Ian Somerhalder Movies
At once pixie-ish and masculine with a pair of piercing blue eyes that seem to glow even while under the bright spotlights of Hollywood, former top-list model-turned-actor Ian Somerhalder has the unique looks to make it in both worlds. Add to that an introspective philosophy toward acting, which he claims is a unique opportunity to explore his true inner motivations and feelings, and you have all the ingredients necessary to create one of the most sought-after young actors of the new millennium. A native of Covington, LA, who spent much of his childhood enjoying such outdoor activities as training horses, Somerhalder would soon join up with the school's drama club and make many stage appearances with the local theater group. Encouraged by his mother to pursue a career in modeling, Somerhalder's career was soon ablaze with many summers spent in New York City. Though he would shy away from modeling in junior high school to focus more on academics and athletics, an opportunity to travel Europe while modeling was too much to resist and the worldly youngster was soon posing for the likes of Guess?, Versace, Calvin Klein, and Dolce and Gabanna. Settling in New York at age 17 to devote himself to acting under the tutelage of William Esper proved a fateful move that found the developing thespian eschewing his modeling career entirely. Though his feature debut as an extra in Black and White (1998) would eventually end up on the cutting-room floor, his presence caught the attention of a visiting talent agent who immediately signed Somerhalder for representation. After gaining exposure on the television series The Young Americans (2000), the up-and-comer would appear in the made-for-MTV drama Anatomy of a Hate Crime (also 2000) before returning to features, role fully intact, in 2001's Life as a House. Reluctant to discuss his modeling career lest he be considered just another pretty face, Somerhalder turned up in Changing Hearts (2002) before accepting a prominent role in director Roger Avery's edgy teen drama The Rules of Attraction. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide- 2009
Can a girl find romance with a guy who has just buried the love of his life? Carys Reitman (Bijou Phillips) is a young woman who has a hard time connecting with other people, despite her friendly and accepting nature. Carys' problem might have something to do with one of her hobbies -- she likes to attend funerals for people she's never met, something she's done often enough that one of her best friends is a funeral director, Shane (Danny Masterson). One day, Carys is once again paying her respects when she meets Tyler (Ian Somerhalder), a handsome and charming man who was engaged to marry the deceased. Carys finds herself attracted to Tyler and thinks she may have finally found the man who can help her get over her anxieties about others, even though Shane and Lila (Marguerite Moreau), Carys' roommate, are certain pursuing him is a bad idea. As Carys dares to open her heart to Tyler, she also tries to mend her broken relationship with her mother (Jane Seymour). Wake was the opening night feature at the 2009 Cinequest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bijou Phillips, Ian Somerhalder, (more)
The world's best assassins converge upon the streets of a small Scottish town to compete in a deadly tournament in which the last killer standing gets a million-dollar prize while wealthy thrillseekers watch a live video stream and gamble on the outcome. Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting) stars as a local priest who becomes an unwitting participant in the grisly contest in this adrenaline-fueled action film from director Scott Mann. ~ All Movie Guide
A good Samaritan (Ian Somerhalder) becomes the target of two corrupt FBI agents after saving a stranger's life in director Thomas Jahn's action thriller. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Somerhalder
A journey that starts as a die-hard mission to net Christian converts soon evolves into the adventure of a lifetime, in the sweeping historical epic Marco Polo. It is the 13th century. Polo (Ian Somerhalder), a Venetian trader, sets out to both prove the existence of China to European priests, and to bring its residents salvation. En route, he and his traveling companions must battle every extreme form of the elements, from the scorching abuse of the sun to paralyzing blizzards, plus violent maurading thieves and a host of other dangers. Little can Marco Polo predict, however, the dazzling world that awaits him on the opposite end - with such dazzling inventions as paper money, timepieces and a postal system, and such culinary concoctions as ice cream and pasta. And presiding over all of it is the benevolent Kubla Khan (Brian Dennehy) a ruler so impressed with Polo (and vice versa) that the brave adventurer soon becomes part and parcel of his court - and spends the better part of two decades in Asia. Kevin Connor directs, from a script by Ron Hutchinson. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Somerhalder, Brian Dennehy, (more)
Sex. Life. This is the story of three couples trying to stay afloat - and one woman's efforts to show them how to do it. HBO's newest adult drama series explores issues of intimacy - through the point of view of a 20-something couple, prenumpital concerns and fidelity are examined, while the series' 30-something couple confront their failed attempts to start a family, coping with the effects it has on their sex life. And after two kids and 12 years of marriage, a couple in their early 40s question why their love and devotion hasn't translated into physical intimacy in nearly a year. Tell Me You Love Me explores the telling, everyday moments that can make or break a couple's commitment to one another, both emotionally and physically.
- Starring:
- Jane Alexander, Michelle Borth, (more)
- 2006
In his 1961 speech to the National Association of Broadcasters Newton Minnow claimed that television had become a "vast wasteland," and with this comedy the warped folks at National Lampoon prove that Minnow's so-called "vast wasteland" has since been flooded by a festering cesspool of filth and depravity. Absolutely nothing is sacred as Jackass stars Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, and Jason "Wee Man" Acuna skewer small screen conventions by targeting everything from reality television to talk shows. For viewers looking to find out just how far the bar has been lowered, who better to turn to than the satirical minds at National Lampoon? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve-O, Jason "Wee Man" Acuna, (more)
When wireless technology puts humans into contact with an unstoppable force that's determined to claim the lives of the living for the souls of the damned, it's up to a group of determined teens to close the gate before it's too late in director Jim Sonzero's remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's apocalyptic horror classic. A doorway between the human realm and the spiritual realm has been opened, and now the technology that once made humankind the ruler of the planet has become its digital Achilles heel. With every call made and every e-mail checked, life is slowly being stolen from the living and claimed for the dead. With no way of turning off the connection and no means of reasoning with a force they cannot understand, a desperate group of college students must discover a means of stopping the takeover before the entire planet is transformed into a cosmic haunting ground for wayward souls in search of a home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder, (more)
First-time American writer director Aaron Wiederspahn's moody drama The Sensation of Sight concerns Finn, a middle-aged English teacher caught up in the unrelenting throes of a mid-life crisis. Driven by the guilt associated with a tragic incident for which he considers himself responsible, he drops out of his daily life and routine, and takes to selling encyclopedias. The past continues to haunt, however, filling his days with irrepressible anxiety, robbing his nights of sleep, and driving him inexorably toward a full self-awakening. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Strathairn, Ian Somerhalder, (more)
A passenger jet breaks apart in mid-air, crash-landing on a tropical island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Left without the creature comforts and basic necessities of civilization, the 48 survivors are forced to rely upon one another to stay alive -- and given the personality quirks of these survivors, this won't be easy during the first season of the ABC hit series Lost. Generally with the help of flashbacks, viewers learn a number of deep dark secrets about the castaways on a need-to-know basis, especially the demons plaguing Dr. Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) and one-hit-wonder rock star Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan). Every so often, a crisis arises for the principal purpose of revealing a hitherto unknown and unsuspected aspect of one of the characters. Inevitably, hostilities both minor and serious arise from the basic fundamental differences among the survivors: Korean couple Jin and Sun Kwon (Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim) are unable to uphold their family traditions under the circumstances, while their inability to speak English creates an additional barrier between themselves and the others; and the MacGyver-like resourcefulness of former Iraqi Republican Guard Sayid (Naveen Andrews) is not enough to overcome the racism of some of his fellow passengers. Then there is the unfriendly aura of the island itself, with its inscrutable topography, and the bizarre menagerie of wild animals, ranging from a polar bear to a (possible) dinosaur! Also, the discovery in one episode of two long-dead bodies certainly does nothing to uplift the rescue hopes of the hapless survivors. And finally, there seems to be someone else on the island...someone not on the passenger list...someone who kidnaps two of the castaways and threatens to kill off the rest one by one. The one overriding question near the end of season one is: who among the "major" characters will not make it to season two? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emilie de Ravin, Matthew Fox, (more)
As Hitler's grip of fear continues to tighten during World War II, the capture of the U.S.S. Swordfish by a German U-boat leads to a brutal struggle for survival between axis and allies deep beneath the ocean surface. Following the capture of the U.S.S. Swordfish, the German crew soon begins to fall ill to a particularly powerful strain of meningitis, leaving the American prisoners-of-war obligated to work with the remaining German crew to keep the vessel from descending to the bottom of the ocean. Though they are able to cast aside their differences in the name of survival, the discovery that the ship has been located by a U.S. carrier forces the prisoners into a harrowing struggle for survival. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William H. Macy, Til Schweiger, (more)
A shared affliction -- namely, breast cancer -- forges an unlikely friendship between two Southern women, ebullient young Amber Collins (Lauren Holly) and crabby, reclusive oldster Betty Miller (Faye Dunaway). As they join forces to battle and cope with their disease, Amber and Betty also end up helping one another with their respective romantic entanglements. Tom Skerritt is cast as Betty's faithless former flame, Johnny Pinkley (now the self-styled Lothario of a nursing home), while Ian Somerhalder plays Amber's troubled -- and much younger -- amour Jason Kelly. Daniel Wright adapted the script of this independently produced movie from his own award-winning play Colored Eggs (the film's working title), retaining the original's sizeable supporting cast of lovable eccentrics. Decked out with musical highlights by Rita Coolidge, Earl and Randy Scruggs, Jan Howard, and Jeannie Seely, Changing Hearts was given scattered theatrical release in 2002 before it was picked up for TV play by the Lifetime cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lauren Holly, Faye Dunaway, (more)
Bret Easton Ellis' controversial novel about the sexual, emotional, and chemical interactions of a group of wealthy and amoral college students is brought to the screen in this adaptation from writer and director Roger Avery. Sean Bateman (James Van Der Beek) is a student at Camden College, a well-respected private school on the East Coast. Sean is attracted to Lauren Hynde (Shannyn Sossamon), a high minded and seemingly unapproachable coed, while Lauren is infatuated with Victor (Kip Pardue), a handsome but self-centered ladies' man. Lauren's empty-headed roommate, Lara (Jessica Biel), is also attracted to Victor, while he has no qualms about being involved with both. Lauren used to date affected snob Paul Denton (Ian Somerhalder), but Paul, a bisexual, currently lusts after Sean. Meanwhile, friendly campus drug dealer Rupert (Clifton Collins Jr.) finds a ready market for cocaine among his classmates; Sean, a steady customer, finds himself financially embarrassed and begins dealing drugs to help pay off his debts, while leading Paul on for his ready supply of marijuana. The Rules of Attraction also features Eric Stoltz as Mr.
Lance Lawson, Faye Dunaway and Swoosie Kurtz as semi-concerned parents, and Fred Savage as one of Sean's customers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Lance Lawson, Faye Dunaway and Swoosie Kurtz as semi-concerned parents, and Fred Savage as one of Sean's customers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Van Der Beek, Ian Somerhalder, (more)
- 2002
The influence of the popular action film The Fast and the Furious hangs heavily over the first episode of CSI's third season. Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) and Nick (George Eads) investigate when the mutilated corpse of Jace Felder, a champion in the field of illegal street-racing, is found at an abandoned desert airstrip. Meanwhile, Grissom (William L. Petersen) probes the death of legendary poker player Doyle Pfeiffer, who appears to have suffered a heart seizure during a high-stakes card game. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Presented in three half-hour "acts" by the MTV cable network on January 10, 2001, the fact-based Anatomy of a Hate Crime was the opening volley of MTV's year-long campaign "Fight For Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Discrimination." In recalling the horrendous torture-murder of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard near Laramie, WY in 1998, the film focuses as much on the twisted logic and motivations of Matthew's killers Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney as it does on the victim and the crime. Cy Carter stars as the unfortunate Shepard, with Ian Somerhelder and Brendan Fletcher, respectively, cast as Henderson and McKinney. Filmed in Alberta, Anatomy of a Hate Crime was originally bookended by a marathon recital of recent examples of sexual and racial persecution, delivered by an impressive list of unseen celebrities. Curiously, the Shepard Foundation, formed after Matthew's murder, would not endorse the MTV film, preferring instead to put their clout behind the 2002 NBC TV movie The Matthew Shepard Story. (See also separate website entry for The Laramie Project.) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cy Carter, Ian Somerhalder, (more)
Kevin Kline stars as George, a down-on-his-luck architect in this tearjerker from Irwin Winkler (At First Sight, Guilty By Suspicion). A disdainful local character who draws disapproval from the community, particularly his neighbor played by Mary Steenburgen, George sets out to change his life after suddenly losing his longtime job and discovering he's terminally ill (he has cancer). Attempting to reconnect with his estranged and troubled son, Sam (Hayden Christiansen), George endeavors to spend the summer they have together building his dream home by the sea. The laborious process leads to the rebuilding of dissipated relationships, the birth of new ones, and all-around healing. ~ Rachel Deahl, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
