Peter Facinelli

Peter Facinelli

Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

When chatting with Peter Facinelli, it’s easy to understand why he’s such a sought-after and beloved actor. A 15-year veteran of the biz, his career’s hotter than ever, thanks in large part to his role as the benevolent bloodsucking Cullen patriarch in The Twilight Saga. In case you don’t have a screaming tween in your home, the cinematic series’s latest installment, Eclipse, comes out this Wednesday. Proud as he is of the film, Facinelli’s already looking ahead to other projects, including his continuing role as the gleefully narcissistic Dr. Cooper on Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, and the Hallmark Channel TV-movie Mulligan, which he wrote and will star in opposite his real-life wife and the mother of his three daughters, Jennie Garth. Despite his jam-packed, bicoastal schedule—not to mention his constant tweeting—Facinelli always makes time for his fans, and we count ourselves among them. Time Out Kids caught up with him at the Dockers Khakis Make the Man charity event, where he gave us the scoop on his professional and personal success, and why he’s determined to give back as often as he can.

You’ve said Eclipse is your favorite book of the series. Why is that?
For me, this installment is the most exciting, because it feels like everything that took place in the last two films finally comes to a head. The first Twilight movie was about setting up the vampire backstory; New Moon brought in the werewolves. In Eclipse, the Cullen family is much more prominent; the Bella, Edward and Jacob love triangle heats up and intensifies; and there’s also a major theme of vengeance. Victoria is trying to avenge James’s death, and we have two opposing clans, mortal enemies, coming together to fight for the common good. The battle sequences are epic. You get to see a different side of the Cullens, who are usually buttoned up and putting on human masks. We’re fighting for our lives, and our animalistic qualities come out.

Your Nurse Jackie character, Dr. Coop, is a total egotist. Do you love him or hate him?
I really love Coop! He is so flawed you can’t help but feel bad for him. You want to see him do good but he’s not capable of that. He doesn’t think before he speaks. He’s like a child. As for his relationship with Nurse Jackie, he has a crush on her that’s not reciprocated, so he ends up acting like an obnoxious, rejected third grader who pulls on a girl’s pigtails to get her attention. I don’t think people hate Coop—I think they have this sense that he doesn’t know any better. I liken him to a puppy jumping up on everyone and licking everyone’s faces in a roomful of people who don’t much care for dogs.

You’re an avid tweeter. Are you also the man behind Dr. Coop’s Twitter stream?
Dr. Coop tweets for Dr. Coop. [Laughs] Yes, I am. It’s fun for me to have conversations and interact with others as Dr. Coop. He’s really got his own personality.

Your fans are really dedicated. We saw a photo of a woman who had your signature tattooed on her arm! How do you feel about that?
I don’t advocate it, but of course I appreciate it. Fans like that make me realize that I need to be around and relevant in ten years, or this woman will look down at this tattoo and ask herself, “Oh what did I do? Why did I get this?! Who the hell is this guy?!”

There was a big hubbub earlier this month when you dropped the f-bomb multiple times at the MTV Movie Awards. Did you expect such a strong reaction, and do you ever slip up and swear in front of your kids?
I don’t really curse a lot, which is the funny and ironic part. The truth is by the time I got that award, viewers were likely numb to that word, anyway. Let’s put it this way: I’m not going to make an apology to anyone for thanking Justin Bieber.

Tell us about the rom-com you wrote, Mulligan, which you’ll star in opposite your wife, 90210 star Jennie Garth.
It’s about a Juilliard-trained actor who can’t land an acting gig, so he gets a job inside a costumed character on a popular kids’ show. He’s embarrassed by the job and doesn’t care for the kids on the show, so he’s pretty miserable. He finally gets the audition of his life, and on the way there he gets into a car accident with a single mom, which is my wife's character. There’s a lot of friction between these two people. She’s a waitress caring for her daughter, who’s going blind. After meeting her and her little girl, he begins to realize his problems pale in comparison. I came up with the idea after I dressed up as an Easter bunny and thought, Wow, this really kind of sucks; I wonder what it’s like to work in a Barney suit.

Are you attached to any other upcoming projects?
Yup. I’ve written another movie, Loosies, which is being directed by Michael Torrente and stars Michael Madsen and Vincent Gallo. It’s more of an edgy, romantic comedy about a commitment-phobic New York City pickpocket who finds out that a one-night stand is pregnant. I love watching characters I’ve created come to life! And I’m also starting season three on Nurse Jackie and finishing up the next Twilight movies.

How do you juggle it all?
We take it one day at a time. My family is just as important to me as making movies, writing and producing. I fly home constantly to be with my wife and kids. I make my relationship with them a priority.

Nurse Jackie shoots in NYC. Have you thought about moving your family here?
The beauty of Nurse Jackie is that it only shoots three months out of the year. My girls are in school so we do a lot of Skyping, and any chance I get I fly home. I don’t mind flying. I did Eclipse and the second season of Nurse Jackie simultaneously. One of them shot in Vancouver and the other in New York, and I would still make it back to L.A. to be with my kids. I would fly home from Canada just to have dinner with them!

What places are on your must-hit list when you’re here in NYC with your family?
We always go to F.A.O. Schwarz and Serendipity. I really love it when we’re in the city at Christmas. It’s such a magical time.

You recently participated in the Dockers Khakis Make the Man charity event to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Is charity a big part of your life?
As much as family, producing and writing are important to me, I’m always looking for ways to give back to the world. So when people ask me to be a part of something worthwhile, I’m happy to be able to use my celebrity to help. Growing up, one of the reasons I got into acting was my admiration for actors like Paul Newman. He loved his career, was with his wife forever and still found time for charity work. I’d love to emulate him. I do a lot of autograph signings; in fact I just did one in Omaha for the Red Cross, to benefit Tennessee flood relief. I was staying at the Grand Old Opry and hours after I left it flooded. Events like Dockers and others that give back are important to me.