“This Is Us” star Milo Ventimiglia considers his character Jack Pearson to be “the dad we all had, or wanted to have” because “Jack inspires people on how they could possibly live their lives.” The two-time Emmy nominee relates most to Pearson’s simplicity — something evident in his own wardrobe. “Some people take bolder approaches and want to stand out; I like to blend in. I just like to be classy, simple, and timeless,” he says.
2007
Watching awards shows as a child motivated Ventimiglia to work harder so he could be there. “Whenever Whoopi Goldberg would host, at the end of a telecast, she would talk to the kids at home, and I always thought she was talking to me,” he says. Ventimiglia first attended the Emmys with drama series nominee “Heroes.” “I just kind of put myself together,” recalls the California native, who’s typically a “black T-shirt, blue jeans, boots or Chucks kind of guy.” “I had always been a fan of classic, timeless pieces, and that [Ralph Lauren tux] seemed to fit the bill at the time.”
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2017 (Golden Globes)
When freshman drama series “This Is Us” contended at the Golden Globes, Ventimiglia went into Ralph Lauren and requested a blue tux. “Tuxedos back in the day were typically blue, because they would show up black in photos [and] black was almost too dark,” he says. “That actually was a custom tuxedo that was made for a guy for his wedding, but he didn’t like the black lapels. It just happened to be in my size, and I tried it on and was like, ‘This is a beautiful tuxedo. It’s not going to see a wedding, but it’s definitely going to see the red carpet.’”
2017 (Emmys)
Ventimiglia works closely with costume designer Hala Bahmet on taking his “This Is Us” character Jack Pearson from a young man in bell-bottoms to one sporting pleated trousers in his 50s. “Everything about Jack’s wardrobe informs where he is in life — much like his facial hair and hairstyle,” says Ventimiglia, who was thrilled to be filming Jack’s younger days when he scored his first Emmy nom. “But the funny thing was, people had been so used to seeing me with a moustache or a beard that they were like, ‘Who’s this guy?’” This time, his Ralph Lauren tux was custom-designed. “I wanted a nice peak lapel and something very classy.”
2018
Now working with stylist Ilaria Urbinati, second-time Emmy nominee Ventimiglia knew he wanted a “white dinner jacket and black slacks.” “I couldn’t do a full white tuxedo,” he says. “That’s just not me.” Urbinati found this look by Brunello Cucinelli. “That actually might have been my favorite look of the last several decades because I felt really good wearing it,” says Ventimiglia. “I would like if, 20 years down the road, I’m looking at a photo from my 30s or 40s, and you could have dropped me into any era and I would have fit.”