ABC/KELSEY MCNEALGilles Marini is a man on a mission. He wants that Dancing With the Stars' disco ball trophy—no matter how much it may hurt for him to get it.
While the Sex and the City showering stud tells me the tendonitis in his groin is gone, he's still having trouble with his shoulders.
When he woke up yesterday, Gilles couldn't lift his left arm. Just a couple of hours before last night's DWTS premiere, Gilles thought, "I'm freaking done. This is not good."
So how did the French model-actor overcome the pain in order for him and partner Cheryl Burke to waltz into the lead with 24 points? I caught up with Gilles this morning just after he took his son, Georges, to school.
Last time we spoke, you had just been diagnosed with tendonitis in your groin and your shoulders. How are you feeling today?
The groin is much better. The problem is yesterday morning I couldn't move my left arm. It was completely stuck. I had a separation or something inside my shoulder. It was like, "OK, I'm freaking done. This is not good." I took 2,000 milligrams of ibuprofen, and it had no effect. It wasn't working. Cheryl was like, "Fix that now." They had to make someone come emergency. She was a magician. All the nerves were twisting in there. This lady twisted me all around the place, and finally there was cracking and popping, and she put it back in place.
Aren't you scared of permanent damage?
Right now, who cares! I mean, it's an amazing rush and passion. Nothing is a permanent injury. Everything is fixable except for some diseases in the world. I had the knee injury like Nancy O'Dell four years ago. My meniscus was completely torn. I had surgery, and now I am completely healed.
OK, let's talk about your performance. You came out on top!
I don't know what happened. It's a big blur—but it's a very good big blur. It's once dance at a time. I feel very happy for Cheryl because she put so much time into me. I never danced before.
What does your family in France think about you on Dancing With the Stars?
My mom doesn't know what is going on. She doesn't really understand. She's thinking I'm doing the tap dance in a local show. But she's coming for my son's birthday on Wednesday. She booked the ticket eight months when I had no idea I was going to be on the show. I know for a fact she's going to get crazy. She's going to be like, "Oh my God, what is going on?" She is very emotional.