Heavy Gilles Marini had four facial surgeries before DWTS.
A two-time “Dancing with the Stars” contestant revealed a shocker during a recent podcast appearance. Gilles Marini, who competed on seasons 8 and 15 of DWTS, joined former partner Cheryl Burke for her podcast to dish out some juicy details about his past.
Here’s what you need to know:
Gilles Marini Noted ‘Nobody Knew’ He’d Had 4 Facial Surgeries Before DWTS
Marini told lots of tales during the April 14 episode of Burke’s “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast. The actor danced with Burke during season 8 and partnered with Peta Murgatroyd for the All-Stars season 15.
At the beginning of the podcast, Burke gushed, “Oh my gosh. You look exactly the same.” Marini quipped in return, “Yeah, it’s surgery. It’s Hollywood, you know.”
Burke noted, “Oh, you got all your whole face reconstruction right there.”
To the surprise of Burke, and “Dancing with the Stars” fans, Marini explained, “To be super fair, yes, four times…Yeah, nobody knows that. And four times before I even met you.”
Upon that revelation, Burke noted that she figured his love of fighting caused the need for multiple facial surgeries.
By “fighting,” Marini means various forms of martial arts. In October 2012, while talking with MMA H.E.A.T.’s Karen Bryant Marini shared he had been doing jiu-jitsu for 2 years at that particular school.
Marini added, “I’ve been practicing MMA, kickboxing, Muy Thai for many, many years.” The “Dancing with the Stars” alum noted that the sports made his body feel better and felt like a “fountain of youth” to him.
Marini Noted He Also Had Injuries From Being a Firefighter
Marini’s multiple facial surgeries came from more than martial arts, though. He told Burke the surgeries were “Because of my not-so-good fighting” as well as his firefighter past. He shared he got “Hit by something.”
The “Dancing with the Stars” alum has shared glimpses into his pre-actor life in various Instagram posts. In November 2019, he posted a photo that showed him while he was in the armed forces in France.
His post honored Veteran’s Day and credited his “brothers in arms” for helping him survive the experience.
22 years ago I put on the uniform and enlisted in the Sapeurs Pompiers de Paris. Yesterday, I went back to it for the day in Lescun in the Pyrenees in France. Just to refresh it all. I miss it…. #Firefighter #Army
At the age of 18, Marini became a firefighter. He told Soap Opera Digest in August 2018, “My father wanted me to do something special before he passed away.” He continued, “I was lucky to be able to be accepted in the Brigade of the firefighters in Paris.”
Marini noted, “I had to test first, because firefighters in Paris are the Special Forces, in a way, so it was very difficult to get in.”
In April 2023, Marini told The Eden Magazine the training was “very intense and challenging.” He noted he was “incredibly proud to have been accepted into the brigade.”
The “Dancing with the Stars” alum noted firefighting taught him “how to be a man.”
E! News noted in August 2012 that Marini needed surgery due to a shoulder injury he experienced while doing “Dancing with the Stars.” He also shared he pulled his groin during the first week of his first season.
In an Instagram post Marini shared in December 2015, the actor revealed he needed surgery for a newly discovered hip birth defect. Soon after that post, he revealed via Instagram he faced his “2nd try for my hip #surgery.”
In January 2016, he posted on Facebook he was “Again in the operating block. This time my Neck.”
Despite his numerous injuries and surgeries, the “Dancing with the Stars” alum keeps fighting, acting, and pushing forward.