Milo Ventimiglia is an American actor who first appeared on screen in 1995 on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He then went on to star as the main character on the short-lived show Opposite Sex in 2000. However, it was not until the following year that he landed his breakthrough role as Jess Mariano on the popular series Gilmore Girls (2001-2007).
Early Life & Education
Milo Ventimiglia, the youngest of Carol and Peter’s children was born on July 8, 1977, in Anaheim, California. Due to damaged facial nerves, the left side of his mouth has remained paralyzed since birth. Ventimiglia’s heritage includes Italian, Scottish, and English roots, and he has two sisters named Laurel and Leslie.
During his teenage years, he attended El Modena High School in Orange. He participated in various extracurricular pursuits such as wrestling, holding the position of student governor president, and taking part in drama productions.
After completing his studies in 1995, Ventimiglia joined a summer program at the American Conservatory Theater before pursuing a degree in theatre at UCLA.
Milo Ventimiglia’s Career
Milo Ventimiglia’s television career began in 1995 when he appeared on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” The following year, he appeared on “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” and “Saved by the Bell: The New Class.” His first leading role was in the short film “Must Be the Music,” portraying a gay teenager.
In 2000, he achieved his most significant role to date when he was chosen to play Jed Perry, the lead character in the Fox teenage drama “Opposite Sex.” Despite this, the show was terminated after airing only eight episodes.
His following role as the moody teenager Jess Mariano in the series “Gilmore Girls” from 2001 to 2006 proved to be more successful.
After that, he went on to have a recurring part in the last season of “American Dreams” as the rebellious boyfriend, Chris Pierce. Following that, Milo Ventimiglia took on the lead role in the short-lived show “The Bedford Diaries,” which only aired for eight episodes in 2006.
From 2006 to 2010, Ventimiglia’s career took off with his portrayal of superhero Peter Petrelli on the popular drama “Heroes.” He then went on to make guest appearances on “Suite 7,” “The Temp Life,” and the animated show “Wolverine.”
In 2013, Ventimiglia landed leading roles on two short-lived series: the crime drama “Mob City” on TNT and the thriller “Chosen” on the streaming platform Crackle.
After a span of two years, he was given another leading part in ABC’s short-lived science-fiction series “The Whispers,” and made guest appearances in “Gotham” and “The League.”
Ventimiglia’s most highly praised role to date was in 2016 when he started playing alongside Mandy Moore in the NBC drama “This is Us.” His portrayal of the middle-class father figure, Jack Pearson, has earned him numerous Emmy Award nominations.
In 1999, Ventimiglia appeared in his first feature film, the teenage romantic comedy “She’s All That,” alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook. He also had a role in the crime drama “Speedway Junky” during the same period.
Several years later, in 2003, Ventimiglia starred in “Winter Break.” He went on to appear in various projects such as the comedy “Dirty Deeds,” the horror flicks “Cursed” and “Stay Alive,” and the sports drama “Rocky Balboa,” where he portrayed the son of Sylvester Stallone‘s character, the famous boxer.
Personal Life
From 2002 to July 2006, Milo Ventimiglia and his former Gilmore Girls co-star Alexis Bledel were in a romantic relationship. He also had a romantic involvement with his Heroes co-star Hayden Panettiere from December 2007 to February 2009. In 2023, Ventimiglia tied the knot with model Jarah Mariano.
Net Worth
Milo Ventimiglia has an estimated net worth of $12 million. His most notable works include his appearances on popular TV shows such as “Gilmore Girls,” “American Dreams,” “Heroes,” and “This is Us,” as well as leading roles on lesser-known series like “Opposite Sex,” “The Bedford Diaries,” “Mob City,” “Chosen,” and “The Whispers.”
