Gilles Marini burst into the main stream consciousness with his portrayal of Dante in the “Sex and the City” movie last year. This year he follows that auspicious debut with an even larger audience as he begins his run on the hit ABC Television show “Dancing With The Stars”.
I had a chance to talk to Gilles about his experience so far. He showed me a few dance moves and since I ‘happen’ to have my camera with me…. I captured the moments. Gilles is one of the coolest people I have ever met. He is a natural athlete, a charming actor, and a devoted husband and father. The former baker from the south of France, with the dashing good looks, is about to become a household name.
AM: How did you get on Dancing with the Stars?
GM: I got a phone call from my manager telling me the DWTS people just called. I want you to consider it. I said I will get back to you. I called a friend and talked and after seeing my little two year old daughter always wearing a pink tutu, I decided it would be the thing to do, also for her to be able to say, later on in life, that my daddy did that show. She can have the DVD and see for herself.
AM: So you are doing it for your daughter?
GM: I also think it is great for me to do it and a great opportunity for the American people to know me better because it comes down to twenty million people a week watching it! Beautiful! So I said yes and all of a sudden I was in a meeting. A month and a half later they offered me the opportunity so I went and signed the papers and the next thing you know I am rehearsing with Cheryl Burke.
AM: Can you believe that?!? Did they tell you your partner would be Cheryl?
GM: They told me it would be a surprise because they want to catch it on camera. They tape everything. Then one day they said you are going to meet your partner and I got in the room and I saw Cheryl and they said this is your partner. I got so excited because she was the one I wanted to dance with and later that day we were already rehearsing. I realized it was much harder than I thought. I saw Jerry Springer do it and he does pretty well. If he does it, I should do it. Then I had a reality check!
AM: It looks REALLY hard to me!
GM: It is hard. Hopefully I will pull through it. I’ve already hurt my knees and had a couple of injuries, but I have to work through it by show time.
AM: When do you dance on TV for the first time?
GM: Monday night March 9, 2009.
AM: This is so exciting!
GM: Yeah for you….AWESOME. I’m the one inside going, ‘Oh if I let her drop…oh my God! I think I will be very excited after the show. To say OK it’s done. I think the first show must be the hardest. I thought about, please do not vomit or do not faint and everything should be good. Don’t forget your steps, go with the flow and it’s all good. So we’ll see what happens with it.
AM: Does being an athlete help?
GM: No. I thought it would help, but it really does not in the sense that you have to learn a new skill. Maybe you are not an athlete but you can REMEMBER choreography in a second. So you may be better off that way.
AM: You do consider yourself an athlete?
GM: I am an athlete I think. I have three titles in three different places. Where does my athleticism help me there? No where. I am using muscles I have never used before. It’s like I’ve never done anything athletic before.
AM: How are you getting through it?
GM: Dancing is very difficult, but somehow after you have started doing it and you have nailed the choreography, you go, this is awesome. It’s an adrenaline shot, like surfing the wave, I want to go three times a week and learn new things. It’s really nice.
AM: Will you continue dancing when this is over?
GM: I would love too. Seriously I would love too. Maybe I will teach my wife a couple of steps. She doesn’t dance but……..she can really move.
AM: Are you ready to be this famous?
GM: It never really strikes me as oh my God being famous would be so different. I’m not eighteen anymore, I am a thirty three year old man who has children and a wife and a lot of responsibilities. Being famous is just a part of the job.
AM: How do you feel about your fans?
GM: The people who want a signed picture or want a two minute conversation and a photo with me might take some time away from a personal life but that is also the name of the game. Without those people you are absolutely nothing.
AM: So how will you handle it?
GM: You have to hang in there and enjoy every step of the way. If you find you don’t like the job then move away, go back to your old life. I could go back to being a baker. I don’t know what to say. Being famous is just part of the business. Hopefully I will be famous enough for the people to say we love all he does.
I had a chance to talk to Gilles about his experience so far. He showed me a few dance moves and since I ‘happen’ to have my camera with me…. I captured the moments. Gilles is one of the coolest people I have ever met. He is a natural athlete, a charming actor, and a devoted husband and father. The former baker from the south of France, with the dashing good looks, is about to become a household name.
AM: How did you get on Dancing with the Stars?
GM: I got a phone call from my manager telling me the DWTS people just called. I want you to consider it. I said I will get back to you. I called a friend and talked and after seeing my little two year old daughter always wearing a pink tutu, I decided it would be the thing to do, also for her to be able to say, later on in life, that my daddy did that show. She can have the DVD and see for herself.
AM: So you are doing it for your daughter?
GM: I also think it is great for me to do it and a great opportunity for the American people to know me better because it comes down to twenty million people a week watching it! Beautiful! So I said yes and all of a sudden I was in a meeting. A month and a half later they offered me the opportunity so I went and signed the papers and the next thing you know I am rehearsing with Cheryl Burke.
AM: Can you believe that?!? Did they tell you your partner would be Cheryl?
GM: They told me it would be a surprise because they want to catch it on camera. They tape everything. Then one day they said you are going to meet your partner and I got in the room and I saw Cheryl and they said this is your partner. I got so excited because she was the one I wanted to dance with and later that day we were already rehearsing. I realized it was much harder than I thought. I saw Jerry Springer do it and he does pretty well. If he does it, I should do it. Then I had a reality check!
AM: It looks REALLY hard to me!
GM: It is hard. Hopefully I will pull through it. I’ve already hurt my knees and had a couple of injuries, but I have to work through it by show time.
AM: When do you dance on TV for the first time?
GM: Monday night March 9, 2009.
AM: This is so exciting!
GM: Yeah for you….AWESOME. I’m the one inside going, ‘Oh if I let her drop…oh my God! I think I will be very excited after the show. To say OK it’s done. I think the first show must be the hardest. I thought about, please do not vomit or do not faint and everything should be good. Don’t forget your steps, go with the flow and it’s all good. So we’ll see what happens with it.
AM: Does being an athlete help?
GM: No. I thought it would help, but it really does not in the sense that you have to learn a new skill. Maybe you are not an athlete but you can REMEMBER choreography in a second. So you may be better off that way.
AM: You do consider yourself an athlete?
GM: I am an athlete I think. I have three titles in three different places. Where does my athleticism help me there? No where. I am using muscles I have never used before. It’s like I’ve never done anything athletic before.
AM: How are you getting through it?
GM: Dancing is very difficult, but somehow after you have started doing it and you have nailed the choreography, you go, this is awesome. It’s an adrenaline shot, like surfing the wave, I want to go three times a week and learn new things. It’s really nice.
AM: Will you continue dancing when this is over?
GM: I would love too. Seriously I would love too. Maybe I will teach my wife a couple of steps. She doesn’t dance but……..she can really move.
AM: Are you ready to be this famous?
GM: It never really strikes me as oh my God being famous would be so different. I’m not eighteen anymore, I am a thirty three year old man who has children and a wife and a lot of responsibilities. Being famous is just a part of the job.
AM: How do you feel about your fans?
GM: The people who want a signed picture or want a two minute conversation and a photo with me might take some time away from a personal life but that is also the name of the game. Without those people you are absolutely nothing.
AM: So how will you handle it?
GM: You have to hang in there and enjoy every step of the way. If you find you don’t like the job then move away, go back to your old life. I could go back to being a baker. I don’t know what to say. Being famous is just part of the business. Hopefully I will be famous enough for the people to say we love all he does.
Learn more about Gilles at his official website http://www.gillesmarini.com/
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