Milo Ventimiglia rose to television stardom during the cable era and the dominance of streaming. But the flagship shows of him, like Heroes, Gilmore Girls AND this is uswere broadcast for free on Open TV.
And that’s just what he likes.
“I’m a product of open television,” she said on a recent video call. “I like the idea that anyone can turn on the television and watch the show.” “People want to convey exclusivity,” she added. “I prefer inclusiveness.”
The new adventure of Ventimiglia, The company you keepbased on the Korean series My fellow citizens, follows this line, but with a twist in terms of the usually charming protagonist he plays. Premiering Sunday, February 19 on ABC, the series tells the story of Charlie Nicoletti, the top talent in a Baltimore family of con artists that also includes his sister Birdie (Sarah Wayne Callies), his father Leo (William Fichtner), and his mother Fran (Polly Draper).
It’s Milo’s first lead role from the hit series this is us it finished its six seasons in 2022. Milo is also one of the executive producers. A flatterer and skilled thief, Charlie faces changes for better or for worse at the start of the series. The family, who own a neighborhood bar as a front for their adventures, have just gotten a job wrong, mostly due to Charlie’s carelessness.
The consequences are terrible. Shocked by his mistake, Charlie falls into Emma’s (Catherine Haena Kim) arms and bed. They are a very private couple, especially with each other. You are a CIA agent. The crook. Unbeknownst to them, their jobs are about to converge. There is love and lust at first sight. But trust is another thing.
Two people in love
“When you’re playing two people who are basically in love, there’s a different kind of communication involved, but there are a lot of hurdles for them to meet,” the actor said. “I think it mostly boils down to communicating vulnerability.” Ventimiglia, 45, was drawn to Charlie’s duality. “As a bartender, he’s an anonymous person, a simple guy from the neighborhood,” he described.
“But as a con man he has to adapt, shapeshift and believably become another person, a real human being, not a caricature.” Milo talked about the art of cheating, of continuing the march from this is us and why he tries to help military veterans however he can. Here are some edited excerpts from the conversation.
-How was the transition after “This Is Us”?
-I brought 90% of the team this is us to the new project. For me, they made the series. It wasn’t just the theme, or Dan Fogelman’s beautiful scripts that he and the writers came up with. It was the different groups, from the camera crew to the fixings and stands, through the electricity, the art, the transfers, the snacks and drinks and the people who fed us.
There was a lot of magic in that show and I loved having that team involved. I miss Fogelman and I miss some aspects of the production. But thanks to the team, it wasn’t a real loss.
-It has become a much loved series. Why do you think it affected so many viewers?
I think I have something in common with people. Viewers could see themselves inside many of the characters. It wasn’t made for just one lane. It did not belong to any particular genre. It was a series about the whole world.
The original title was 36, which was the birthday Jack and the three boys were celebrating. But Dan Fogelman kept playing with this idea: This is who we are, this is how we are, and he hit it with us and us. And it makes sense. That’s what the series was about. On all of us, each of us. That was always considered the appeal: everyone could relate to the lives these characters led.
-I guess people often identify you with Jack.
-I remember once I was getting off a plane and a guy stopped me and said, “You’re the guy in the series.” “Yes sir,” I told him. “Pleased to meet you”. And he said to me, “You’re my Tuesday night, man.” Wow, I thought. Every Tuesday, this man sits down to hang out with me and my co-stars from the show. There is something gratifying about knowing that a viewer is spending their time with you.
How do you approach the role of a scammer? It’s interesting that in English the word “con” (“con”, short for “confidence trick”) comes from “confidence”, something Charlie certainly manages.
-To be an actor you have to have confidence in what you do, but you can’t cross that line and be arrogant, because they immediately throw you off. And it takes the confidence of a scammer to get people to do what you need to.
With the rip-offs that we’ve put together and the characters that Charlie plays in them, it’s an exciting set and it’s fun. He gave me the opportunity to branch out, playing not just one role but several over the course of a season.
Charlie is kind of an actor in that sense.
-Completely. As it stands, or am I realizing that acting is absolutely a scam. When I was a little younger I used to joke and say “I lie for a living”. Then it became “I wear makeup and read dialogue for a living.” Now, in a sense, I’m back to what seems like an honest hoax.
-How do you think the clandestinity of the characters is transferred to the performances?
-It’s funny, in real life romantic couples tend to talk little until they realize they need some therapy. On set, we talk way more than necessary so that there is complete transparency and communication to find the best possible solution that works for (Kim’s) character, mine, and ultimately the show.
You have partnered with and supported various military veteran organizations, including the United Services Organization, Team Rubicon, and Gold Star Families of America. What is the origin of that passion?
-My father was a Vietnam War Veteran, so I think I always understood the community from that point of view and for the study of war. But having never served in a uniform, I wondered how I could serve the community. The work is never done.
But I think it’s a community we owe a lot of gratitude to. I was about to join the Navy when I was 18. I had this great idea that I was going to fly jets because I grew up watching top gun. But then I took another route.
When did you realize you wanted to be an actor?
-I always did plays and stuff like that when I was a kid. And I remember when awards ceremonies still seemed glamorous to me, I’d listen to Whoopi Goldberg, who was the host, talk on camera at the end of the Oscars, and she would say, ‘Maybe you’ll be on this stage one day.’ That inspired me. .
I would see an actor play the role of one character and then see him play a different one. You’ve seen Michael Keaton as Mr. Mom. Then you saw Michael Keaton as Batman. You stayed… uh, it’s Batman. But no, it’s Mr. Mom.
It was quite difficult to understand that these people play different roles and this is the profession of acting. How do you do it? How do you make those roles so compelling that you can do the next one? It’s strange. At 45, I feel like I’ve just started. It’s a good feeling.
By Chris Vognar The New York Times
Source: Clarin
