This Is Us star Milo Ventimiglia plays one of the best dads on television, but the actor knows how to dish out plenty of good advice in real life, too. Hollywood men, are you taking notes?
In a new interview with The Huffington Post, Ventimiglia opened up about the latest This Is Us drama involving his character Jack's onscreen son, Kevin (Justin Hartley).
Kevin, himself a famous actor and former high school golden boy, was arrested for driving under the influence in the show's midseason finale. When asked by the Huffington Post about that particular situation, the former Gilmore Girls star got real about how fame can sometimes have a negative influence.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
"I’m in those shoes at times too, where people applaud you and herald you and you could probably get away with the worst behavior ― yet they’ll still hold you up high. It’s kind of a terrifying prospect," Ventimiglia admitted to the outlet. "I think that if you embrace those bad things in life, then you’re going to turn into the bad examples some of us have seen quite recently. But if you keep on the good path and just be a good person in a position of influence, well, then you’re going to represent a better way to be and a better human being and hopefully that’s what we can inspire: goodness and kindness toward everyone."
Whether intended or not, Ventimiglia's words are particularly poignant considering the current climate in Hollywood. The #MeToo movement has encouraged many women and men to come forward about harassment and assault, leading to many powerful Hollywood players – from Harvey Weinstein to Kevin Spacey to Brett Ratner – being accused of misconduct.
As someone once said, "When you're a star, you can do anything." In the wake of the movement, that's no longer true. But as Ventimiglia stated in his interview with the Huffington Post, it should be on these powerful people to not abuse their status just because they may be able to do so.