"I don't need to chase awards...": Ian Somerhalder talks about his TV past

Washington [US], October 14 : Actor Ian Somerhalder has looked back with gratitude on his days as a TV heartthrob, especially for the roles that launched his career.
The actor, 45, who became a fan favourite for his roles as Boone Carlyle on Lost and Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries, recently spoke with 'People' about how his early roles helped shape his career.
Somerhalder, who first gained recognition in 2004, was featured in Teen People's 50 Sexiest Guys Ever list that same year.
The actor shared that he remembers being very aware of his heartthrob status back then, but now, years later, he looks at it differently.
"Once you reach a certain level, you're like, 'Okay, I want to focus on family and the future of farming 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," the actor said.
Although being on magazine covers and sexy lists helped boost his career, Somerhalder shared that he is now more focused on his environmental work and raising his children with his wife Nikki Reed, 36.
Looking back, Somerhalder admitted he wouldn't change much from his younger days and shared, "I maybe complained about craft service or something, showed up late twice, actually really late once. I was so tired from the night before, I slept through my alarms. That's about as far as I can go."
The actor also added that despite small mistakes, he is grateful for his roles in Lost and The Vampire Diaries as they introduced him to a whole new audience.
"I feel such enormous gratitude for this piece of IP and the journey and the character and all the writing both from Lost and from Vampire Diaries. But that path has gotten me to where I feel most authentic anyway, which is in a pair of cowboy boots, feeding the cows and running horses," Somerhalder said.