New Yorker Peter Facinelli has made a name for himself in the world of cinema with his magnetic presence and an impeccable ability to portray conflicted characters whose emotions often get the best of them and impact those around them. Read on at queenski.com to learn more about this actor whose talent is hard to deny.
Early Years
Peter Facinelli was born on November 26, 1973, in Queens. His parents, a homemaker and a waiter, immigrated to the U.S. from Italy. Peter studied law for a year at St. John’s University—a private Roman Catholic university with its main campus in Queens. He left his studies to attend the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School, where he was taught by such celebrities as William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman. In addition, he honed his acting skills at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, an institution for performing, cinematic, and media arts.
In 1995, Facinelli made his screen debut playing Lucifer in the drama Angela, a story about two sisters coping with their mother’s mental illness. They find refuge in an imaginary world where order prevails. The girls turn to religion, superstition, and fantasy to try to find some meaning in the world and understand the difference between good and evil. Angela and Ellie invent magical rituals, wander their neighborhood, meet many strange people, and attempt to free themselves from any sins they might have committed. After his successful debut, Facinelli went on to star in many other films.
Most Famous Roles
- Carlisle Cullen in the Twilight film series (2008–2012). The story follows the romance between a vampire, Edward, and a 17-year-old girl, Bella. In the plot, Bella moves to the small town of Forks to live with her father. Her mysterious classmate, Edward, comes from a family of vampires who have made a pact not to harm humans. They decide to be together, which leads them through incredible adventures stemming from the eternal conflict between vampire clans. Peter Facinelli was cast as the vampire Carlisle Cullen. He was highly compassionate and proved capable of completely resisting the temptation of human blood. Without Carlisle Cullen, Twilight would have been impossible. Edward and Bella would never have met if Carlisle hadn’t turned Edward into a vampire to save his life. He also brought the Cullen family to Forks so they could live in peace, without fear that sunlight would reveal their secret. Furthermore, thanks to Carlisle, Bella was able to survive the various supernatural threats that came her way. Facinelli skillfully portrayed his character, masterfully conveying his self-control motivated by compassion, as well as his peaceful and friendly nature.
- Fitch “Coop” Cooper in the black satirical comedy-drama series Nurse Jackie (2009–2015). The plot centers on Jackie Peyton, a kind-hearted New York nurse living a turbulent life complicated by substance abuse. She fights to make her hospital fair and functional for both staff and patients. Facinelli was cast as Fitch Cooper, an emergency room doctor who is charming on the outside but off-putting due to his selfishness and forgetfulness.
- Maxwell Lord in the superhero series Supergirl (2015–2021). The show tells the story of Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. Protected and raised by her adoptive family, the Danvers, Kara grows up in the shadow of her sister, Alex, and learns to hide her phenomenal powers. It’s not until age 24, while living in National City and working for a media company, that Kara finally decides to use her superhuman abilities and become the hero she was always destined to be. With the help of friends, she takes to the sky to save the world. Her enemies range from sinister extraterrestrial threats to cunning earthly villains with powerful weapons. Facinelli played Maxwell Lord, an enemy of Supergirl who later becomes her situational ally. Maxwell fears Supergirl’s abilities, so he agrees to cooperate only when it is advantageous to him for the greater good.
- Donovan “Van” Ray in the action/crime drama series Fastlane (2002–2003). In the series, undercover LAPD officers Van Ray (Peter Facinelli) and Deaqon Hayes team up with their supervisor, Wilhelmina “Billie” Chambers, in a secret unit of the LAPD. Their shared goal is to combat criminals.
Personal Life
In 1995, Peter Facinelli met actress Jennie Garth on the set of the drama An Unfinished Affair. She is best known for her starring role in the series Beverly Hills, 90210. The actors married in 2001 and later became parents to three daughters. The couple divorced in 2013.
In 2012, Facinelli began dating actress Jaimie Alexander, whom he met while filming the romantic comedy-drama Loosies. The couple got engaged in 2015 but ended their relationship a year later. The Queens native’s new partner became Lily Anne Harrison, also an actress. The couple got engaged in 2020 and share a child together.
10 Interesting Facts
- Peter Facinelli is a practicing Catholic.
- In 2009, he obtained Italian citizenship specifically to participate in a film that required all actors to be European citizens.
- During the filming of Twilight, Facinelli hated wearing wigs. He bleached his hair for the first film, but because he later started filming Nurse Jackie, he had to wear a wig. In his opinion, the wigs looked worse and worse with each movie.
- He kept a journal for Carlisle Cullen. The Queens native became so interested in his role that he began to imagine the character’s life beyond the script.
- Before attending NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the actor had a very strong New York accent.
- Facinelli’s first job was as a paperboy (delivering The Daily News), and as a teenager, he worked at a supermarket.
- The actor always wanted his name to be Alexander.
- Facinelli’s favorite reality show is American Idol, which is based on the popular British show Pop Idol. The program is a competition to find the best new musical artist in the United States.
- As for the actor’s hobbies, he owns an RV and enjoys camping. Facinelli is also a fan of classic cars and practices yoga, racquetball, poker, and takes kung fu lessons.
- Peter Facinelli is a registered hypnotherapist. He has always been interested in how the mind and subconscious work. At a young age, he used hypnotherapy to overcome shyness. Later, he decided to learn more about this field of psychotherapy and completed a special course. Hypnotherapy is a method that provides access to the vast resources of the deep unconscious, the potential of which can be used to solve personal problems. Hypnosis is used to treat various mental and physical ailments. It helps to relax and reduce stress to overcome depression and anxiety, and also helps to get rid of bad habits like smoking or excessive drinking. This method also helps in combating fears and phobias. The actor has often used hypnotherapy to improve the mental health of his family and friends and has also created hypnotherapy tapes for himself to help him fall asleep at night.