Milo Ventimiglia couldn't finish reading 'The Fountainhead,' either
Milo Ventimiglia made a point to read every book his character, Jess Mariano, did to get in the head of the angsty teen for his breakout role on Gilmore Girls. But everyone has their limits, and his are pretty relatable.
"I got through just about every book that Jess read, except for Ayn Rand," the actor told Mashable. "That was the only one that I just kind of got stuck on. I couldn’t commit to The Fountainhead."
Jess actually wasn't down with Ayn Rand either -- he called her "a political nut" -- but promised to attempt to give the book another shot for Rory, which is truly an act of devotion that exceeds even building a car from scratch.
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Ventimiglia is reprising the role in Netflix's Gilmore Girls revival, premiering in November. He's tight lipped on whether or not Jess has a showdown with Rory's other exes, who will all be back, but he did say it was great to see Jared Padalecki and Matt Czuchry again, so do with that information what you will.
Ventimiglia still has a lot of affection for Jess, however misguided he may have been at times.
"I think Jess was a very, very bright young man. For whatever personal reasons, he was acting up, being a prankster, a loner -- those were emotional things he had to get through as a young man," said Ventimiglia. "But I like his intelligence and his desire to know the world of literature. I think that was absolutely genuine."
Ventimiglia's current gig, playing a new dad on This Is Us, finds him portraying a very different kind of guy -- or maybe the grown up version of Jess or Heroes' Peter Petrelli.
The show, created by Crazy Stupid Love scribe Dan Fogelman, follows an ensemble cast as their lives intersect. Ventimiglia plays Jack, whose wife (played by Mandy Moore) miscarries one of their triplets in the pilot episode and tries to make the best of the situation.
"He’s a lot lighter, as a personality. He’s not as sour as Jess. He’s an every man," said Ventimiglia. "He’s a very accessible human being who is very excited about his growing family. He loves his wife. He’s a very, very hopeful character."
This Is Us, not to be confused with the excellent One Direction documentary of the same title, premieres on NBC Sept. 20.
Topics Books Celebrities
Tricia Gilbride was a Reporter for Mashable Watercooler. Tricia focused on the intersection of celebrity culture and the Internet. Previously, she worked as a fashion writer and a social media manager. She also edits Women-Artists.org, a blog and annual print publication, and looks exactly like her cat.
