Heavy/Hallmark New Hallmark heartthrob Gilles Marini of "Crimes of Fashion: Killer Clutch"
When French actor Gilles Marini makes his Hallmark Mystery debut on March 15, 2024, he’ll undoubtedly secure a spot among the unofficial “Hunks of Hallmark,” a fan-led Instagram account devoted to Hallmark heartthrobs known for their chiseled abs and hearts of gold.
For years, Marini’s been the object of desire in multiple movies and TV shows, including a very revealing shower scene in the 2008 “Sex and the City” film and in plenty of shirtless photos on his Instagram feed. But Marini, 48, now welcomes the tamer setting of a Hallmark Mystery movie like “Crimes of Fashion: Killer Clutch,” in which he co-stars with Brooke D’Orsay.
“I am so excited about this movie,” he recently told Greek News USA. “I’ve wanted to work with Hallmark for a very long time.”
The dad of two will fit right in, given that he’s got such a big heart. The actor recently admitted he’s “addicted” to talking to his mom every morning and is frequently seen on social media caring for their family’s pets — including a squirrel they nursed to health when it was a newborn.
Here’s what you need to know:
Gilles Marini Says He’s ‘Addicted’ to Speaking With His Mom Daily
Marini’s been married since 1998 to his wife Carole, per Closer Weekly, with whom he shares son Georges and daughter Juliana.
“My family will always be the most important thing in my life,” the header of his official Facebook page reads. “They are what drive me to do my best each day to make them proud.”
That devotion includes talking to his mom Franca, who is half-Greek and was born in Athens, according to Greek News USA. He told the outlet that he calls her every morning without fail.
“I talk to her every day,” he said. “Is it healthy? I don’t know, but once she’s gone, I won’t be able to speak to her ever again. Every single morning, when I wake up, I call my mom. We are addicted to speaking to each other to make the family better every day. We’ve been doing that regularly for the last 10 years.”
“My mother is a strong woman, and she is my Greek heritage,” Marini added. “She is a Greek goddess, for sure. Even if she is 100 percent wrong, I always say ‘Yes, Mom.’ I love it.”
Gilles Marini’ Extended Family Includes a Host of Animals — Including a Squirrel
Marini’s family “zoo” includes a variety of animals who live at their California home, including an African Grey parrot named Anya, a cat named Penelope, and “Benny Ben” the squirrel, according to Vocal. Marini told the website last year that a worried family friend, Karen, called him about a baby squirrel that had fallen out of a tree and whose mother wasn’t coming to help him.
“When I had Karen on the phone, I knew it was my calling,” he said. “Not only mine – but my family’s calling. We’ve got to be able to do something with a being that was going to die. We’ve got to save his life.”
“But it’s not just about us saving anybody’s life,” he continued. “It’s about all of us learning something new together. And we’re doing it every second.”
Marini has chronicled their adventures on Instagram, from feeding the baby squirrel with a dropper to now playing with him at home. And even though he plays in the trees with other squirrels, he always comes back home.
“Ben is an incredible addition to our life,” Gilles said. “He’s kind of a cute squirrel. He’s like a human. He loves to play around. He has a girlfriend. He goes around in the trees. The yard is a park full of squirrels.”
“He needs to learn life, like how we have to learn,” Marini continued. “We have to teach him how to forage. How to be a squirrel. So, we have to play with him like he’s a squirrel. He’s taught us a lot more than we’ve taught him.”