If you're like me, then you still haven't been able to shake the image of model-turned-actor Gilles Marini's shower scene from the Sex and the Movie. As Samantha's Californian neighbor, Marini made Samantha and millions of women across the globe pant like puppy dogs. Since then, the actor has parlayed his notoriety into a stint on Dancing with the Stars and as Rachel Griffith's love interest on the ABC dramedy Brother & Sisters. Later this year, he'll appear as Vanessa Redgrave's maniacal husband on the final season of FX's outre plastic surgery drama Nip/Tuck. We recently asked the actor to revisit his famous scene and its aftermath, and the result is pretty steamy.

Were you self-conscious during the filming of the shower scene? Freaking out. Dying inside. But then when the towel dropped I was like, "f-that." You just have to relax, and it's just like you're taking a shower at your house. There is no one around, you are taking a shower, it's very simple. I literally took a shower the way I take a shower.

Do you ever get self-conscious now when your walking down the street and someone recognizes you and is most likely picturing you naked? At first everybody was looking at my chest and my legs while I was dressed. But after Dancing with the Stars it kind of faded away. But it's great ... you have to be proud of what your momma gave you, I guess.

Are you comfortable with being a sex symbol? Yeah, you have to embrace whatever you are because as soon as you don't, you get into a turmoil of sadness, shyness, and misconceptions. You have to embrace every moment of your life, positive or not, because you don't want to live in the past or live in sadness.

Were you worried that this kind of role would make it more challenging to find work that isn’t centered around your looks? The advantage that I had is that I knew who I was. That’s the person that is going to stick ... that other person is just a character, and as people understand that, it's going to be a win-win situation for me. I spent ten years getting undressed to make money, even though my passion was acting from the get-go. I had to undress to be known in the business. It's not something that I wanted -- —I never wanted to be famous or be a celebrity. I just want to act, and that part on Sex and the City gave me the opportunity to do that as a job.

What do you do to stay in shape? I've been working out for a long time, so that doesn't go away. I've been an athlete my whole life ... the truth behind everything is 80% is nutrition, and you tweak your body knowing what you need and what you don't need. That will change everything. Just be active.