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Prinze became a '90s heartthrob starring in teen flicks and romcoms. His success in film was marked by three Teen Choice Awards, a Blockbuster Entertainment Award and a Kids’ Choice Award. His demand went down after the peak of his career having starred in I Know What You Did Last Summer and She’s All That. He has made a big name for himself as an impeccable husband, a cook and a former actor.
Being a celebrity couple and staying together for so many years has made Freddie and his Cruel Intention’s star wife Sarah Michelle Gellar the talk of the new millennium. Though his retirement from film left a gap in entertainment, his wife is filling it as an actor and producer in her upcoming show Sometimes I Lie. Here are some facts about his life that are not so obvious at first glance.
HE BEAT TOUGH ODDS WITH HIS MARRIAGE
Freddie and Sarah Gellar have one of the longest-lasting Hollywood marriages. They have perfected keeping their lives from the public eye for years on end. Shortly after his engagement, Freddie made a bet with Howard Stern in 2001 who claimed the couple would not last 10 years.
They were however stronger than anyone knew since they had been friends two years before they started dating. 19 years later, the two are still together celebrating 17 years of marriage with two children. They have gone way past Stern’s expiration date.
HIS VIDEO GAME ADDICTION THREATENED HIS MARRIAGE
Freddie put his marriage on the edge with his video game obsession. His wife stated that he was addicted to World of Warcraft so much that it was becoming a problem. Gellar went in search of a solution online and ended up joining a support group called Widows of Warcraft.
It turned out she was not the only person who had lost her husband to the game, there was a ton of other widows. Freddie was lucky to have a loving wife to help him out of the addiction.
HIS WEDDING WAS ALMOST A DISASTER
The Hollywood stars' wedding was almost compromised by a big natural disaster. The pair tied the knot in 2002 in Mexico the day after a hurricane. On the day before the wedding, Hurricane Hernan forced them to move their outdoor ceremony inside.
After the event, an earthquake hit the area while the guests were on their way home. The wedding was, however, a great success with the bride and guests having the time of their lives. With everyone gone, the newlyweds even stayed in Mexico for a while for their honeymoon.
HE ONLY DRINKS ON DATE NIGHTS
Freddy revealed the secret to staying in good shape saying that he does not drink at all. Prinze never touches any alcohol. He occasionally has a glass of sake when he is out on date night with the love of his life, Gellar.
The two have made it a tradition to go for date nights and have sushi with Japanese rice wine every once in a while. Prinze’s secret to a happy marriage is equalizing the time invested in your career to the time you spend with family.
HE HAS A COOKBOOK
At the start of their relationship, Prinze and Gellar bonded over their love for food and cooking. They often cook together and make it a family activity by letting their children help in the kitchen. He also cooks for his co-actors sometimes and frequently hosts dinners at his home.
Due to the many requests for his recipes and his heartfelt love for culinary arts he decided to write a cookbook titled Back to The Kitchen. The book includes many of his recipes, with his mother’s signature tomato soup, and speaks a lot of his Puerto Rican heritage and Mexican upbringing.
PRINZE HAS NEVER WATCHED BUFFY
Freddie's most jaw-dropping revelation was not having watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer despite Buffy being his biggest fan. Considering Gellar starred on the show for seven years including the time they started dating, it comes as a very disappointing confession for fans.
He says, at his age, he was definitely not part of the show’s demographic. He was, however, on the set severally visiting his then-girlfriend, Gellar. Later on, she had him get a taste of it by making him watch two episodes of the show one being the musical episode.
HE IS A MARTIAL ARTIST WITH A BLACK BELT
Having been introduced into martial arts by his godfather at the age of three, he developed a liking for the art and holds a blue belt in Jiujitsu. He is doing a great job of sharing his passion for the art with his children.
Prinze also has a blackbelt in American Tang soo do and Kenpo karate. The Jiujitsu practitioner introduced his daughter into martial arts stating that it's the best self-defense training for women. His son, Rocky, is also included, but he additionally takes boxing classes.
HE HAD A DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD
Freddie had a very lonely childhood which he shrouded in a fantasy of being a member of the X-Men who were treated as outcasts for being different. He was downcast and troubled for being the son of a Freddie Prinze, a comedian, and actor who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
His mother moved with him to Albuquerque in search of a more peaceful life when he was four but instead, he became a subject of bullying for his queerness. His lack of a father figure left a deep void in his heart as no one talked to him about his father’s death until he was older.
HE WAS INVOLVED IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING
Before his first acting gig, Prinze was making it big in an illegal business. The first job he got at a restaurant involved illegal gambling. His job entailed taking illegal sports bets at a restaurant earning him $900 a week.
The job paid him more than his first acting job making him reluctant to switch when Hollywood producers came looking for him. He, however, quit illegal businesses from then on and simply sticks to video games and martial arts. He made an excellent decision as he would have missed out on all the fame and multiple awards.
HE WENT BALD AFTER SCOOBY-DOO
Being a big fan of Scooby-doo, Prinze felt that the film was not fit to be a representation of the original cartoon. While it was a great opportunity for him to star alongside his wife on the animated franchise, he initially turned down the role. During the filming, he had to die his hair blonde every week causing a lot of damage forcing him to shave bald afterward.
The movie turned out to be a success at the box office although Freddie revealed that he did not enjoy himself much in the filming. He has since retired from acting to focus more on his hobbies and family.