Printable Biography of Gilles Marini

NOW APPEARING as Luc Laurent on ABC’s hit family drama, Brothers & Sisters and also well-known for his second-place finish on season eight of Dancing with the Stars, Gilles Marini’s charm and zest for life is attracting fans all over the world.

Born to a Greek mother and Italian father in Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d\'Azur, France, Marini worked in his father\'s bakery from the age of eight to his high-school graduation. Marini then joined the French army and was stationed in Paris, where he served as a fireman for the famous Paris Fire Brigade (Brigade des Sapeurs Pompiers de Paris).

WHILE living and serving in Paris, he met the famous photographer Fred Goudon, who introduced him to the world of modeling. After fulfilling his military duties, Marini went to the United States to learn English and work as a model. One of his first modeling jobs was a television commercial for Bud Light beer. Other commercials soon followed and in 2005 Marini made his movie acting debut in the horror flick Screech of the Decapitated.

Marini found himself in the international spotlight after appearing in what some have called the second greatest shower scene in film history in 2008\'s Sex and the City: The Movie. Other recent film credits include One and the Other (L\'Une et L\'Autre) and The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down. Television audiences have seen him in primetime series such as Nip/Tuck, Ugly Betty, Dirty Sexy Money, Criminal Minds and Windfall as well as the daytime dramas The Bold and the Beautiful and Passions. Marini was named one of People Magazine’s top ten Sexiest Men Alive for 2009. His portrait is featured in celebrity photographer John Russo’s book, About Face, published by Pixie Press Worldwide.

IN THE FALL of 2009, Marini first appeared as a recurring character on Brothers & Sisters. His role as Luc Laurent, the love interest of Rachel Griffiths’s character, Sarah Walker, is so popular it has been extended through the end of the 2010 season with the potential of more episodes to come.

The year\'s end also brought the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream when Marini signed a contract to play professional soccer for the Hollywood United Football Club. Marini\'s soccer schedule will not interfere with his acting commitments.

MARINI and his wife, Carole, live in Southern California. They have a son, Georges, and a daughter, Juliana. Marini loves cooking, spending time with his family, meeting and talking to people, and playing and watching soccer.