Milo Ventimiglia debuted on a television screen for the first time over three decades ago. Since then, he seldom has, if ever, taken a break, and when he has, it has not been a planned one.
Ventimiglia says, “After ‘Heroes,’ I had a hard time working. I couldn’t get a job, It was one of the one or two times in my career where I thought about what if I did something else. What if I got out of Hollywood? What if I left and I moved out of the country? What if I did something like completely different than the path that I had been on? Because I couldn’t get work.”
Ventimiglia continues: “As an actor, you’re out there, you’re pounding the pavement, you’re taking meetings, you’re auditioning, you’re putting what you can into those auditions, and you’re not getting the work. So therefore, it’s kind of like, ‘Well, if they’re not buying what I’m selling, what am I doing here still selling?’”
Ventimiglia first came to people’s attention in 2001 as the rebellious but charming Jess on “Gilmore Girls.” From 2006 to 2010, he played Peter Petrelli on NBC’s “Heroes,” which ran for four seasons. He gave his career path “a really hard look when it was over.” Then, just as he was about to give up, he got a role in an independent film, then another, and the ball kept rolling.
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He doesn’t know what he would have done if he had chosen a different path. He may have been a farmer in Italy or learned how to work with wood. “It doesn’t matter at this point,” he says. “I’m so rooted into being creative, and hopefully adding to the community of Hollywood — and adding to people’s break from real life.”
He hopes his new show, “The Company You Keep,” will do just that. The series is made by Ventimiglia’s company, Divide Pictures, which he started with his best friend Russ Cundiff in 2004. It’s about his character, Charlie Nicoletti, a sweet but sneaky con man who starts a relationship with Catherine Haena Kim’s character, Emma Hill, a recently single CIA agent.
Ventimiglia said, “There’s an honesty to how we’re portraying these characters within the confines of that intimacy that you find in your romantic partner. I think that’s going to be the anchor for the show, and you’re going to be rooting for them — even though you know it’s nearly impossible for them to be together.”
He uses the word “honesty,” which is interesting because the show’s executive producer Julia Cohen said at the Television Critics Association’s press tour in January, “Lies are necessary in life,” and that’s what the show will be about.
“I kind of look at it as a presentation. Who are you presenting for? What are you presenting as? I don’t really subscribe to the necessity of lying,” He tells the press. “I think there’s being polite. I also feel like there’s a way to deliver news or sentiment or emotion or information responsibly and respectfully, but truthfully.”
Respect is important to Ventimiglia. Since he’s been working on sets for decades, he knows how important it is to make a good environment. “Listen, the truth is everyone’s gonna have a bad day. Stress is high. I think if you can put into account that there are a lot of people in the process and everyone’s doing their best, you can work after it and hopefully inspire others,” he says. “I’ve had my moments behind closed doors, but also in groups, and you just want to learn from them.”
As a result of the late production schedule for the show and the early press commitments, Ventimiglia is now working on just four hours of sleep. He might complain about that if he wasn’t doing what he loved. He admits that it still feels like work, but the joy he gets from making something fun helps. He’s not only in almost every scene of “The Company You Keep,” but he also watches every cut and answers email and phone calls from the production crew at all hours.
He takes full advantage of his free time, saying, “I get the weekends off sometimes. We shoot for almost five months a year. I’ve got time to jump in the ocean, time to go see my family and spend time with my loved ones.”
Ventimiglia’s life has been centered around motorcycles for the past ten years. He used to work with Harley Davidson to judge a competition for people who build their bikes. It was his favorite way to get around, just like Charlie in his books. Those times are over now.
He said, “I’ve had my time on my bikes, and I’m grateful I can walk away from it,” he says, noting that he’s actually selling his bike after everything that’s happened in the last few years. “I was just looking at the heartbeat of the roads, I realized I think my time on my bike is pretty much done. I’m stopping it on my own rather than somebody stopping it for me.”
Other than that, Charlie is very similar to Ventimiglia. “I think there’s a an earnestness and sincerity, a not-to-be-fucked-with perspective. He’s not a pushover, but he is kind. You don’t quite know exactly what you’re going to get from him,” he says. “It’s all part of how he presents himself, so stepping into that role, I felt like Charlie’s just an actor. So why don’t I not dress him up with anything, how about I just be as natural as I can and just play a version of myself in a way like I had with other characters. The characters become an extension of me.”
The con artist is unlike his former role. In January 2022, NBC’s “This Is Us” ended after six seasons with an emotional finale starring Ventimiglia. Ventimiglia filmed “The Company You Keep” two weeks after leaving “This Is Us,” where he played Jack Pearson. Intentional.
“Oftentimes, in Hollywood, I believe that actors try to craft these careers. I’ve never looked at mine like that. I just like to work. I knew that coming off ‘This Is Us,’ I needed to jump onto something quick but without rushing it,” he says. “I was leaning heavier in the wind. I knew that I had a moment to get ahead while everybody else maybe sat back looking for that perfect role. I joined a group of people. We linked arms on something that an audience is going to enjoy. Let’s get ahead of it. Let’s just jump right in.”
Whether you’re a diehard fan of Milo Ventimiglia or just looking for a new drama to sink your teeth into, this series is sure to deliver the goods. The first episode of The Company You Keep aired on Hulu on Sunday, February 20.
