Ian Somerhalder is grateful for all his days of being a part of television.
After the role as Boone Carlyle in “Lost” in 2004, the actor scored the role of bad boy vampire Damon Salvatore in "The Vampire Diaries" in 2009, which catapulted him to stardom.
Speaking exclusively to "PEOPLE" about his partnership with Nutro n , Somerhalder, 45, recalls his "tumultuous" past, talking about being included in the list of the 50 sexiest teenage boys two decades ago in October 2004.
While Somerhalder tells PEOPLE that he was very aware of his "heartbreaking" image back in the day, he looks back at the title quite differently now as an adult.
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Although the actor notes that appearing on the cover of magazines and being selected for sex lists were "very important" and "moved the needle" in his career at the time, these days, he is much more focused on passion projects such as the work of his environmental work and raising his children with wife Nikki Reed, 36.
"Once you get to a certain level, you'll say, 'Okay, I want to focus on family and the future and food and energy and the big things.' I don't need to chase awards and anything that would make me feel better about myself." he says.
