Milo Ventimiglia Will Do Literally Anything For Gilmore Girls Creators

Milo Ventimiglia says he is forever indebted to Gilmore Girlscreators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino for giving him his big break. Created by the husband-wife duo, Gilmore Girls aired from 2000 to 2007. The series centers around the mother-daughter relationship of Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), as well as the eccentric citizens of Gilmore Girls’ Star’s Hollows, their picturesque Connecticut town. In 2001, Ventimiglia joined the cast as Rory’s bad boy, bookish love interest, Jess Mariano. He was aseries regular for seasons 2 and 3 before dropping down to a recurring role. Towards the end of the series, Ventimiglia occasionally returned as a guest star.

Following his breakout role on Gilmore Girls, Ventimiglia would go on to star in Heroes and a number of films. In 2016, the actor took on a starring role as Jack Pearson on NBC’s This Is Us. For his work on the show, Ventimiglia has received three nominations for the  Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The sixth and final season of This Is Us premiered on January 4. 

In an appearance on The Tonight Show, ​Ventimiglia says he’ll do anything for the Gilmore Girls creators, whether it’s joining the cast of their latest project or driving them to the airport. “Amy and Dan Palladino, they really gave me my break,” praises the actor, who joined Gilmore Girls as a 23-year-old. He sums up his relationship with the duo in two points: “One, I’m going to know them for the rest of my life. And two, anytime they call, I’ve got to be there.” Check out Ventimiglia’s full expression of gratitude below:   ​ 

“It’s amazing. I mean, Amy and Dan Palladino, her husband, who also is an incredibly accomplished writer, they really gave me my break. They were the ones that kind of put me on the map with Gilmore and with Jess. They are the kinds of people that, for me, I was like, ‘One, I’m going to know them for the rest of my life. And two, anytime they call, I’ve got to be there.’ So if they’re like, ‘Hey Mi, why don’t you come in and do a small bit on a show we’re working on?’ Great. ‘Hey, if you could take us to the airport…?’ Sure. Whatever you need, thank mom and dad.”

Ventimiglia goes on to express admiration for the Palladino’s writing abilities, which they honed on Gilmore Girls, Bunheads, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He says the “massive” Gilmore scripts “felt like a proving ground as an actor to really soak in the words, really understand the poetry of it. The way they write is definitely prose. It’s incredible.” Indeed, Amy Sherman-Palladino’s shows are notorious for their rapid-fire, pop-culture-laden repartee.  

Ventimiglia’s offer to follow the Palladinos where they lead isn’t just a line – the actor is reuniting with the creative pair on the upcoming The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4. While the actor has confirmed his guest arc, he’s kept mum on any details surrounding the part. It’s not the first time Ventimiglia has okayed a Palladino reunion. In 2016, he reprised his role as Jess in the Gilmore Girls miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Mrs. Maisel, however, will see Ventimiglia in an entirely new Palladino part. Whatever the role ends up being, fans can be confident that Ventimiglia can handle the speedy line delivery that’s required of him.  

Source: The Tonight Show