Criminal Minds star Thomas Gibson, Aaron Hotchner on Criminal Minds, shows that he is a romantic man in the old Redbook interview from 1999. Thanks to Stacy for finding this wonderful Thomas Gibson interview!
ON TONGUE KISSING, GOLF RAGE, AND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE THE SANER HALF
OF DHARMA & GREG.
As the uptight, buttoned-down calm in the center of the wacky storm created by Jenna Elfman on Dharma & Greg, 35-year-old Thomas Gibson holds his own against his free-spirited, yoga-teacher wife. Playing the straight man in one of TV's most unlikely pairings is a long way from the Casanova he portrayed on Chicago Hope, or his somber character in the upcoming movie Eyes Wide Shut, but hey, that's why they call it acting.
COMPARE YOURSELF TO GREG. "His fatal flaw is he thinks things should make sense, that if you work hard everything's supposed to work out. I'm not that anal retentive."
BUT EVERYBODY HAS A FATAL FLAW. WHAT'S YOURS? "I overreact to things that aren't exactly life-and-death. Lately, I've been trying to take out my frustrations on the golf course. I'm getting over that, though. Occasionally, if I miss a golf shot, I'll scream. But I'm not a club thrower anymore."
HAVE YOU EVER LOST YOUR COOL DOING A ROMANTIC SCENE WITH JENNA? "We were doing a scene in bed and Jenna was wearing this thing to make her look naked, and she was afraid she had popped out of it. She said, `I know you saw my breasts.' And I said, `I didn't.' She said, `I know you did. Just fess up!' I had to swear to God that I hadn't seen her breasts."
SO, WHEN YOU KISS ON CAMERA, DO YOU...? "I've always been of the school that you keep your tongue in your mouth--save it for your personal life. You can simulate a lot of passion without sticking your tongue down somebody's throat."
YOU'RE MARRIED. HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR PASSION HOT AT HOME? "I'm actually very romantic. I surprised my wife, Cristina, by planting a diamond ring in the bathtub. After her bath, I asked, `Did you find anything in the tub?' She said, 'No.' I thought, `Oh God, it's gone down the drain!' Then she found it, so the surprise worked. I also surprised her with a bracelet for her birthday. I took her to Newport to play golf. I gave her a new driver and she thought that was her present. She hit the ball beautifully the first time, even though she'd never swung that driver in her life. I said, `That was really good. I think you deserve this diamond bracelet, too.'"
