Born Dec. 8, 1978 in Covington, LA to his massage therapist mother and building contractor father, this small town southern boy spent many summers in Manhattan after making his modeling debut at age 10 – all in an effort to earn money to buy fishing equipment and a bicycle. When not posing in front of a camera, Somerhalder enjoyed the usual activities of a boy growing up, including boating, swimming, fishing and training horses, including participating in the school drama club and performing with the local theater group. Somerhalder took some time off to enjoy a regular school career, but returned to the modeling business in his mid-teens, landing extensive print and runway work that took him to Europe as well, including campaigns for Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Versace and Guess.
At age 17, he began studying acting in New York City, and by age 19, had committed himself to the craft, working with preeminent acting coach William Esper. His fate was sealed when – while working as an extra in a club scene in James Toback's feature film "Black & White" (1999) – a talent manager who was visiting a client on the set, spotted Somerhalder in a crowd scene of 400 and immediately signed him for representation. Somerhalder subsequently made his TV debut on an episode of the acclaimed CBS sci-fi drama "Now and Again" (1999-2000) in 1999.
The following year, he landed his first role of some substance, starring on the WB teen drama "Young Americans" (2000), playing the brooding Rawley Academy student, Hamilton, son of the prep school's dean. When Hamilton began experiencing unexpected feelings for his close friend Jake, Somerhalder's honest portrayal of a young man questioning his sexuality proved the actor was more than just primetime eye candy. Unfortunately, show lasted only a season.
Not down for long, in 2002, Somerhalder was cast as Paul Denton in the thriller "Rules of Attraction," a feature based on the novel written by Bret Easton Ellis. After a well-received multi-episode stint in 2004 on The WB's "Smallville" (2001- ) – in which he played the mysterious Adam Knight, Clark Kent's rival for the affections of Lana Lang – Somerhalder received some of his best career news to date, though he may not have realized it at the time. Cast as a series regular on J.J. Abrams' clever and mysterious drama "Lost" (ABC, 2004 - ), Somerhalder played the controlling but caring Boone, a man saddled with a self-absorbed sister – actually step-sister, with whom he's in love – and among the 48 survivors stranded on a seemingly deserted island following a plane crash. Although Somerhalder's character was killed off in the first season, the mysteries surrounding the island and the frequent flashbacks did not rule out return engagements as Boone.
In the meantime, the handsome actor appeared in the teen horror flick, “Pulse” (2006) – a story focusing on the dangers of our wireless society, in which a character accidentally hacks into and channels a mysterious wireless signal which breeds a terrifying evil. A modest success, Somerhalder continued to land roles in upcoming movies and to keep the tabloids busy, with photos of he and girlfriend/“Lost” co-star, Maggie Grace, continuing to fetch top dollar.