Yes, Twerds, Twerps, Twilighters (or whatever moniker Twilight fans are going by these days), Dr. Carlisle Cullen paid a visit to the Arizona State Fair this past Sunday. Or rather, actor Peter Facinelli, who plays the leader of the Cullen clan in the movie series based on the popular YA novels.
It's easy to see why 90210 actress Jennie Garth fell for him (the pair have three children and have been married since 2001). Without his Twilight character's powdery white makeup, Facinelli easily drops a decade. He's attractive in that clean cut way, with just a touch of stubble to add ruggedness. Facinelli is also extroardinarily gracious, a quality that a lot of celebs lose early in their careers. He's funny. And charming. It's that elusive balance of self-assurance and sweetness that wins him even more fans (largely of the female persuasion).
Are you swooning yet, ladies?
After an hour of signing autographs and chatting with fans, Facinelli was starting break a sweat -- literally. But he was more concerned about his fans, offering to speed things up so they could get out of the blazing sun and onto the rides. "I don't want anyone to get heat stroke; although I am a doctor, kind of," he quipped. "If you faint, I can maybe help you out. But you're not gonna get mouth-to-mouth."
Though Facinelli clearly had his hands full with all of the adoring fans, we were able to catch up with him for a few minutes of 1-on-1 time. (That is not as naughty as it sounds.)
What kind of gifts does he get from fans? "Stuffed animals. Lots of stuffed animals. And people like to make me scarves. Carlisle wears a lot of scarves. It's really sweet."
"People always ask me if my arm gets tired. But it doesn't -- just my brain goes to mush!" Facinelli says his life now is like a merry-go-round. Movies, TV shows, family time... and fans recognizing him on the street. "People see me and they're usually very respectful and ask for an autograph. I'm happy to do it. I'm happy to make other people happy." Aww...
Unfortunately, Twifans.com didn't have a cutout of Dr. Cullen on site.What would Facinelli be doing if he wasn't acting? "I don't cook, play music... I actually have no other skills, so if the acting thing doesn't work out I'm kind of screwed," he jokes. Considering the Twilight series' rabid cult following, we doubt he has any worries there.
Fans line up to meet and greet with Facinelli.
Actors like Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie have been teased for refusing to watch their own movies. But Facinelli feels watching his performances is worthwhile, if just to see how everything comes together. "At the end of the day, you're a piece to this big puzzle," he says. "I like to see how the puzzle comes out."
"People always ask me if my arm gets tired. But it doesn't -- just my brain goes to mush!" Facinelli says his life now is like a merry-go-round. Movies, TV shows, family time... and fans recognizing him on the street. "People see me and they're usually very respectful and ask for an autograph. I'm happy to do it. I'm happy to make other people happy." Aww...
Unfortunately, Twifans.com didn't have a cutout of Dr. Cullen on site.What would Facinelli be doing if he wasn't acting? "I don't cook, play music... I actually have no other skills, so if the acting thing doesn't work out I'm kind of screwed," he jokes. Considering the Twilight series' rabid cult following, we doubt he has any worries there.
Fans line up to meet and greet with Facinelli.
Actors like Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie have been teased for refusing to watch their own movies. But Facinelli feels watching his performances is worthwhile, if just to see how everything comes together. "At the end of the day, you're a piece to this big puzzle," he says. "I like to see how the puzzle comes out."
New Moon is headed to theatres soon and Facinelli just wrapped up shooting on Eclipse this week. If you can't wait until November to get your Facinelli fix, there's always the Showtime dark comedy Nurse Jackie. Facinelli takes a turn opposite Edie Falco as a cocky surgeon with a nasty little stress-induced reaction of putting his hand on Nurse Jackie's...well, you'll just have to watch.
