Milo Ventimiglia has landed a new role in the upcoming USA series Evel. The news has This Is Us fans concerned the actor, and Jack Pearson, are out.
The hunky leading man is taking on the role of daredevil Evel Knievel, whose claim to fame was doing death-defying stunts during the 1960s and 1970s. According to Pop Culture, Ventimiglia will not only be leading the cast of Evel, but he is also on board as an executive producer.
McG, who is best known for producing shows like The O.C and Supernatural, has signed on as an executive producer too. Animal Kingdom writer Etan Frankel is writing the limited series.
A press release for Evel describes the show as a mini-series that follows a “complex man living the American dream, juggling meteoric celebrity and raising a family. He is facing the very real probability that his next jump, across the Snake River Canyon, will kill him.”
Filming for the series is set to begin in 2020, with a premiere date later in the year. So, what does Ventimiglia’s new gig mean for Jack Pearson?
In all honesty, probably nothing. It is not uncommon for shows to let their stars pull double duty, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the shooting schedule.
Over the past two years, Ventimiglia has filmed movies while still starring on This Is Us. He appeared in Second Act with Jennifer Lopez and The Art of Racing in the Rain with Amanda Seyfried.
Granted, there can be complications with an actor filming two different TV shows. Networks don’t always want to share their stars with another network. However, since NBC and USA are both owned by the same parent company, it makes it easier to share talent.
This Is Us has a shorter season than a majority of network television shows. It has 18 episodes, as opposed to 22 to 25 episodes. The shorter season allows all of the stars of the NBC drama time to focus on other projects.
Therefore, fans should not be worried that Milo Ventimiglia is leaving This Is Us or the role of Jack Pearson. He has previously stated he is committed to the series until the end, which could be after Season 6.
Based on the This Is Us Season 4 trailer, Dan Fogelman has a lot in store for Ventimiglia and papa Pearson.
Now, there is a chance the actor and show creator are keeping a big secret from fans regarding Ventimiglia’s status on the show. It is highly unlikely that this is the case, but it is still a possibility.
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC. Season 4 premieres on September 24.