You might know Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore on CW’s hit, “Vampire Diaries” or as “Lost’s” first significant casualty, Boone Carlyle. However, you may not know that Somerhalder is also a passionate environmentalist. This past summer, the television star has been spreading himself thin, dividing his time between promoting “Vampire Diaries” as well as raising awareness in his home state of Louisiana following BP’s oil spill in the Gulf. After the spill occurred, he ventured down to an area on Grand Isle and was upset by what he found.

“To me and to the people that go down there, (it’s) one of the most beautiful places in the world. And I actually had to watch it destroyed. And it will be destroyed — forever. My great-grandchildren will not be able to enjoy the Gulf Coast of Louisiana the way I have.”

Along with being passionate about the environment, Somerhalder is also an animal rights advocate. Although the CW star is an activist, he doesn’t want that aspect of his personality to overshadow his acting abilities saying, “I think it’s a fine line. I don’t ever want anything to come in the way of me truthfully telling a story.”