Gilles Marini: ‘Being a Dad is the Best Job I’ve Ever Had’
Gilles Marini started off season eight of Dancing With the Stars known only as the naked neighbor from the Sex and the City movie, but he quickly danced his way into America’s heart — and second place in the reality competition.
His success with a more intimate audience, though, is what really makes him smile. With Father’s Day approaching, the 33-year-old former firefighter and model opened up to Life & Style about life with his wife, Carole, and kids Georges, 10, and Juliana, 2 ½. “Being a parent is simple,” he says. “Be with them, love them, and everything should be perfect.”
 Courtesy Life & Style for use on CBB |
Source: Life & Style
Read the interview and see more photos below!
 Courtesy Life & Style for use on CBB |
How did it feel to lose out on DWTS’ mirrorball trophy by less than 1 percent of the vote?
You know what? I felt so happy! I looked at it as a spectator, and it was a beautiful moment for Shawn [Johnson] and Mark [Ballas]. I just saw a 17-year-old exploding with joy.
But Georges was upset, right?
Yeah, I turned around and saw my son collapsing and crying. Georges felt he was responsible for my losing because Monday night he’d forgotten his iPhone at the house and didn’t vote. One percent meant one vote to him. But I told him, “It’s not your fault,” and he understood.
He actually bought me a trophy. It’s a big star with “Daddy, I’m so proud of you” written on it. It’s beautiful. So I won — being a dad is my first job.
Your partner, Cheryl Burke, was strict with you in the dance studio. Are you the same way as a parent?
Not at all. I’m strict if I see my kids doing something wrong, but I don’t have to tell them a lot. They understand my body language. You can’t seem too intimidating when you’re playing tea party with Juliana!
I believe I’m a very cool dad. Juliana wants me to dance every day with her. She’s the reason I dance.
Any plans to add another tiny dancer to your family?
Yeah, I’d love to. If anything, what we should do is maybe adopt. There are so many orphans, so many kids that really need to be adopted.
I know you hear about celebrities who go to Africa or the Philippines or other places, but you don’t have to look far.
It’s important to understand that America’s the most evolved country in the world, the most advanced country in the world, but still there’s a lot of poverty and kids who need to be helped.
 Courtesy Life & Style for use on CBB |
- Posted on Jun 18, 09 at 5:00PM
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- 33 Comments
June 18th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Cute kids! Juliana looks older than 2 and a half!
June 18th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I love him! He was such an amazing contestant on DWTS this season, and seems like an awesome dad as well.
June 18th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
His son’s story about not voting was cute!
Good looking family!
June 18th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Oh my! What a GORGEOUS family!
June 18th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
i dont really know who he is (don’t watch much tv) but they are such a pretty family! they all look so alike.. even Gilles and his wife! They could be siblings! (I don’t mean that negatively or anything.)
June 18th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
What a beautiful family. I have to say though those children look so much older than they actually are.
June 18th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
OMG!! I so remember him from SATC! LOL (blushing)
He has such a cute family!
June 18th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Look at that little boy. I love him. Awesome haircut, just a cool kid!
June 18th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
They definitely do look alike, all are beautiful. Is Carole french as well? When I think of Frenchmen my mind goes to Gilles and Olivier Martinez. I plan on going to France in October..i hope Paris is full of Olivier Martinez(es).
June 18th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
He and his wife just look so much alike. It freaks me out a little…lol
Gorgeous family though. Loved him on DWTS
June 18th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
I agree Heather–they look so much alike it’s a bit freaky. Definitely could be brother and sister. In fact I thought it was his sister at first when I saw her in the audience at DWTS. Yikes!
June 18th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I think its so cute how their son looks exactly like his mother, and their daughter looks exactly like him. Only difference is their kids have lighter hair, compared to him/his wife. I’m sure both kids will get much darker as they get older. The family is so cute
June 18th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
His whole family is gorgeous! Gilles seems like such a sweet, caring dad. Any woman would be lucky to have a husband like him.
June 18th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
They’re such a beautiful family!
June 18th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Beautiful family!
June 18th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
What a beautiful family. Giles and his wife look very similar, almost like sister and brother! He’s sexy and sweet – and I’m sure a great Dad!
June 18th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
nice story – nice man… but what is a ten year old doing with an iphone?!
June 18th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
i teach ten year olds. they all have phones. they are a seriously beautiful family. he is stunning so no surprise his wife is as well.
June 18th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
They are a beautiful family and it is a great article. Love the pictures. Gilles is so fond of America and does such great charity work. I wish Gilles and his family all the best. Look forward to seeing his career soar.
June 19th, 2009 at 12:48 am
I agree they’re a beautiful family,they just look eerily alike! Really just Gilles & his wife but BEAUTIFUL nonetheless!
June 19th, 2009 at 12:52 am
Their son is one beautiful boy.He’ll have many ladies fight over him in a few years =)
June 19th, 2009 at 5:53 am
i don’t know him, but he seems to be down to earth and a hands-on dad.
what i didn’t like in the interview, was his saying, that America is the most evolved an advanced country in the world. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE America (I’m European), but I don’t share that opinion. Neither do I think, that any country in Europe is the most advanced and evolved in the world.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:46 am
i don’t know him at all but i was expecting people to comment on him saying parenting is simple.lucky for him, everyone seems to be ignoring that.gorgeous family though.
June 19th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Ang-
Parenting is hard work, there’s no doubt about it. But for me, at least, it is the simplest thing I have ever done, because it comes so naturally to me. It’s like breathing. I don’t even have to think about it. It just happens. So yeah, him saying parenting is simple for him, a lot of parents will say that. No need to start an argument when there isn’t one there in the first place.
Gilles and his family are gorgeous!!!! I loved him on DWTS, although every time I saw him it made want to watch SATC again!!! (and do a lot of fast-forwarding! *ssssss*)
June 19th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
When I first saw his picture I was thinking how familiar he looked and then when I read that he was in Sex and the City then it came clear where I remember him from. I was just watching the movie like an hour ago. LOL
June 19th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Gilles is such a breath of fresh air; I can’t wait to see more of him. MORE GILLES! MORE GILLES!
And his lovely wife doesn’t really look like him. Look at this blog I found with photos of her; she’s absolutely exotic and stunning and comfortable with her natural beauty, I can see why Gilles is smitten with her: http://amprofile.blogspot.com/ …she’s in his April entry.
Lovely family Gilles and Carole, just lovely.
June 19th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
A 10-year-old does not need an iPhone. All else aside, cute story, gorgous kids!
June 19th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
I was a fan of Gilles on “Dancing With the Stars” (I thibk he was robbed of the crown) but it really creeps me out that he and his wife look like twins…
June 19th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
I am with you about the iphone Mazzie. That was my first thought,too. Whether most 10 year olds have phones or not, a ten year old doesn’t need such an expensive gadget! But they are a beautiful family!
June 19th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
America’s the most evolved/advanced country in the world, eh? Is that a fact??
June 20th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Such a beautiful family. Taking the time to really look at the family will show that they may have similar coloring but Gilles and his wife do not look alike. I think Gilles finds parenting easy because he pays attention to his children. He listens to them and actually sees them when he looks at them. He treats them as individuals rather than extensions of himself. They are a beautiful family, full of love and goodness. No need to quibble about cell phones or anything as that is none of my business. With Gilles every day is father’s day and every day with his children is happy.
June 21st, 2009 at 2:28 am
Gilles is beautiful, and so is his family. I loved that his son gave him a trophy in place of the DWTS disco ball trophy. Hell, a handmade trophy made out of love from your child over a manufactured one for a show? Doesn’t compare. I’d take the homemade one from my child over that one any day, too.
He’ll always be champion in Georges eyes. So sweet.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:33 am
What an awesome story and wonderful photos! Thanks for the link to the article on Carole, Gemma, that was really interesting! I really hope for the best for their entire, beautiful, family. They are great people, it’s easy to see. On his website, Gilles offers his fans autographed pics, and they give autographed posters, with all proceeds going to help childrens’ charities. I really hope for LOTS of success!