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Milo Ventimiglia

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Milo Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia at the premiere of The Art of Racing in the Rain in 2019
Born
Milo Anthony Ventimiglia

(1977-07-08) July 8, 1977 (age 47)
Anaheim, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Occupations
  • Actor
  • producer
Years active1995–present

Milo Anthony Ventimiglia (/vɛntɪˈmiːljə/, Italian: [ventiˈmiʎʎa]; born July 8, 1977) is an American actor who had his breakthrough with his role as Jess Mariano on Gilmore Girls (2001–2007) and is best known for starring as Jack Pearson on This Is Us. He is a receipient of several awards including two Screen Actors Guild Awards with nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

Milo made his screen acting debut on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1995, he portrayed the lead role on the short-lived series Opposite Sex in 2000 before landing his breakthrough role the following year as Jess Mariano on Gilmore Girls (2001–2007). Thereafter, he appeared as Chris Pierce on American Dreams (2004–2005) and Richard Thorne on The Bedford Diaries (2006) before starring as Peter Petrelli on Heroes (2006–2010), for which he received nominations for Teen Choice, Saturn and People's Choice Awards. After appearing in main roles on the series Mob City (2013), Chosen (2013), and The Whispers (2015), Ventimiglia began starring as Jack Pearson on This Is Us (2016–2022), for which he has received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and twice received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series as a cast member.

In film, Ventimiglia made his breakthrough as Rocky Balboa's son in the sixth installment of the Rocky film series, Rocky Balboa (2006), going on to reprise the role in the eighth installment Creed II (2018). He has also appeared in Pathology (2008), That's My Boy (2012), Kiss of the Damned (2013), Grace of Monaco (2014), Devil's Gate (2017), and The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019).

Early life

Ventimiglia was born on July 8, 1977[1] in Anaheim, California, the youngest child of Carol (née Wilson) and Peter Ventimiglia,[2] a Vietnam War veteran.[3] He has two sisters, Leslie and Laurel.[1][4] His father is of Italian-Sicilian descent and his mother is of English and Scottish ancestry.[5] Ventimiglia has a self-described "crooked mouth," having been born with damaged facial nerves causing the left side of his mouth to remain immobile – much like actor Sylvester Stallone, with whom he worked in Rocky Balboa.[2]

Ventimiglia attended El Modena High School in Orange, California. During high school, Ventimiglia wrestled, acted in drama productions and served as student government president, graduating in 1995. At eighteen, Ventimiglia studied at the American Conservatory Theater for their summer program,[6] subsequently attending the University of California, Los Angeles as a theatre major.[7]

Career

Early roles and breakthrough

At eighteen, Ventimiglia pursued an acting career, first starring as a gay teenager in Must Be the Music, a short film released as part of Strand Releasing's Boys Life 2.[8] He enrolled at UCLA before landing a role on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, guest starring on television series including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Boston Public. He played Jed Perry, in the short-lived Fox TV series, Opposite Sex, which originally aired in 2000.[9]

Ventimiglia at the season three premiere of Heroes, 2008

From 2001 to 2006, Ventimiglia played brooding teen Jess Mariano on Gilmore Girls; he was introduced in the second season as a leading cast member. He signed on for a spin-off of Gilmore Girls called Windward Circle which was to be focused on the relationship between Jess and his estranged father (played by Rob Estes), but the proposed series never made it to air.[10] Afterward, he dropped down to a guest star/recurring cast member, and he came back for four episodes in season four and two episodes in season six. In the third and final season of American Dreams, Ventimiglia played Chris Pierce, the rebellious boyfriend of Meg Pryor (Brittany Snow);[11] Pierce and his single mother, Shelly (Daphne Zuniga), a Playboy bunny, move into the house next to the Pryors. In 2005, he starred in the mid-season replacement series The Bedford Diaries. The producers had only Ventimiglia in mind, but the show lasted only eight episodes and was one of several shows not picked up by the newly formed network The CW.

Heroes; film and production work

In between television work, Ventimiglia had supporting roles in the horror films Cursed (2005), directed by Wes Craven, and Stay Alive (2006), as well as starring roles in the short film Intelligence and the full-length feature Dirty Deeds (2005). The same year, he was cast as Robert "Rocky Jr." Balboa, the son of Rocky Balboa, in the sixth Rocky installment Rocky Balboa which was released in December 2006.[12]

He starred as Peter Petrelli in the NBC series Heroes, a show about "ordinary" people discovering they have superpowers, and portrayed the character until the series' conclusion in 2010. Ventimiglia also produced and developed a mini web-series called It's a Mall World as part of a marketing campaign for American Eagle Outfitters in 2007.[13] In mid-2007 he starred as the love interest of pop/R&B singer Fergie in the music video for "Big Girls Don't Cry". In 2008, he starred as a medical student in the horror film Pathology. The movie co-starred Charmed actress Alyssa Milano and was directed by Marc Schölermann for MGM.[14]

In 2005, Divide Pictures created the DSC, or Divide Social Club, an online and global social network for like-minded people[15] co-founded by Ventimiglia with his best friends Russ Cundiff and Dino DeMilio, a radio producer for The Tom Leykis Show. Ventimiglia, Cundiff, and Divide Pictures partnered with Top Cow to produce the comic series REST which will be a monthly limited series. The comic is about John Barrett, a white-collar New Yorker whose life changes when he becomes addicted to a drug that prevents him from falling asleep. Divide also has a comic book called Berserker written by Rick Loverd.[16]

Film and television; This Is Us

Ventimiglia with David Mazouz promoting Gotham, London, 2017

After working with writers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor on Pathology, Ventimiglia appeared in the pair's next film, Gamer.[17] Ventimiglia also starred in the Xavier Gens apocalypse thriller film, The Divide.[18]

Ventimiglia was the voice of Wolverine in the English dub of the Marvel Anime: Wolverine anime series and reprised his role in an episode of the Marvel Anime: Iron Man and an episode of Marvel Anime: Blade. He did not return to voice Wolverine in Marvel Anime: X-Men, due to that series portraying an older Wolverine, instead Wolverine was voiced by Steven Blum.[19] He played Ned Stax, a former marine, in Frank Darabont's short-lived neo-noir crime drama Mob City for TNT.[20] He also reprised his role as Jess Mariano in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life in November 2016. After this, he reportedly told USA Today that, "I hear rumors that they're bringing back everything that I've ever been a part of... I think it's exciting. At times, though, I think it's too much. There are more stories to tell with a lot of these characters, but at the same time some of these characters for some of us actors are more than a decade in the past. It was exciting going back to Gilmore Girls for the four Netflix movies, but I'm satisfied with it. I think the stories were told. I think it was great for the audience and fans to get just one small taste of that world again. But, at the same time, I think people should not get so greedy."[21]

Beginning in the fall of 2016, Ventimiglia starred opposite Mandy Moore in the critically acclaimed[22] NBC period drama series This Is Us playing Jack Pearson, the patriarch of a middle-class family in late 1980s/early 1990s America.[23] Ventimiglia stars in the upcoming suspense thriller Devil's Gate, alongside Amanda Schull.[24] For his role as Jack Pearson, Ventimiglia received his first Emmy nomination in the category Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.[25]

In 2019, Ventimiglia starred opposite Amanda Seyfried in the film adaptation of The Art of Racing in the Rain, based on the novel by Garth Stein.[26]

Personal life

Ventimiglia and fellow former Gilmore Girls co-star Alexis Bledel were in a relationship from 2002 to July 2006.[27] Ventimiglia also dated his Heroes co-star Hayden Panettiere from December 2007 to February 2009.[28][29]

Ventimiglia and his sisters were raised as lacto-vegetarians, and he has maintained the diet as an adult.[30] He was named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' Sexiest Vegetarian in 2009.[31][32] He also does not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol.[31] He is a fan of The Clash[33] as well as The Smiths and Morrissey.[34]

Ventimiglia took a United Service Organization tour in July 2008, in support of American troops in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.[35]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Boys Life 2 Jason Segment: "Must Be the Music"
1999 She's All That Soccer Player
Speedway Junky Travis
2000 Massholes Doc
2001 Nice Guys Finish Last Josh Short film
2003 Winter Break Matt Raymand
2005 Cursed Bo
Dirty Deeds Zach Harper
2006 Intelligence Colin Mathers Short film
Stay Alive Loomis Crowley
Rocky Balboa Rocky Balboa Jr.
2008 Pathology Dr. Ted Grey
2009 Gamer Rick Rape
Armored Officer Jake Eckehart
2010 Order of Chaos Rick
2011 The Divide Josh
2012 That's My Boy Chad Martin
Static Jonathan Dade
2013 Kiss of the Damned Paulo
Grown Ups 2 Frat Boy Milo
Breaking at the Edge Ian Wood
Killing Season Chris Ford
2014 Grace of Monaco Rupert Allan
Tell Ethan Tell
2015 Walter Vince
Wild Card Danny DeMarco
2016 Madtown Denny Briggs
2017 Sandy Wexler Barry Bubatzi
Devil's Gate Jackson Pritchard
2018 Creed II Rocky Balboa Jr.
Second Act Trey
2019 The Art of Racing in the Rain Denny Swift

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1995 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Party Guest No. 1 Episode: "Bourgie Sings the Blues"
1996 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Letterman Episode: "Terrible Things"
Saved by the Bell: The New Class Greg Episode: "Hospital Blues"
1997 EZ Streets Young Cameron Quinn Episode: "A Terrible Beauty"
1998 Brooklyn South Johnny Mancuso Episode: "Hospital Blues"
Kelly Kelly Steve Spencer Episode: "Bye Bye Baby"
One World Eric Episode: "Community Service"
1999 Promised Land Tony Brackett Episode: "In the Money"
2000 Opposite Sex Jed Perry Main role; 8 episodes
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Bobby Taylor Episode: "Friends & Lovers"
2001–2006 Gilmore Girls Jess Mariano 37 episodes
2003 Windward Circle Jess Mariano Unsold pilot
Boston Public Jake Provesserio 3 episodes
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Lee Healy Episode: "Escape"
2004–2005 American Dreams Chris Pierce 12 episodes
2006 The Bedford Diaries Richard Thorne III Main role; 8 episodes
2006–2010 Heroes Peter Petrelli Main role; 70 episodes
2008 Robot Chicken Green Arrow (voice) Episode: "They Took My Thumbs"
2010 The Webventures of Justin and Alden Himself Episode: "The Last Episode"
2011 Suite 7 Milo Episode: "That Guy"
The Temp Life Cook 2 episodes
Wolverine Wolverine / Logan (voice) 12 episodes
2013 Mob City Ned Stax Main role; 6 episodes
Chosen Ian Mitchell Main role; 11 episodes
2015 Gotham Jason Lennon / The Ogre 3 episodes
The PET Squad Files Cash Buggiardo 4 episodes
The Whispers Sean Bennigan Main role; 13 episodes
The League Agent Baker Episode: "The Block"
2015–2016 Ultimate Spider-Man Spider-Man Noir (voice)[36] 4 episodes
2016 Relationship Status Jack Web series; 3 episodes
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Jess Mariano 2 episodes
2016–2022 This Is Us Jack Pearson Main role
2022 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Handsome man Episode: "Ethan...Esther...Chaim"
2023 The Company You Keep Charlie Main role

Music videos

Year Title Artist Role
2007 "Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)" Fergie Love interest
2014 "I Can't Make You Love Me" Priyanka Chopra

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2011 X-Men: Destiny Grant Alexander Voice role

As director

Year Title Notes
2007 It's a Mall World Miniseries; 13 episodes
2009 Dave Knoll Finds His Soul
2010 Ultradome Episode: Han Solo vs. Indiana Jones
2011 Suite 7 Episode: "That Guy"
2019 This Is Us Episode #59: "Storybook Love"
2021 Episode #87: "Jerry 2.0"
2022 Episode #96: "The Guitar Man"

As producer

Year Title Notes
2007 It's a Mall World Producer; 13 episodes
Winter Tales Producer
2009 Dave Knoll Finds His Soul Executive producer
2010 Ultradome Executive producer; 3 episodes
2011 Suite 7 Producer; episode: "That Guy"
2012 Static Executive producer
2013 The PET Squad Files Executive producer; 6 episodes
Chosen Executive producer; 18 episodes
2014 Tell Producer

Writer

Year Title Notes
2010 Ultradome Co-creator

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Category Nominated work Result
2004 Bravo Otto Best Male TV Star Gilmore Girls Nominated
2007 Teen Choice Awards Choice Drama TV Actor of the Year Heroes Nominated
Scream Awards Best TV Superhero Nominated
2008 Teen Choice Awards Choice Action or Adventure TV Actor of the Year Won
Monte-Carlo Television Festival Golden Nymph Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
2009 Saturn Awards Best Television Supporting Actor Nominated
2014 International Academy of Web Television Awards Best Male Performance in a Drama Television Series Chosen Won
2017 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series This Is Us Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Television Drama Series Actor Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite Actor In A New TV Series Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Drama TV Actor of the Year Nominated
2018 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Gold Derby Awards TV Drama Series Actor of the Year Nominated
TV Ensemble of the Year Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Television Drama Series Actor Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Television Drama Series Won
2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Critics' Choice Awards Best Television Drama Series Actor Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite Male TV Star of the Year Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Television Drama Series Won
Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals Awards Man of the Year — Honored

References

  1. ^ a b "Milo A. Ventimiglia, Born July 8, 1977 in Orange County, California". California Birth Index. California Office of Health Information and Research. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Keck, William (December 18, 2006). "Yo! Ventimiglia gets into the tough-guy act". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 8, 2007. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
  3. ^ TV Guide. September 8–14, 2008. p. 20.
  4. ^ Dawn, Randee (March 20, 2017). "Try not to cry as Milo Ventimiglia reveals inspiration behind 'This is Us' character". Today. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  5. ^ "Milo Ventimiglia". Biography.com. The Biography Channel. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  6. ^ "Milo Ventimiglia Fan". April 21, 2002. Archived from the original on May 16, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2007.
  7. ^ "NOTABLE ALUMNI ACTORS". UCLA School of Theater, Film and television. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  8. ^ Huisman, Mark J. (April 29, 1997). "Short and sweet". The Advocate: 65. Open access icon
  9. ^ Voss, Brandon (2008). "Our hero". The Advocate: 64. Open access icon
  10. ^ "What Would Jess' Show Have Been Like?". Alloy. December 16, 2008. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  11. ^ Bierly, Mandy (December 17, 2007). "Milo Ventimiglia checks in". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  12. ^ Carroll, Larry (December 19, 2008). "'Heroes' Star Sheds 'Dirty' Past to Become Rocky Balboa's Son". MTV. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  13. ^ Howard, Theresa (May 9, 2007). "American Eagle Outfitters plans Web comedy". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 14, 2009.
  14. ^ "Pathology (2008)". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  15. ^ "The Dsc – Divide Social Club". Dividesocialclub.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  16. ^ Woman, The (January 29, 2010). "Top Cow Preview: Berserker #4". Dread Central. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  17. ^ Jen Yamato (April 17, 2008). "Milo Ventimiglia Gets Dark in Pathology, Talks Role In Neveldine & Taylor's Game". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  18. ^ "Xavier Gens' Apocalypse 'The Divide' Encompasses Genre Cast". Bloody-disgusting.com. May 12, 2010. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  19. ^ "Marvel Television Announces Adrian Pasdar & Milo Ventimiglia For Iron Man & Wolverine Anime Series To Air On G4 July 2011" (Press Release). Anime News Network. April 3, 2011. Archived from the original on April 4, 2011.
  20. ^ "'Heroes' Alum Milo Ventimiglia To Star In Frank Darabont's TNT Pilot 'L.A. Noir'". Deadline. February 21, 2012. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012.
  21. ^ "Milo Ventimiglia won't return as Jess if Netflix revisits 'Gilmore Girls'". USAtoday.
  22. ^ Poniewozik, Jamie (March 14, 2017). "'This Is Us' Ends a Tear-Jerking Season With a Beginning". The New York Times. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  23. ^ Birnbaum, Debra (February 2, 2017). "'This Is Us' Star Milo Ventimiglia on Jack: 'I Don't Think He's Perfect at All'". Variety. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  24. ^ "Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Schull to Star in Thriller 'Devil's Gate'". The Hollywood Reporter. April 15, 2015. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015.
  25. ^ "Emmys 2017: Full List of Nominations". Variety. July 13, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  26. ^ The Art of Racing in the Rain, retrieved July 8, 2021
  27. ^ "Gilmore Girls' Alexis Bledel, Boyfriend Split". People. Archived from the original on October 5, 2007.
  28. ^ "Trevor and Zena meet Milo Ventimiglia". BBC. April 22, 2008. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  29. ^ "Hayden Panettiere & Milo Ventimiglia Split". People. February 17, 2009. Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  30. ^ Pashman, Heidi. "The 25 Sexiest Vegan and Vegetarian Celebrities". Shape. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  31. ^ a b Kim, Albert. "Milo Ventimiglia". Men's Fitness. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  32. ^ Koch, Wendy. "Sexiest Vegetarian? PETA's Contest Goes Beefcake" Archived November 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, USAToday.com, March 3, 2010.
  33. ^ Milo Ventimiglia (August 31, 2007). "Jo Whiley". BBC Radio 1 (Interview). Interviewed by Jo Whiley.
  34. ^ The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (May 14, 2019), Milo Ventimiglia Geeks Out Over Morrissey, Rides Shotgun in Ubers, retrieved June 4, 2019
  35. ^ Milo Ventimiglia's USO tour Archived September 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ Cavanaugh, Patrick. "Check out these Guest Voices from Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors". marvel.com. Marvel.com. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
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