Peter Facinelli Biography

Actor

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Peter Facinelli plays Dr. Carlisle Cullen, the good-guy doctor and father to hero vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), in the Twilight film series. Facinelli got started onstage in New York with the Atlantic Theater Company in the 1990s, before moving to LA and landing in the TV movies The Price of Love (1995) and An Unfinished Affair (1996). With his dark hair and not-quite-leading man looks, he took supporting roles in feature films like Can't Hardly Wait (1999, with Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Riding In Cars With Boys (2001, with Drew Barrymore). But TV remained his key domain: he starred in Fastlane (2002-03, as a hipster undercover cop in LA), had a recurring role in Six Feet Under (he played Claire's love interest, Jimmy, from 2004-05), and co-starred in Nurse Jackie (debuting in 2008 as the smug Dr. Fitch Cooper). With his hair dyed gold he played Dr. Cullen in Twilight (2008) and the sequel New Moon (2009).

Extra credit: Facinelli married the actress Jennie Garth (his co-star in An Unfinished Affair) in 2001. They have three daughters: Luca Bella (b. 1997), Lola Ray (b. 2002) and Fiona Eva (b. 2006)... Only 35 when Twilight was released, Facinelli was able to play a father to 22-year-old Robert Pattinson because the story's immortal vampires don't age.