A Mandeville native turned Hollywood vampire actor is trying to get the spotlight on the oil spill. “The Vampire Diaries” star Ian Somerhalder was back in Louisiana to see the progress in Grand Isle.
You may recognize him from the number one show on the CW network. Ian Somerhalder is an actor in “The Vampire Diaries.” He grew up in Mandeville and has been spending a lot of time back home.
“People don’t really know what’s going on here. They don’t understand the severity of it and that’s troubling to me,”
he says.
Ian is talking about the oil spill. He spent the day in Grand Isle and is extremely frustrated at what he saw.
“There were tide pools where there is usually just an abundance of life. Hermit crabs and fish and cranes. All dead.”
But that’s not all that’s frustrating him.
“We have to sit back and ask ourselves and ask the government and find out why this took so long to fix, and who’s going to help rebuild it and more importantly, who’s going to pay for it,”
he says.
Plus, he doesn’t understand why Hollywood counterparts haven’t rallied behind Louisiana with fundraisers or telethons.
“I was literally asking myself, ‘Where is Hollywood in this? Where are they?’ The people who love this area. The Brad Pitts of the world. Where are they? I don’t know.”
But a bit of success. Ian got a call from Larry King who’s planning a telethon to raise money for oil spill victims next week.
“As an American, your fellow country men and are fighting tooth and nail for their survival,”
he says. And he says reviving the gulf and the livelihood of the state isn’t going to be easy, but he says it can be done.
The telethon is coming up. It will air on CNN Monday, June 21st.
