Peter Facinelli
An actor who skillfully navigated from 90s teen films to blockbuster vampire sagas, often portraying characters with a polished, otherworldly authority.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American actor and producer·Birthday: November 26·Generation X
Biography
Peter Facinelli's career is a study in versatile durability within the shifting tides of Hollywood. He first imprinted on the cultural consciousness as the preppy, villainous Mike Dexter in the 1998 teen comedy 'Can't Hardly Wait,' a role that showcased a knack for playing convincingly arrogant charm. He avoided being pigeonholed, moving to the slick, action-driven series 'Fastlane' before finding a defining, global role as Dr. Carlisle Cullen, the benevolent vampire patriarch in the 'Twilight' film series. His calm, marble-like presence provided a moral center for the franchise's supernatural chaos. On Showtime's 'Nurse Jackie,' he displayed comedic timing as the vain but good-hearted Dr. Coop. Facinelli has consistently worked by choosing parts that, whether large or small, rely on a specific kind of poised intensity, building a filmography that connects distinct eras of pop culture.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Peter was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Peter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Peter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played Dr. Carlisle Cullen across all five films in the blockbuster 'Twilight Saga' film series.
- Starred as Mike Dexter, the iconic high school antagonist, in the cult classic teen film 'Can't Hardly Wait'.
- Had a recurring role as Dr. Fitch 'Coop' Cooper on the acclaimed Showtime series 'Nurse Jackie'.
Did You Know?
He is of Italian descent and holds dual American and Italian citizenship.
He wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the 2012 film 'The Last Day of August'.
He played the comic book villain Maxwell Lord in the first season of the TV series 'Supergirl'.
“I've played a vampire, a doctor, and a superhero's father.”
