Milo Ventimiglia Talks Exploring Jack's Story on 'This Is Us,' Show Ending After Season 6 | In Studio - video Dailymotion

Hollywood Journal

"I believe when there is a moment to send something off the right way," Ventimiglia said. "Knowing what I know already, I’m looking forward to what the audience gets to experience with the closing of the show, which is still three seasons later."

Transcript

00:00Hey, I'm Milo Ventimiglia, and you're watching In Studio with The Hollywood Reporter.

00:07Thank you so much for dropping by. Happy to be here, man. Thanks, seriously, thanks for being here. Yeah, you got it, Brian.

00:12Now, Jack is praised so much as this hero, this beloved figure.

00:16How do you handle that pressure in living up to this guy? Jack is, he's a hard man to live up to for

00:22myself, for husbands around the world, for fathers around the world.

00:26I get a lot of bereavement from people who are like, man, you're just like, you're ruining my marriage

00:31because everybody sees Jack, and they're trying, like, I gotta be Jack. And I'm like, no, man,

00:35just be yourself because you're real. You're a real human being. You can really, truly impact

00:40your wife, your family, your community, whatever you choose to put your positivity towards,

00:45you can actually make an impact that way. That's a great way to put it. I know, it sounds like a

00:48very Jack thing to say, right? No, yeah, it was a Milo thing to say. Very much so. This past season,

00:53we see kind of more of what really shaped his character and him as a father with his time in

00:58Vietnam. And you said that Jack doesn't really see the war as heroic. Can you kind of talk about

01:03that and explain that? I mean, war is a pretty horrible thing. And, you know, Jack's purpose

01:08of being in Vietnam was to find Nicky, was to find his brother. So beyond that, he became responsible

01:16for this team of guys that were under his command, where he lost one of them. And, you know, heroism

01:24isn't something that Jack strives for. He's a man that jumps into action. But, you know, heroics,

01:33he's not in a war to be heroic, you know. And war is, it's a terrible, terrible thing.

01:40Now, you said yourself, you almost entered the Navy at 18, and your dad served two tours in

01:44Vietnam. Looking back, what do you remember most about what your dad would say about the

01:48war or not say? And how did he translate that to Jack's story?

01:51You know, I'd heard stories of my father's, you know, just talking to me as a son about

01:56his early 20s and his time in Vietnam and in the service. Friends that have been in wars

02:03and whatnot, I've heard from them. But for me, you know, it's like, I have the good fortune

02:07of having a road map. I know where it's going to go because we have scripts. So if anything,

02:13what I try to do in the conversations with my father, with my friends, is to just understand

02:19the emotional impact of war and what that really does to a person and what they bring home from

02:27that experience. Because a lot of guys these days, women that serve, they see horrible things

02:34and they bring it home. And how are you to unpack it? So, you know, Jack of that era, you know,

02:42those guys, they didn't unpack it. They just hold it up in a concrete wall, compartmentalize it.

02:48Just how forward does that.

02:49Exactly. Just like hung on to it.

02:51Now, Dan Fogelman brought in author and Vietnam vet Tim O'Brien. Why was it important to have

02:56him there and kind of get in Jack's story, right? And what were those conversations like?

03:00I think there was, there was a lot of direct correlation to Tim's experience in Vietnam

03:07to Jack's. There was a lot of what they were wanting to tell story-wise, they, the writers,

03:15about Jack's story that was brought up from Tim. You know, I mean, our writers room, crazy

03:21talented. We don't have any, any veterans there. We have no one who served. So it's bringing

03:26in someone like Tim, who is not only a veteran of Vietnam, but also just an amazing storyteller.

03:33He's a storyteller first and foremost. It, it had a great impact on the direction we took

03:40Jack on specificity. There were a lot of things that, you know, I would, I would sit and I would

03:46talk to Tim about, about his time and relating it to what Jack was going through and just like

03:50the details. And what specifically was it? Um, a lot of it was experience, understanding

03:56the, the, the weight of being responsible for other people in a war. Um, the emotions

04:03that happened that you kind of really have to just clamp down when you're in battle, when

04:09you lose someone, when you have to complete a mission and move on, um, all the way down

04:15to, you know, where we tucked our bony cap when we were wearing our helmets, you know?

04:20So it was, uh, it was a pleasure. It was really like a great honor having him around and just

04:25having the perspective, you know, the lens of what he experienced when he was in Vietnam,

04:30but also he's a storyteller first and foremost. So he was just part of our group.

04:35Now you filmed in Vietnam, which must've been incredible. What were some of your favorite

04:39memories from filming there? Um, mostly it was just, it was the people, you know, I'm pretty

04:44amazed that that country having been through such a horrible war is, is still so positive

04:50and loving and inviting. And, and, you know, that was the one thing my dad used to tell

04:56me about when he was in Vietnam in his early twenties was he couldn't understand how such

05:00a horrible war could be happening to such a beautiful people. And, you know, to still

05:06be over there and see that, you know, people are walking around holding hands positive when

05:10they went through such a horrible conflict. It was, uh, it was really striking, really

05:14striking to see.

05:15Now, looking back to when you first joined This Is Us, when did you personally know that

05:19it would be this hit that it is today?

05:20Reading that first script, I knew that it was special. And then when I saw it cut

05:26together, you know, with score, with final edit and beautiful picture, it was like, oh,

05:31this, this is a really beautiful show. And then beyond that, as the scripts kept coming

05:36in and we were looking at everything, it's like, wow, these scripts just get better and

05:38better and better. And, you know, being someone who watches TV, you just go, oh, well, this

05:44is good. This makes sense that people are going to watch it. And so then when the audience

05:47grew and it kind of turned into this, you know, big, uh, snowball phenomenon, kind of like rolling

05:53down the hills, like why it wasn't surprising because the, the stories were so great and the

05:59execution was really, really wonderful.

06:02People have such an attachment to the show and to Jack. What have been some of the reactions

06:07that have stuck out to you about people's reactions to Jack and the show?

06:10Um, for me, mostly it's, it's the inspiration they get from him. You know, Jack, for all his

06:18greatness, he also is just, he's a normal guy. You know, he's not a Marvel comic character.

06:25He's not saving the world. He's looking out for his family.

06:28Saving his family.

06:28Yeah. That to me, I think it's something that we as citizens of the world kind of need right

06:35now. We just need good guys. We need good guys to look up to. We need, we kind of need like

06:41attainable goals. And I think someone that is, um, kind like Jack is, that is strong like Jack is, that

06:50is supportive and compassionate like Jack is, you know, any of the shortcomings he has, you know,

06:56his, his battling with alcoholism, sometimes maybe, you know, his viewpoint, like on relationships,

07:03it's like, well, he, he's a kind man. He's a good man. So I think I'm always encouraged when I see

07:09people that are, he's very, he's very, he's very human, but I'm always encouraged when I see people

07:14saying like, uh, I want to be a dad like Jack. I want to be a husband like Jack. I want to be a

07:18friend like Jack. And I was like, that's pretty cool.

07:20You said you got emotional also while watching. Sometimes. Yeah. This past season, were there

07:24any specific scenes that you got more emotional for? Um, man, usually anything having to do with

07:32the kids. Um, it's, it's funny. Cause I, when I watched the show, I, I watch it as an audience,

07:38but I also kind of watch it as Jack. So when I see the adult kids going through things, I'm like,

07:43oh man, but you know, Kate, if you could just Kevin Randall, if you could, you know, so those are the

07:49things that kind of like grab at me when, you know, um, when Kevin's going through his struggles,

07:55when Kate is going through her struggles, when Randall's going through his, it's just like,

07:59you know, that, that stuff just kind of breaks my heart. One of the things that stuck out to me

08:02was the boxing kind of motif that he explored with Randall. Yeah. Can you talk about what,

08:06what stood out to you about that episode specifically and kind of this motif of Jack being this fighter?

08:11Um, you know, it's funny. I feel like Jack got into boxing because he was trying to

08:17stamp down another need, which was alcohol for him. And it kind of turned into something different.

08:24What I love about Jack, he's, he's strong in the right way. He's not overbearing, but he's,

08:33he kind of feels like this rock in an ocean that's just kind of like sticking out and just like slowly,

08:39you know, is, is taking, changing shape, being impacted by the ocean around him. But then he's still a rock.

08:45He's still just like this solid piece of immovable, immovable object that is just sitting there for all the time.

08:53Jack the Rock.

08:53Jack the Rock or, you know, 54 years of his life.

08:56You yourself boxed. Is that, did that influence that part of the story at all or no?

09:00Um, no, I don't, I don't think that, uh, informed one or the other. I think it was helpful

09:07that I boxed. They were like, Hey, do you, uh, do you need a boxing trainer? I was like,

09:11I think I'm pretty good. Yeah. I'm like, I think I'm okay. I'm okay. You know,

09:15said very humbly because there are many better fighters than me.

09:18What are your thoughts on Rebecca and Miguel ending up together? And what do you think Jack

09:22would think about that?

09:23I mean, I think Jack and Miguel kind of had the conversation, you know, I know close friends of

09:27mine. They always say to me like, Hey, if anything happens to me, like make sure my family's okay.

09:31I think that's, it's an honorable thing. It's a noble thing. And also, you know, death is the

09:37ultimate finality. And when someone dies, you know, I think those that are left behind need

09:44to find love and commonality. And I think it's great that Rebecca and Miguel found each other

09:51in, in a way of companionship and, and romance and any of that.

09:56At the end of season three, we see Rebecca, Nikki by Rebecca's side. And you've talked about

10:01kind of having trouble exploring the relationship between Jack and Nikki. Can you talk about

10:05that?

10:05Um, I didn't have trouble exploring it, but I mean, you know, it's all out of order because

10:10we're now, we, we were three seasons in filming stuff that had impacted the Jack that we'd

10:16already shot, but it was all brand new. So for me, you know, I was always, I was, I was a little

10:23upset that Jack never got to repair things with his brother. Um, but at the same time, you know,

10:29I, Jack is a man of a certain era that I think held onto, like we were saying, compartmentalize

10:36those emotions. And he just probably couldn't deal with it. Didn't want to also because he

10:40didn't want it to disrupt what his life was with Rebecca and the kids. I'm happy to see

10:45that Kevin reached out and found Nikki. And it seems like it paid off. And because that

10:51last image we saw with Randall walking into the room with her, Rebecca, and Nikki sitting

10:57at the bed, Nikki looked pretty good. Yeah. So his life turned around. With the show ending with

11:03season six, what do you think you'll miss most about the show and about playing Jack? We have

11:08some time, but no, you know, for me, it's always, it's the crew, you know, the, the crew that is

11:14there every day. They're the ones that I think are the real flesh of the show. They're the ones

11:21holding it all together. They're the ones that are, you know, day in and day out. They're,

11:26they're the living, breathing entity, the family of what we do. Like it would be a completely

11:32different show if we had a completely different crew. So for me, it's always the people.

11:38Do you see it being a satisfying ending for viewers?

11:40Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think so. You know, I mean, sad truth that reality is,

11:45you know, everything ends, everything ends, you know, but I believe that when there is

11:52a moment to send something off the right way, it's almost like into old age, you know, you

11:58can honor the story and the characters and all of that. So knowing what I know already,

12:05I'm like, I'm looking forward to what the audience gets to experience with the closing of the

12:10show, which is still like three seasons later. It's so far away. Next up for you is The Art of

12:15Racing in the Rain, which everyone's really excited about. Can you kind of talk about that

12:18and what viewers can expect? So Art of Racing in the Rain, it's based on a book written by Garth

12:23Stein. It's about this race car driver who has this dog and the film takes place over the course of

12:29the dog's life from puppy until he's old. And the film is narrated by the dog as he watches his owner

12:34going through life, meeting a woman, falling in love, having a family, auto racing, and then

12:40also the hard times that really befall him. Yeah, it was great. It was a great experience,

12:45good film. You know, Amanda Seyfried plays my wife and a lot of great other actors in the film

12:51and Kevin Costner, voice of the dog. And yeah, it's just, it feels like one of those films,

12:56like if you, if you like This Is Us, you'll really like the Art of Racing in the Rain. It's a very human

13:03story. For you as an actor and producer, what other stories are you looking to tell? What are you excited

13:08most about kind of exploring ahead? Um, man, I think just, just telling stories, having the

13:16opportunity to tell stories, you know, it's less subject matter for me. It's more, again, people

13:20that I work with, you know, I've got friends that are talented writers or friends that are talented

13:25directors, actors, whatever, and just kind of piling them together and saying, Hey, let's go tell the

13:29story of this, or let's go tell the story of that. But subject matter, you know, I look kind of look

13:36forward to all of it. You joked with us, um, recently about kind of showing up to a Batman

13:41and Robin casting call. Oh yeah. Would you ever want to play Batman? Is that something

13:45you're going to want to play Batman? I think I'm too old now. Oh, you're not. Yeah, I think

13:49I'm too old now. I think you can do it. I think I can do it. I think other people think I'm too old

13:53now. It's okay. Thank you so much for being here. Yeah, you got it, brother. Seriously, you got it, man.

Milo Ventimiglia Talks Exploring Jack's Story on 'This Is Us,' Show Ending After Season 6 | In Studio

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