Ben McKenzie says that he tries to be as "private and quiet" as he can be when it comes to his personal life.
But when he can foresee a crazy headline coming down the pipeline, he'll do what it takes to head it off at the pass. (Somewhat literally, in this case.)
During his visit to E! News today, the star of the hotly anticipated Gotham explained why he took it upon himself to reveal via social media that he had suffered a scary gash to the head while shooting a fight scene for the origins-of-Batman drama, premiering tonight on Fox.
"I decided I would just turn it into a positive," he admitted. "I'd Instagram out some photos, 'cause god forbid the tabloid press got a hold of it and it was like," McKenzie said, gesticulating dramatically and miming a headline, "Injured! Is He Dead?!' or something like that. I was fine. Took a couple Advil."
The picture of his cut was a bit gross, but obviously a small price to pay to avoid "Injured! Is He Dead?!" headlines.
Speaking of which, the former star of The O.C. and Southland also shared his appreciation for the "old school" method of seeking a mate, telling Terrence Jenkins and Catt Sadler why he totally approved of a guy just posting his picture and number on a telephone pole in the middle of New York City with the tag "looking for a girlfriend."
"About five minutes away from employing the same strategy as this guy..." he had posted a pic of the not-so-classified ad on Instagram earlier this month.
So, does this mean that the 36-year-old cutie is actively searching for Ms. Right?
Watch the clip to see what McKenzie has to say about his dating life—and he reveals what was going on in that pic of him hugging Nina Dobrev that sparked a hundred are-they-dating articles!
Meanwhile, he also talked about his injury during an appearance on Ellen today—watch that hilarious clip right here as well!
Don't miss Ben McKenzie and more on E! News tonight at 7 p.m. & 11:30 p.m.