CBS News/ June 28, 2012, 5:16 PM

Gilles Marini becomes a U.S. citizen

Actor Gilles Marini, from France, celebrates after taking the oath of citizenship at a naturalization ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center on June 27, 2012, in Los Angeles.

/ Getty

(CBS News) Gilles Marini, the French actor who competed on "Dancing with the Stars" and appeared in the first "Sex and the City" film, is now a U.S. citizen.

Marini took the oath of citizenship during a naturalization ceremony in Los Angeles on Thursday. More than 7,000 people from 120 countries were sworn in.

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"It's very difficult to express what I feel just because it's 10 years in the making," Marini told OnTheRedCarpet.com. "I've been working really hard and I adore this country, so for me it means really something very special. You get choked up, you know? It's fantastic. I'm an American."

On his Twitter page, the actor shared the happy news and also revealed his first meal as an American - a burger from the West Coast chain In-N-Out:

Eating my Last Supper as a French Man,tomorrow I'll become American! So I am eating a "French Crepe" I think it's proper.Tomorrow a burger:)
-- Gilles Marini (@GillesMarini) June 27, 2012

My first true American meal as an American Citizen = #IN-N-OUT img.ly/k55n
-- Gilles Marini (@GillesMarini) June 27, 2012

That is the most important letter I ever had ;) Thanks to @BarackObama . Yes, surreal but now I am American citizen !img.ly/k5nI
-- Gilles Marini (@GillesMarini) June 27, 2012

All your messages r beautiful! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! A pic of the Citizenship ceremony #IMAMERICANNOW twitter.com/GillesMarini/s...
-- Gilles Marini (@GillesMarini) June 28, 2012

Marini, who also appeared on the TV series "Brothers and Sisters," came in second place on "DWTS" in 2009, losing the mirrorball trophy to Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.