Synopsis

Milo Ventimiglia built the success of his career predominantly in television. In 2001 his breakout role was playing Jess Mariano on the WB's Gilmore Girls, which he reprised for the Netflix miniseries in 2016. Ventimiglia went on to have a string of notable roles on NBC shows like American Dreams, Heroes, and This Is Us.  

'Gilmore Girls'

Born on July 8, 1977 in Anaheim, California, Milo Ventimiglia was the youngest child and only son born to a Sicilian father and English-Scottish mother. Ventimiglia showed interest in acting as a teen and became a theatre major at the University of California, Los Angeles before he began working as an actor. Some of his earlier television appearances were in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and others.  

In 2000 Ventimiglia won the main role in the FOX teen comedy-drama series Opposite Sex, but the show lasted only one season. He soon recovered in a big way, playing Jess Mariano on WB's Gilmore Girls (from 2001-2006) and eventually became a regular cast member of the show.

'This Is Us'

Ventimiglia also had major roles in NBC's American Dreams (as Chris Pierce), NBC's Heroes (as Peter Petrelli), the WB's The Bedford Diaries (as Richard Thorne III), TNT's Mob City (as Ned Stax), and ABC's The Whispers(as Sean Bennigan). In 2016 he received major attention on the NBC hit drama This Is Us, playing father Jack Pearson, co-starring Mandy Moore.

Outside of television, Ventimiglia has had a number of film credits, including playing Rocky Balboa's son in 2006's Rocky Balboa, along with roles in Killing Season (2013), Grace of Monaco (2014), and Netflix's Sandy Wexler, co-starring Adam Sandler.

Personal Life

In the early 2000s Ventimiglia dated Gilmore Girls costar Alexis Bledel and briefly dated Heroes costar Hayden Panettiere.