertainment, the organizers of the convention, ran a well-oiled machine: Attendees paid between $45 and $199 for photos with the stars and between $30 and $129 for their autographs. Between sessions, they could attend talks hosted by actors, who mostly took questions from the audience. Staff kept people lined up against the wall, keeping hallways clear and clearing out loiterers. This was serious business. General admission to the convention was $55 on Saturday and $75 on Sunday, but there were more expensive packages available for full weekend attendance, priority line access, better seating and free autographs. Those cost between $125 to $750. Allana was here on a mission: Get a photo with both Somerhalder and Wesley. She came to the same convention in 2014 and got one with Wesley, but a mix-up in filming schedules resulted in her missing out on Somerhalder. Now she was poised to complete the collection more than a decade later. The photo itself would live forever in her home and on social media, and the memory of her interactions with the stars would be a story forever shared with her boyfriend. Michael was also determined to make that happen. They've been together for five years and hope to get married. Michael just wants to make sure that the proposal is perfect because he knows that Allana, having grown up on Disney princesses and vampire romances, 'loves a good story.' 'I gotta do it just right,' Michael told me as Allana beamed, looking off to the side. They met through his sisters and fell in love watching SpongeBob SquarePants together on a shared laptop at school. It's a great story, just the way Allana likes it. I, too, came of age when the Twilight books were flying off shelves and dominating big screens, and a few years later, when The Vampire Diaries aired on TV and captivated the internet with GIFs, fan fiction and online debate. I was among the impressionable teenagers scrolling Tumblr and yearning for someone otherworldly and obsessive to fight for me, preferably as part of a love triangle, as with those two staples of vampire media. Desire and drama are the beating heart of the paranormal romance genre, and The Vampire Diaries serves as its seemingly endless blood supply. The show follows Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a teenage girl living in the supernatural town of Mystic Falls, Va., as she copes with the recent death of her parents. She falls in love with a kind and sexy 161-year-old vampire named Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), but things get complicated when his brooding and sexy older brother Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) enters the picture. The soapy melodrama, romance and action that ensued led to the spin-off The Originals (2013 to 2018), which in turn led to another spin-off called Legacies (2018 to 2022) and years of fandom that has transcended show cancellations and been passed down between generations — literally. I saw gaggles of teenage girls and middle-aged women, sometimes mingling and other times split off with their own age groups. I spoke with 16-year-old Gianni, who was with her 34-year-old mom Mari and her friend 31-year-old Stephanie. The vampires' timeless beauty brought them together, an hour away from their homes. They were buzzing with excitement in line to meet Wesley, who Stephanie said is her favorite vampire ever because he's 'a little cutie.' Gianni loves him because he's 'funny and cute.' Mari prefers Somerhalder because he's 'spicy.' When I was turned away from attending a premium panel reserved for the 'Gold Package' attendees, who had paid $750 for the highest level of access, I wandered into the vendor room. Dozens of tables were covered in vampire-themed items for sale: T-shirts with quotes from The Vampire Diaries like 'I was feeling epic' and 'Hello, brother,' glamour shots of actors that they could autograph for you and tie-dye sweatshirts like the one Somerhalder was wearing. My personal favorite thing was a DIY blood-juice box — a bundle that included a pouch, a straw and a packet of Hawaiian Punch powder that could be purchased together and assembled with water from the fountains outside. Once I'd pillaged the vampire merch zone, I headed into the auditorium to watch a few speakers. I was relegated to the back, which was packed. The front rows — about 20 of them — were reserved for guests who had paid for seats, but they were sparsely populated, leaving a sea of open chairs between convention-goers and talent. David Anders, who played Elena's protective (human) uncle on The Vampire Diaries, took the stage. 'By round of applause, whose favorite character is John Gilbert?' Anders joked about his role on the series, pacing around as just a handful of guests clapped enthusiastically. 'Everybody? Surprising!' He urged the audience to ask him anything: His character, his acting career or even his family. People asked him to pick which roles were his favorite (iZombie over The Vampire Diaries), which actors he enjoyed working with (he loves Nina Dobrev and wondered aloud how she was doing after her e-bike accident) and whether he's Team Stefan or Team Damon ('Can't it be a throuple?') Anders is funny. He spent a lot of time, well, vamping — rambling about his life and joking about his career. It takes a lot of charisma to dominate the stage and answer the same questions you always get asked at conventions again and again, knowing these people are here to see you and going to characterize their one-sided relationship with you by the tone of your voice and the content of your answer. He apologized after answering a child's question with a couple of F-bombs. He burst into renditions of show tunes when the crowd fell silent. Chase Coleman took the stage after him, pulling double duty as an actor who briefly played a werewolf on The Originals and the frontman for the convention's house band, Mercy Mode. It performed a concert the night before and played songs between panels to fill the time. Coleman spent a lot of time talking about his personal life: His fiancée and her brother were in the audience holding his small dog, whom he called his daughter, and discussed her bowel movements for the day. He encouraged the crowd to applaud when it was revealed that she pooped. He plugged his Patreon page, where fans could pay him a monthly subscription fee to get access to his Discord — an app that lets people connect and chat in various rooms. People can talk to him directly there and join him for game nights and movie nights. 'I don't want to just be plugging,' he assured the audience. 'I want to be getting to know and gotten to know!' Coleman explained onstage that his investment in his music career came after the 'second apocalypse of his career' — the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The first apocalypse was COVID. His ability to get work has been repeatedly compromised, but tapping into relationships with fans seems to have kept him afloat. He was less self-deprecating than Anders and more enthusiastic about his art. It broke my heart when, as he was speaking, a deluge of fans poured out of the auditorium to line up for the ultra-popular photo op with both Wesley and Somerhalder, but I let myself get caught in the flood, and I left too. In that line — and in several photo lines throughout the day — I asked attendees who their favorite vampire of all time was. I was expecting a range of answers because of all the different generations present, and because vampires seem to be having a moment again. Nosferatu surprisingly slayed the box office during Christmas 2024, and Sinners is still breaking records. AMC's Interview with the Vampire series has a rabid fan army ahead of its third season. But most Vampire Fan Convention attendees had the same answer: Stefan and Damon, because they're really, really hot. In retrospect, that should have been obvious. I was talking to people shelling out hundreds of dollars for photos and interactions. Their fandom is as eternal as its fictional subjects. 'I've been looking at this event for years and now I can finally afford it. I finally get to meet them!' a fan named Desziree from a nearby New Jersey town told me, giddy with excitement. 'I've been watching them on my screen since I was like 12 years old … I'm currently 24. Half my life!' After chatting my way through the lines of people bubbling with anticipation, I stood by the door where fans exited after having their photos taken. They gathered in small groups, making microjudgments about their brief, paid interactions with celebrities. Most were wearing merch, but the few dressed more like they wanted to seduce a vampire than reflect their fandom for one caught my eye. No shade, it's an expensive photo! 'He was so disinterested. He was very distracted. It was so disappointing. But it was probably a good picture,' said one of the young women. 'That big cowboy hat covered his whole face … mom, I think that ruined the whole weekend.' Based on the mention of the cowboy hat, I assumed the woman wasn't pleased with her experience with Somerhalder. That's the risk you take investing so much in someone who's still a human in real life — and being paid to deliver a memorable, heartwarming experience with so many other fans, churning through an assembly line of photos and autographs for hours at a time. 'I've been watching them on my screen since I was like 12 years old … I'm currently 24. Half my life!'Desziree, a "Vampire Diaries' fan That's also the risk that actors like Somerhalder take. Some interactions may be better than others. Some may fortify their relationships with fans and others could harm them. Either way, they're making money. The relationships that fans have with romantic dramas like The Vampire Diaries are deep, emotional ones. One could argue that they're especially intense now that the show is off the air; since there's nothing new coming out, revisiting and digging deeper into the plot and characters in the show can dredge up a lot of feelings. Getting to see them, take photos with them, talk to them in Discord and buy their merch just sends them deeper. But is it so wrong to admire a beautiful actor who plays a vampire, pay to meet him and hope it goes well? It benefits those actors financially, keeps them employed in an unstable industry and probably feels pretty flattering. What is it that keeps these fans coming back for more? I found the answer as I was leaving the convention. I walked past two middle-aged women admiring their 8.5 x 11 printed meet-and-greet photo with Somerhalder. 'Who did you get?' I asked the one who was clutching the picture. She showed me. I was struck by Somerhalder's bright blue eyes, intoxicating beneath a goofy cowboy hat. I realized that when I saw him earlier, I couldn't make out much more than a tie-dye blur. He was otherworldly. 'He looks so good,' I mumbled, clapping my hand over my mouth and correcting myself. 'And so do you!' 'That's the point,' the fan laughed. It was then I understood.
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Brother's Bond Bourbon Looks To Stir Up Sustainability During Earth Month
Earth Month and Earth Day are a time that many are trying to make a bit more effort to support more sustainable practices. For some though, it's a constant effort. A great example is Brother's Bond Bourbon. This brand may get a lot of attention for their bourbon, but they are equally established for their consistent sustainability efforts. Espresso Regentini from Brother's Bond Bourbon. Brother's Bond Bourbon In fact their Regenerative Grain Straight Bourbon was one of the first small batch bourbons in the U.S. made with regenerative grains and the brand has donated a portion of every Brother's Bond bottle sold to Kiss the Ground, which supports soil health. Now, the brand is marking Earth Month in a special way with their Shake & Stir Up change campaign in an effort to support sustainability and regenerative agriculture. Ian Somerhalder, who co-founded Brother's Bond with Paul Wesley, chatted with in an email interview about this Earth Month initiative, but he explains for this brand, sustainability isn't an add-on; it's a founding principle. "From day one, our mission has been to create exceptional whiskey while protecting the planet for future generations," said Somerhalder, who says his team is committed to helping transition U.S. farmland to regenerative agricultural practices, with an ambitious goal of supporting 100 million acres by 2030. "Regenerative farming rebuilds soil health, enhances biodiversity, and captures carbon; it's one of the most hopeful and scalable solutions to the climate crisis. Every bottle of Brother's Bond helps support this transition, with 1% of our sales donated to advancing soil health. It's about legacy, impact, and crafting a better future, sip by sip," said Somerhalder. To this end, the Regenerative Grain Bourbon is a small-batch release made with grains grown using regenerative practices within 20 miles of the distillery in North Carolina. "It's a blend of a nuanced three-year bourbon and a distinct six-year wheated bourbon, and it's one of the first in the U.S. made with regeneratively farmed grains," said Somerhalder, who shared sourcing these grains wasn't easy. "There's no existing roadmap, but we felt strongly about leading the change. This release represents a tangible step toward more environmentally responsible bourbon-making, and the flavor speaks for itself: rich caramel, toasted oak, campfire marshmallow. It's an award-winning bourbon with depth and purpose," said Somerhalder, As part of their sustainability efforts, Brothers Bond is also working with Kiss the Ground, a nonprofit that's changing how we think about soil. "They advocate for regeneration as a solution to the climate, water, and wellness crisis, and they make the science accessible and inspiring," said Somerhalder. "I've been involved with them personally for years and helped produce both Kiss the Ground and Common Ground, two powerful documentaries about the regenerative movement." Brother's Bond supports their mission financially and through awareness. "With every bottle sold, we're contributing to their work helping U.S. farmers shift to regenerative practices—over 36 million acres and counting. It's a partnership grounded in shared values and real impact," said Somerhalder. For Earth Month's Shake & Stir Up Change campaign, the team created two coffee-forward cocktails: The Espresso Regentini, which is made with certified regenerative coffee beans from Kiss the Ground, as well as the Carbon Capture Cold Brew, a bourbon-forward spin with a touch of sweetness. "Coffee and bourbon share deep roots in agriculture and craftsmanship, and we wanted to use that connection to tell a bigger story about regeneration, flavor, and making better choices," said Somerhalder, who believes the Espresso Regentini especially gives the classic espresso martini a more soulful, whiskey-rich profile. "Bourbon and coffee were meant to meet, and this Earth Month felt like the perfect time to introduce them," said Somerhalder.
Fox News
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Vampire Diaries' star says farming is 'in my blood,' reflects on growing up poor in Louisiana
Ian Somerhalder found success and fame on "Vampire Diaries" and "Lost," which wasn't the norm for the Louisiana native. During an interview with Fox News Digital, the "Common Ground" star said his father is from the Bayou in Louisiana and his accent is so thick he has to translate the English he speaks to other English-native speakers. On the other hand, his mother comes from a long line of Mississippi farmers who "understood the aspect of farming in a holistic regenerative way." The Brothers Bond Bourbon co-founder explained that he was raised "super poor" and wasn't introduced to the finer things in life until he became the face of Versace at 16. "My dad taught me about the wetlands in Louisiana. When you take more than you give back, there's an imbalance. And guess who loses? We do. Nature will always find a way to regenerate. It's us who loses because, look man, we were super poor, but we were so rich. We had, I'm talking freezers full. We had a shed of boxes of Louisiana blue crab, Gulf shrimp, red fish, speckled trout, Amberjack. "I'm talking fresh tuna. I'm talking all the good stuff. And it wasn't until I was 16 as a model – I was the face of Versace when I was 16 – and you walk into a restaurant, even in 1994, and you order a dozen Louisiana blue crabs or oysters, and it was $100. And I thought… I have a thousand of these things in freezers. I was like, 'Oh.' So while we didn't have a lot of money, we were rich in culture and the things that we needed," Somerhalder said. "We were super poor, but we were so rich." The actor recently wrapped the "Common Ground" documentary, which "unveils a dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system." WATCH: Ian Somerhalder reflects on growing up poor in Louisiana "The film reveals how unjust practices forged our current farm system in which farmers of all colors are literally dying to feed us. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of White, Black, and Indigenous farmers who are using alternative 'regenerative' models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save our health, and stabilize America's economy – before it's too late," the summary states. Somerhalder was eager to be a part of the project due to his roots in farming. "My family on both sides are multigenerational farmers going back to the 1700s. So this is very much in my blood. This is what I'm about." When addressing health in America, Somerhalder explained that he grew up in "Cancer Alley," which is an 80-mile stretch along the Mississippi River. "There's about 150 petrochemical plants or facilities, whatever you call them. And they call it cancer alley for a reason, right?" According to Somerhalder, once you fix problems like "Cancer Alley," you will have healthier people, healthier economies and a healthier planet. "When you heal and build nutrient density, you build healthier people. You also build healthier, robust economies. Then you build a healthier planet because you balance the climate. It does not matter what side of the aisle you sit on or if you sit in the middle of it. If you sit on the top left or the bottom right, it does not matter. We have a massive climate issue. Whether you believe it's man-made or not, that doesn't matter." Somerhalder has the solution, and it all ties back into farming. "Well, I mean, that's the re-industrialization of middle America, that's how we rebuild the United States of America. We do it through soil, and we do it for money. Let's be honest, man, money talks, BS walks. You tell a farmer that their constituents, I mean, that their elected officials in Congress are allowing these agrochemical companies to just pillage. You know what they're going to do? They're going to say enough is enough. I want my family to be healthy. I want money in my bank account. This is not fair." "And that is how we do it," Somerhalder said. WATCH: 'Vampire Diaries' star says farming is 'in my blood' During a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Somerhalder explained that there's a certain level of "respect" that comes with living on a farm that "populated, urban areas" just don't understand. "It's a lot of work, but the reality of it is like, especially with these fires that just happened in California. You know, for me, that's how I grew up, right here in Louisiana. For me, it gives me a sense of balance." "But what people don't realize is, a vast amount, a pretty large percentage of Americans, live that way. They respect and love that lifestyle. We live here now," he said. Somerhalder continued, "While … the very populated urban areas may not get it, they still benefit from it because they benefit from the quality products and produce that these people produce. So there's this amazing sort of flow of commerce and business and sort of like mutual respect that I love." Along with Somerhalder, Jason Momoa, Laura Dern and Woody Harrelson make up the "Common Ground" cast. The documentary, which is a sequel to the 2020 "Kiss the Ground," is available for streaming worldwide on Earth Day, April 22. During his interview with Fox News Digital, Somerhalder thanked Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos, for "sucking up" the rights to stream the documentaries and said "Common Ground" is going to "change the freaking planet." WATCH: Ian Somerhalder says new documentary 'Common Ground' is going to change the planet A special live global event will be held on April 22 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST on YouTube for one hour.
Fox News
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Vampire Diaries' star Ian Somerhalder says farm life gives him balance he can't find in Hollywood
"Vampire Diaries" star Ian Somerhalder admits that living on a farm is "hard work," but he wouldn't have it any other way. During an interview with Fox News Digital, The Brother's Bond Bourbon co-founder explained that there's a certain level of "respect" that comes with living on a farm that "populated, urban areas" just don't understand. "It's a lot of work, but the reality of it is like, especially with these fires that just happened in California. You know, for me, that's how I grew up. Right here in Louisiana. For me, it gives me a sense of balance." "But what people don't realize is, a vast amount, a pretty large percentage of Americans, live that way. They respect and love that lifestyle. We live here now," he said. Somerhalder continued, "While . . . the very populated urban areas may not get it, they still benefit from it because they benefit from the quality products and produce that these people produce. So there's this amazing sort of flow of commerce and business and sort of like mutual respect that I love." "It's a lot of work, but the reality of it is like, especially with these fires that just happened in California. You know, for me, that's how I grew up. Right here in Louisiana. For me, it gives me a sense of balance." Somerhalder, his wife, "Twilight" actress Nikki Reed, their two kids and nearly 20 animals all live together on a farm. In 2019, the couple left Los Angeles. In 2023, Somerhalder told E! News that he preferred the farm life to his life in Hollywood. WATCH: 'Vampire Diaries' star Ian Somerhalder says farm life gives him balance he can't find in Hollywood "Walking through the farm with kids and dogs and family," he told the outlet at the time. "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." While raising their daughter, Bodhi, and their one-year-old son, the couple enjoy growing herbs, including rosemary and lavender, and taking care of multiple animals such as cows, mini-donkeys and goats. "It is a lot of work," Somerhalder added. "It's unbelievable when you see these amazing creature life forms ... and how they all live on the farm together is really special." "We're farm people, we produce most of our own food, I live in my cowboy boots," he said. Since Somerhalder left the acting industry behind a little over five years ago, he's directed his focus on his bourbon company, Brother's Bond, which he owns with his "Vampire Diaries" co-star, Paul Wesley. The actors launched their brand in 2021. WATCH: 'Vampire Diaries' co-stars Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley's bourbon brand is not another 'celebrity whiskey' "Paul Wesley and I, you know, we did 'Vampire Diaries' for eight years. And, you know, it's funny, like season two, Paul and I said to each other, 'We should do a bourbon.' I mean, these guys, you know, my character loved bourbon. He drank it at seven in the morning, but the thing is, these boys, they bonded on-screen over bourbon. And then Paul and I bonded off-screen over bourbon," Somerhalder said. "Vampire Diaries" was on-air for eight seasons from 2009 to 2017. Along with Somerhalder and Wesley, the drama series starred Nina Dobrev, Candice King and Kat Graham. Somerhalder attended Fred Minnick's New Orleans Bourbon Festival prior to SuperBowl LIX. The actor told Fox News Digital that Minnick has given him "so much lift" beneath his wings in the bourbon industry. "I think while there are a lot of headwinds into the sort of, you know, food and beverage or alcohol industry, the reality of it is, is that that community that's built, that community and within the food and beverage industry is so potent, and it's so powerful that I think when we stitch this country back together through soil and through food and through beverage and community, we just win in every shape and form on the economy side, on the community side. WATCH: Ian Somerhalder believes its a 'powerful' time for Americans and whiskey "And this all comes from whiskey and food, right? So, as these economies grow, our educational systems get better, our water systems get better," Somerhalder continued. "You know, after school programs get better, recreational centers get better. So, this is how we're going to build America. And it's really powerful. And this is not like some political statement. This is about people and Americans and whiskey. It's a very powerful time. And so that's what I'm really excited about."
