Face-to-Face (again) with Peter Facinelli

When I saw Peter Facinelli at the opening of Back to Bacharach and David a few weeks ago, I had some explaining to do. Last fall, I was covering an event at the Four Seasons Hotel honoring Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, Halle Berry and a few other Oscar winner-types. I had just started chatting with Peter on the red carpet where, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Miss Kidman slipping by. I could not miss her and mid-sentence blurted out “Nicole! Nicole! Can I have a word?” She came over because she is a very gracious woman even when you are yelling out to her. I got my interview but, of course, by that time Peter had disappeared into the event with his wife Jennie Garth. I felt so bad about it that I considered calling his publicist the next day to apologize.

I mentioned this to Peter when we spoke again and he had a sense of humor about it: “That was YOU! I remember that. I cried afterward. Listen, I totally get it. If I had a chance to talk to Nicole Kidman, I’d run over there too.”

The last time I saw Peter, Twilight had not yet been released. He plays the head of a “family” of vampires who survive on the blood of animals instead of people and try and blend in with the community. One of his “sons” of course is played by Robert Pattinson and his “wife” played by Elizabeth Reaser (pictured with him, above).
When we spoke, Peter was on a two-week break from filming the sequel to Twilight called New Moon and I wondered what kind of impact the success of the first movie has had on his career.

“Whenever you’re a part of a piece that has such an insanely great fan base, I think it just gets you out there more and makes you more appealing to the people who have money,” he said. “So it’s all a good thing.”

Not that he had not already been quite busy. Peter had a recurring role on the FX drama Damages during its first season, a season of Six Feet Under and also headlined the Fox series Fastlane. His film credits include The Scorpion King, Riding in Cars With Boys, Reaper and Touch the Top of the World.

Once New Moon wraps, he will begin work on a film very close to his heart because it’s one that he wrote called Loosies: “There are two other scripts that I’ve written but this is the first one that I’ll be getting off the ground so it’s exciting,” he said.

Peter and Jennie have been married since 2001 but together much longer than that.  Garth’s sitcom with Amanda Bynes – What I Like About You – was such a hoot and I loved her in it. Now she co-stars on the CW series 90210, reprising her Beverly Hills 90210 role of Kelly Taylor which she played for more than a decade on the original series.

How does Peter feel about Jennie stepping into the role again?

“I always loved her in that role so it’s kind of come full circle,” he said. “I met her fifth year into 90210 so I had five years of 90210. But I never really watch the (new) show. I don’t watch a lot of TV so it’s nice because I just view my wife as Jennie Garth, my wife., I think I’ve just seen the pilot and that was about it because I get so busy with my stuff. But then it’s nice because we leave all the business at the door and then we get to play with our kids – 11, 6 and 2 – all girls.”

A 12-year-old daughter? How can that be when Peter looks so young?

He explains: “I’m a vampire!”