Milo Ventimiglia went from one of Rory’s boyfriends on Gilmore Girls who almost got his own spinoff, to one of my favorite TV dads on This Is Us. Now, while one is a teen dramedy and the other is a heart-wrenching family drama, they both made pretty big impacts on television, and they’re staples in the actor’s career. So, Ventimiglia has opened up about what he was going for with Jess and Jack, and I’m melting.
Ventimiglia looked back at his time on Gilmore Girls and This Is Us, including being coined the “Internet’s boyfriend,” while speaking with InStyle Magazine. He was asked if his experience acting with Scott Patterson, who played Luke, on Gilmore Girls prepared him for his role as a father on This Is Us. Overall, he sees the two characters as very different, but he did elaborate on the fatherly role Luke played in Jess’s life, explaining:
Jack and Jess are two very different people to me. I never really saw, other than the kind of absence of a father for Jess, a presence of a father. And I know Luke represented that male role model figure who was there to really shepherd Jess out of some troubling times as just a kid who’s too smart for his own good.
Luke may not have been Jess’ father, but he was the father figure that he needed. Even though the two of them certainly had their moments on more than one occasion, it was always clear how much Luke cared for Jess and how much Jess really needed him in his life.
But when it comes to Jack Pearson, Ventimiglia admitted that he was inspired by someone a lot closer to him, and just like with almost every episode of This Is Us, I feel like crying over this explanation:
But Jack was more inspired by my own dad. Jack was just very much, ‘Hey, let me try and do good for, like, the good dads out there, the good husbands, and remind everybody that this is a real-life attainable superhero.’ Fundamentally, who Jack was, he was just a good, solid man.
Ventimiglia’s career really took off after Gilmore Girls, and he exploded into another level of stardom thanks to Jack Pearson, who is arguably one of the best dads on television. Of course, he still learned from Jess when it came to acting, but knowing that he was inspired by his own father really makes Jack all the more special. It’s also sweet knowing how much he looks up to his dad and sees him as this “attainable superhero.” It’s something that we all yearn to have in our lives.
Even though Gilmore Girls and This Is Us are pretty different from each other, Milo Ventimiglia’s passion for both shows is pretty clear. Even though he previously shared his true Team Dean colors, Jess Mariano still means a lot to Ventimiglia. His wife even shares the last name.
That being said, the fact that Jess and Jack are so different from each other, with different backgrounds and inspirations, just shows the range that Ventimiglia has.
Whether or not there will ever be another Gilmore Girls revival like A Year in the Life is unknown, but the cast still hangs out from time to time, as do the This Is Us cast. So while Jess and Jack may not fully return in the future, mini reunions are a lot better than nothing. Plus, those with a Hulu subscription will be able to binge-watch both shows in their entirety and hang out with Jess Mariano, Jack Pearson, and all your favorite characters.