Tag Archive for 'Dr Carlisle Cullen'

Have you had any crazy fan experience yet?

I’ve had really nice experiences. A group of Twilight MOMs came to the set and were so sweet, always bringing presents. They brought this big basket of food and cookies — they are the best fans to have. They’re feeding me, I’m happy!

Do you have a lot of moms as fans?

The fans span all ages. It’s not like more of the moms like me. They love the whole Cullen family.

You’ve said that your costar Robert Pattinson gets “crazy” fans. Any bizarre encounters for you?

I get the occasional fans who hyperventilate and can’t get their words out. It makes me uncomfortable, because they’re so excited to meet me and I hope I live up to their expectations. People always come up to me and say, “Oh my God, you’re Carlisle—can you give this letter to Rob?” I’ve become the pony express to Rob Pattinson, but I’ve yet to get one letter from him. Maybe he’s hoarding them.

How are you all handling the pressure?

I feel for Robert. He didn’t sign up for this knowing what it would become. The fan base has grown even since when we filmed it. There were underground fans when we started. I remember we’d all go to their web sites and they all said, ‘All these actors are wrong for the roles. Facinelli doesn’t have blonde hair — what are they thinking?’
For Rob, he just signed up thinking it’d be a cool little movie. All of a sudden he’s like the James Dean of today. That’s a lot put on a guy’s shoulders, but hopefully he’ll be OK. He’s kind of nerve racked. He doesn’t like to leave his apartment a lot. But I think it’ll be good. This will bring good things to him.
Did you actually bite Rob? And was that weird at all for you?

I did sink my teeth into Robert, but it wasn’t weird. I was coming from a place of a vampire. It wasn’t like I was kissing his neck (laughs). Rob and I actually talked about that scene in particular. How it happened, and how it went down. I thought it was interesting to whisper something to him before, and in the movie they kept that… and then I bit him. And no one will ever know what I whispered to him which I thought was really cool. It’s between me and Rob.

Inside secret?

Yeah. I whispered sweet nothings in his ear. Then I bit him (laughs).

Talk about how you got cast in the movie.

My agent called me up and asked if I wanted to do a vampire movie. I was thinking blood and guts, something in the horror genre, so I said no. Then they said that Catherine Hardwicke was directing and that it was based on a really good novel. So I read the book and I loved it. I loved the love story set in this world of vampires, but more than that, I liked that it’s about vampires exploring humanity rather than just being a vampire.
So I went and auditioned for Catherine and thought I did great — but I didn’t get it. They wanted an older actor. Carlisle is young in the book, but visually I was told they wanted his character to look a lot older than the kids. But that fell through and they came back to me.

Which of the books is your favorite?

I’m still in the middle of ‘Breaking Dawn.’ Jennie stole it from me. She kept lugging it everywhere. I finally told her to just finish it and then give it back. So I ended up moving on to ‘The Host,’ which I completely enjoyed and loved.
I like ‘Eclipse’ a lot. It felt like it got into a lot of different storylines and there was a lot of action. The second one, ‘New Moon,’ was hard for me because I’m so Team Edward that it kind of bothered me that she was off with Jacob. I felt cheated on, which was weird. (Laughs)

Was it weird playing a dad to these teenage characters? You aren’t that much older than the cast.

I’m a good decade older! No, I think because I’m a little older and I have a lot more experience there’s a maturity level I could bring. Carlisle looks young, but there’s a certain maturity that he has that separates him from the kids. I felt like I brought that father presence to the table. I have three kids of my own!

Now speaking of the makeup process, can you talk a little bit about that process of becoming that pale?

It was an ionized airbrush. It was really interesting, because if they touched you while they were airbrushing it on you, it would shock you. You’d get a static charge. It was because this kind of makeup doesn’t cling to facial hair. It was actually a good tool for them, because if you go with straight airbrush then they might white out your eyebrows or it can get in your hair. It was this little tiny disc, battery operated thing that they got, I think from Japan, and it was just a little ionized airbrush gadget. It was pretty cool.

Have you visited any of the Twilight fansites?

I’ve done a bunch of fansite interviews. Sometimes I get a link to see how it all turned out, or I get an email to check them out. I’ve done a bunch of podcasts, so yeah I usually check them out. Even before when we were shooting the film, we would go to the sites and do some research on the characters and the fans and what they expected. Because you want to make sure you’re trying to meet all the expectations that the fans have.

Of all the characters you’ve played, do you have a favorite?

That’s like asking me to pick a favorite kid! Every one of my characters is my creation. I’ve liked them all. Dr. Cullen is a great character, but so is Dr. Cooper [from Nurse Jackie]. I love playing them both.

You and Jennie have three children. Any plans for more?

I believe the world was made for a family of five and no more. When you get in a car, you can seat five comfortably. When you go out to dinner, you can seat five comfortably. I’m from a family of six but those were different days; everyone climbed in the back of a Chrysler and your face was smashed up against the glass and nobody cared. That being said, never say never!

You grew up with three sisters and are now married with three daughters. Have you figured out what makes women tick?

Women are very complex, and I don’t know if men will ever figure them out. One thing that confuses me is that they always feel like you should know what they’re thinking. Men don’t work that way—we can’t read minds. So a lot of times, women will be like, “You should have known that,” but you kind of have to tell us. If you told us what to do, we would do it. However, I have nailed the answer to the question “Do I look fat in these jeans?”

What’s the number-one mistake women make in relationships?

When women like men, they want to show them. But if they’re always in the guy’s space—calling him all the time or “Hey, I just washed your car!” or “Hey, I just cleaned your apartment!”—it can be smothering, and the guy withdraws. You have to leave a man always wanting more.

What’s a woman’s most seductive asset?

Lips are sexy. They’re a tool for communication but also a tool for kissing. They’re sexy both visually and intellectually.

Why do you think women are so into vampires these days?

The hunger of wanting someone so much that you can taste them is very intimate, beautiful, and romantic. It’s a metaphor for sex.

What would you say to guys who might be reluctant to go see the film or read the books because they think it’s a girl movie?

You know I find with guys, it’s funny, because they don’t want to like it, or they go in thinking they won’t like it. Then in the end, they like it. Like when someone puts on a love song, and when no one is looking, the guy is singing that song at the top of his lungs (laughs). Then he gets caught and is like “What? I wasn’t… doing anything…”
I invited my brother in-law, Vincent, to come see the movie with my family. He was so reluctant to see this movie, because he thought that it was a love story. So he brought his iPod with him, and he was just going to listen to music for two hours. He was basically just coming, because I was in it. He ended up enjoying the movie so much; he kept poking my sister asking her what was going to happen.
So what I say to those guys, is don’t be close-minded, check it out. It does have a little something for everyone in it. It does have this love story and whether guys want to admit it or not, they’ll enjoy the love story. But it also has vampires and a little bit of action… it has a little bit of everything.

Thank You to ANNI for sending in this interview.

If there is anything you would like to share with fellow Twilight fans through the site feel free to email it to me.

Interview with Peter Facinelli
(Source: LA Times, Women’s Health Mag, Fan Bolt and Time Out)