Ian Somerhalder

Ian Somerhalder modelling for Gotham Magazine (http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/iansomerhalder,vampire/Interesting (unknown))

My hero is Ian Somerhalder. Ian was born on December 8th, 1978, in Covington Louisiana, to parents Edna and Robert Somerhalder. As he grew up, Ian enjoyed playing American football, baseball and soccer. Even before he was a teen, starting at age 10 to be exact, his signature piercing blue eyes and irresistible charm landed him a job as a male model in Milan, NewYork, Paris, and London. At the age of 17, he decided that he had to give up modelling to pursue his dream occupation; acting. This had been his ambition since the age of 6. He now stars on the hit T.V. show, The Vampire Diaries and has been acting since 1997.

What makes Ian my hero is not the fact that he is one of my favourite actors. It is what he does with his fame to help others, and the world around us that I find so admirable. On Ian's 32nd birthday in 2010, the Ian Somerhalder Foundation was launched in order to educate, and raise awareness about the protection of environmental health and animals. On the foundation's website, www.isfoundation.com , there are numerous tips on how to help neglected animals, and the environment, even if they are just small steps in every day life to make the world a greener, and safer place.

After the oil spill near Louisiana in 2010, Ian Somerhalder helped in the cleanup of the disaster by making public announcements through social media and other various ways to let people know how they could help, and by actually visiting the scene personally, and cleaning off some of the oil-covered wildlife and their habitats. On top of protecting wild animals and their homes, Ian also helps save many pets by providing information about adoption and fostering animals. In October 2012, Ian got involved with Strut Your Mutt to help raise awareness of euthanization among animals, and to raise funds to prevent euthanization of animals who cannot find homes.

We certainly cannot forget our larger, furry, feathered, scaled and other various types of friends, and the ISF most definitely has not. On top of the information to save potential pets on their website, there are ways to make a difference for animals who are factory farmed. Some examples of these are buying local animal products, and reducing your consumption of animal products, even if only by a slight amount. Every change, no matter how big or small, makes a difference.

Not only does Ian help our environment and animals, but along with some of his co-stars on The Vampire Diaries, Candice Accola and Michael Trevino, they stand behind the It Gets Better Project to hopefully prevent suicide among youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered. This is in association with The Trevor Project. Research has shown that one of the highest suicide attempt rates consist of teens and young adults who are either homosexual, bisixual, or transgendered because of all of the homophobia in our society. I find it truly inspiring that they take the time to stand up for people with sexualities other than heterosexual, and to stand against homophobia, when many others wouldn't.

In conclusion, Ian Somerhalder is my hero because he helps so many people and animals, as well as our environment. He is more than just a pretty face on a T.V. screen, and he uses his fame in a way to pay it forward, and make a difference. Ian has won both a Genesis and Environmental Media Awards award in the categories of Humane Society and EMA Futures Award for his efforts, but he did not perform these extraordinary acts for the awards and publicity. Ian did these things and involved his fans through social media in order to create change, make a difference, and also, because he thought it was right. It is for all of these reasons, and the inspiration he provides me with, that Ian Somerhalder is my hero.