20 Little-Known Details About Grey's Anatomy's Heartthrob, Giacomo Gianniotti

He's tall, he's dark and he is very handsome. If that isn't enough to catch your attention, his very dreamy name definitely will.

Giacomo (pronounced “Jah-Come-Oh”) Gianniotti has been turning heads and capturing hearts since he first appeared on ABC's Grey's Anatomy during season 11 in 2015. He came onto the hit show to mix things up with some much-needed hunk power. As his character, Andrew DeLuca, began to develop his own individual storyline, fans began wanting more of both DeLuca and Giacomo.

Who was Giacomo before he became DeLuca? Where was this handsome man hiding?

Giacomo is a super talented guy with tons of amazing qualities and personality traits, and he actually had a pretty well-established acting career prior to his primetime debut.

He might not exactly be on a McDreamy or McSteamy level just yet, but he is well on his way with getting there. Giacomo, who describes DeLuca as a “dork,” has come a long way with the character during the four seasons he's been a part of Grey's Anatomy.

As he treads deeper into the heart of Meredith Grey and fangirls everywhere, it's important that we all learn more about him… Take this opportunity to check out more dreamy pictures of our new favourite heartthrob.

20 He Was Born In Rome, Italy

Giacomo was born in Rome, Italy on June 19, 1989. When he was eight years old, Giacomo immigrated with his mom to a small town outside of Toronto, Canada. Giacomo described his new hometown as a place “where everyone had their doors unlocked.”

Despite leaving Rome at a young age, his Italian heritage always played a huge role in his life, and he remained fluent in Italian. “I grew up bilingual. I grew up speaking Italian with my father and his family, who are all Italian,” he expressed in an interview with Interview Magazine. After graduating from high school, Giacomo actually returned to life in Rome for a couple of years before his big Shondaland audition.

19 He Was Bullied As A Kid

When Giacomo moved to Canada with his mother, he was not fluent in English and was different from a lot of his peers. Growing up Italian in a predominantly white and protestant town, Giacomo had to overcome a lot of bullying.

In his interview with Interview, Giacomo recalled being teased about his name and reaching the point of asking people to just call him Jack. He said it wasn't until he moved to Toronto to attend an arts high school that things started to improve.

“It was a really big change in my life when I hit 15 and I found that I wasn't different; I was just in a place with no one really like me,” he stated.

18 He Is Very Close To His Little Sister

Giacomo has the sweetest relationship with his little sister, Isabella. She may be more than a decade younger than him, but that hasn't prevented them from forming the strongest of bonds. Giacomo has posted the sweetest messages about his little sis multiple times on social media and praises her for all she is.

Giacomo is always calling Isabella beautiful, smart and funny. He admires her intelligence and tenacity and shares her successes with his fans. He truly believes she is going to take over the world one day. He has even taken his mini me as his date to awards shows; say it with us, “aww!”

17 He Has A Passion For The Outdoors

Staying active and exploring the outdoors is a huge passion for Giacomo. A simple glance through his IG page makes this very evident, as there are several images of him hiking and enjoying some fresh air. He loves rock climbing, sailing, resting on the beach and exploring the unknown.

He competes in tough obstacle course races and isn't afraid to “break a sweat” to maintain his amazing physique. He is a self-proclaimed nature lover and takes advantage of any time he gets to spend outdoors. Giacomo's interest in staying active and living free in the outdoors has even helped him receive a collaboration deal with Under Armour.

16 He Loves Cooking

Like any well-rounded human being, Giacomo loves himself some good food. His Italian culture plays a heavy role in his love of food and cooking. His busy life prevents him from getting in the kitchen as often as he'd like to, but whenever he gets a chance, he makes sure to cook up something delicious.

In an IG post, Giacomo shared a beautiful chicken dish with the caption, “Chefs back in the kitchen! I love to cook so much and am loving having the time to be doing it again. Nourish your soul with great food and be grateful that we are blessed enough to have it!”

15 He Is A College Graduate

In addition to being a successful actor, Giacomo is also a college graduate. After graduating from high school at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts in Toronto, he went on to attend Toronto's Humber College and graduated from the Theatre Program.

Giacomo thinks highly of his alma mater and has used his education throughout his career. “They were like, 'You guys need to be the creators,'” he explained about Humber in an interview with the college. “So, they taught us about stage managing and writing and even production… They gave us this full circle education on what it's like to create.”

14 He Is A Talented Musician

Giacomo isn't just a well-rounded actor, he's also a very talented musician. He plays the guitar, writes songs and sings in both English and Italian. Music is a huge part of who Giacomo is. He has even playfully referred to his guitars as his girlfriends.

In an IG post he shared, “Music gives me so much joy and healing I think it might be the most powerful force in the world besides love itself.”

Giacomo has posted several videos of himself singing along with his guitar to his social media accounts and we are so thankful for that. The Grey's Anatomy actor hopes to be able to fully pursue a career in music one day, too.

13 His Acting Career Actually Started With A Different Medical Drama

Five years before he became Dr. DeLuca in Grey's Anatomy, Giacomo had a role in a different medical drama series called, Medicina generale. The series has been described as the Italian version of the U.S.'s General Hospital.

Giacomo must have accepted the role during the two years he spent in Rome after graduating high school. He may have only appeared in one episode of the two-season series, but he got his taste of what medical dramas were all about. His role in Medicina generale was also the first credited television role in his career.

12 He's The Youngest Grey's Anatomy Series Regular

Giacomo entered Grey's Anatomy as one of its new interns at the end of season 11, but by the end of season 12, he was promoted to series regular - which is huge praise from the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes. At the time, Giacomo was only 26 years old and the youngest series regular for the show. The next youngest cast member, Camilla Luddington (Jo Wilson) is six years his senior.

“It was just happiness. It was sort of like a confirmation of all the choices that I've made,” Giacomo expressed to Hello! Magazine about how he felt finding out he would be a regular. “Everything in the universe telling me that I'm exactly where I need to be.”

11 His Character, Andrew DeLuca, Wasn't Completed When He Took The Part

Dr. Andrew DeLuca wasn't a fully developed character when Giacomo was signed on for the role. He was more of just an idea, according to Interview Magazine. Giacomo admitted during an interview with the magazine that he believed the show just needed some fresh blood to mix things up at the time he was cast.

“Shonda has had conversations with us about how the character ownership is kind of a 50-50 thing,” he stated to Interview. “As much as they write things for you, a lot of the things they come up with is from her watching us and watching how we translate the material.”

10 DeLuca Isn't His First "Romantic Love Interest" Character

Giacomo is no stranger to playing the love interest. Before DeLuca and Maggie or DeLuca and Jo, or now, DeLuca and Meredith, there was Lord Julien and Lady Lola from Reign and Leslie and Emily from Murdoch Mysteries.

During his previous television series roles, Giacomo was always paired up with one of the show's leading ladies, despite only being part of the cast for a few episodes. Giacomo knows he has heartthrob qualities, but he doesn't prefer to be the stereotypical heartthrob guy. In an interview with Hello! Magazine, he admitted, “I'm not oblivious to, you know, parts of why a guy is hired at a certain time, but obviously they've given me much more,” he said regarding his love interest role on Grey's Anatomy.

9 He Loves Horror Movies

Giacomo is admittedly a lover of the horror genre. He revealed to fans in an IGpost, “I grew up watching scary movies because my step-mom was a huge horror film fan. And she ultimately turned my sisters and I into fans as well.”

“[Stephen King's Pet Sematary] is one of the films she showed me as a child and it frightened me to the core so much I have never watched it since,” he wrote in a caption. Giacomo is a fan of all the classics, including Edward Scissorhands and anything Stephen King.

8 He Would Love To Play A Villain

It's hard to imagine such a fun-loving man as a villain, but Giacomo would absolutely love to play the bad guy one day. For him, the role of playing someone truly evil or who is a psychopath is intriguing and seems like something he would enjoy.

Giacomo shared with Young Hollywood that he's played the good guy for so long, it would be fun to be the bad guy for once. It would be a test of his acting skills, for sure. The top of his list would be a role similar to Ralph Fiennes's role in Schindler's List.

7 He Is Super Charitable

The list of charities Giacomo has worked or assisted with is one that is quite long. He is a huge part of the charity organisation My Friend's Place that helps homeless youth. He's a big advocate for those who have been bullied.

He has volunteered in Kenya with the We Movement, worked exclusively with the All Hands charity organisation where he built houses and supported those in need in other countries. He also supports both human and woman rights. Giacomo is a serious humanitarian who uses his position to help others every day.

6 He Is Engaged… Sorry Ladies

Unfortunately, this wonderful man is off the market. Giacomo proposed to his beautiful girlfriend, Nichole Gustafson during the Thanksgiving weekend in 2017. “She said yes,” he captioned an adorable IGshot of the couple on a balcony. “I am truly one lucky guy, and I wouldn't rather be walking down this crazy road of life with anyone else. I love you. Thank you.”

Giacomo used lots of red rose petals to pop the question to the makeup artist on the balcony. “It all feels like such a dream come true. My best friend asked me to marry him and we couldn't be happier,” Nichole shared on social media.

5 He Rides Horses

As active as Giacomo is, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he also loves horses and riding horses. He believes horses are one of the most beautiful creatures and shares this love with his fiancé.

For Valentine's Day 2018, Giacomo treated his lovely lady to a day out riding horses in Malibu. “Spent the day in nature with the woman I love, with some beautiful horses,” he captioned the IG pic. Nature truly is his happy place, and that is easy to see when he is pictured next to a horse in what looks like gorgeous surroundings.

4 And He Rides Motorcycles

You can also add motorcycle rider to the list of Giacomo's wonderful hobbies. Harley Davidson is Giacomo's brand of choice, and he takes every opportunity he can to hit the highway on his bike with the love of his life seated behind him.

“Any day on two wheels is a good day for me,” Giacomo shared on IG. The actor has even been able to take his love for motorcycles and turn it into something good for charity. He's involved with Rev It Up For Sick Kids to raise money for ill children in Toronto. “It's a great opportunity to get like-minded people who love motorcycles to raise money for sick kids,” he stated in an interview with Da Man.

3 He's Starred In Several Movies

Giacomo is an actor to be watched. He is definitely going places. Aside from his major role on Grey's, Giacomo has begun branching out and starring in several independent films.

He had a small part in the feature film biopic on Jessie Owens called Race and has played a part in four other movies since he landed his Dr. DeLuca role. One of his most recent parts is Drew in Acquainted, a film about two old acquaintances who run into each other years later and begin questioning where they are in life.

2 He Has Added Director To His Résumé

We have Giacomo the actor, the musician, the motorcycle rider, the humanitarian, the horse rider, the lover, the fitness guru - and now, we have Giacomo the director. In 2017, along with a close friend of his, Giacomo directed a music video for a song called, “Falling For You.”

Giacomo helped come up with the idea behind the music video and played a huge part in editing and piecing together the little masterpiece. Giacomo collaborated heavily with one of his former classmates at the Canadian Film Centre. “We have been friends ever since [school] and we finally are able to collaborate and create some beautiful art together,” Giacomo gushed on IG. “So very happy to have got such a rad team together for this project.”

1 He May Be On His Way To Being The Next Dr. McDreamy

Ever since the tragic departure of Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, there hasn't been a perfect match for Meredith. No one measured up to Dr. McDreamy. However, our very own Giacomo may soon find himself in that coveted spot.

Dr. DeLuca and Meredith are currently involved in a very playful relationship that could easily become way more very soon. “[Meredith] is in a place, I think, for the first time since Derek, where she's really genuinely wanting to be open to the possibility of a real love, not a romance, not a hook-up, something real,” Giacomo shared with Parade. Right now, the question remains, “Will she choose DeLuca or Link?”

References: YouTube (Young Hollywood), People, TV Insider, Refinery29, Entertainment, Hello Magazine, Interview Magazine, IMDB, Da Man, Parade, E! News