Ian Somerhalder is sharing new insight into why he decided to leave Hollywood behind after roles on “The Vampire Diaries” and “Lost” made him a household name. The Louisiana native appeared on the “Haley on the Go” podcast last week, where he spoke at length about his “controversial” decision to retire from acting after Netflix canceled his most recent project, the 2019 series “V Wars,” after just one season. “We shot the show, moved my whole family to northern Ontario, worked really hard on this thing for almost a year, and then the show that got turned in wasn’t even watchable,” Somerhalder explained.As he grappled with his disappointment, he said he told Netflix, “I don’t want to put my name on this” and even offered to return his salary ― which he described as being in the “millions of dollars.” When Netflix rejected that offer, he and his producing partner, James Gibb, sought creative control of “V Wars.” Though the studio agreed to hand over the reins of the show, it refused to give the pair any additional money to cover its production costs. Ian Somerhalder is opening up about his decision to leave Hollywood after the cancelation of his 2019 Netflix series, “V Wars.” Gregg DeGuire via Getty ImagesThough Somerhalder was light on specifics, he said he and Gibb raised more than $6 million and filmed “10 or 12 days of footage in about six days” in an effort to salvage “V Man.” The process was so exhausting, he said, that he ended up in the hospital from overworking his body. And while “V Man” was a hit upon its release, Somerhalder said, he alleged that “someone quietly canceled the show” anyway. Though he said that Netflix executives agreed “it shouldn’t have happened,” they opted against reversing the decision “because it would set a precedent that would be terrible.” In the wake of the experience, Somerhalder decided to pivot his career entirely. He and his wife, “Twilight” star Nikki Reed, now run a regenerative agriculture farm north of Los Angeles. “I am not here for my career and livelihood to be dictated by someone who has mommy or daddy issues, or they weren’t popular in school,” he said. “I’m not going to base my life on having television or streaming executives dictate what and how I can make a living. And so, I pulled the plug.” Somerhalder and his wife, Nikki Reed, run a regenerative agriculture farm north of Los Angeles. JC Olivera via Getty ImagesNetflix has yet to comment publicly on Somerhalder’s claims. A spokesperson for the streaming platform did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. Somerhalder made a brief return to the spotlight in 2023 when he and Reed executive produced the documentary “Common Ground,” which took an in-depth look at the regenerative agriculture movement and featured appearances by Laura Dern and Jason Momoa, among other stars. Speaking to E! News at a 2024 screening of the film, Somerhalder said he “loved what I did for a really long time,” but had no regrets about moving on. “I don’t miss any of it. I love making films, and I just did it for so long,” he told the outlet. “We had an amazing run.”Watch Ian Somerhalder’s “Haley on the Go” interview below. His comments on quitting acting begin around the 13:39 mark.