Gilles Marini becomes a U.S. citizen

(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:

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.