"Life imitating art"— Milo Ventimiglia seemingly alludes to his This Is Us character's fate after losing home to Los Angeles fire 

Actor Milo Ventimiglia lost his family home in Malibu in the Los Angeles fires this week. The actor seemingly alluded to the similar tragic fate of his character, Jack Pearson, on the NBC drama series This Is Us (2016-2022) following the disaster.

In an interview with CBS News, Milo Ventimiglia spoke about the tragedy as he returned to his neighborhood after being evacuated on Tuesday, January 7.

"You start thinking about all the memories in different parts of the house and what not and then you see your neighbors' houses and everything kind of around and your heart just breaks."

Ventimiglia also alluded to his character Jack Pearson's fate in This Is Us, saying:

"You know, it's not lost on me, life imitating art."

For those uninformed, his character Jack died of smoke inhalation in the second season of the show after his house burnt down. Before his death, he saved his family from the house fire. Pearson's death is often considered among the saddest storylines of This Is Us.

Milo Ventimiglia's wife, Jarah Mariano, was pregnant when they had to evacuate their Malibu home. The couple, along with their pet dog, managed to grab some important belongings before leaving.

The destructive wildfire affected multiple areas in California and has reportedly destroyed over 20,000 acres of land so far.

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Milo Ventimiglia shares his experience of filming his death scene on This Is Us with 'real fire'

NBC's "This Is Us" Pancakes With The Pearsons (Image via Getty)

In a 2018 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Milo Ventimiglia shared his experience of shooting his final scene in This Is Us, when Jack Pearson dies of smoke inhalation.

“We were working with real fire. Our live effects crew that was in charge of it were so responsible, but still when you’re staring at a seven-foot wall of flames, it’s hard not to be completely intimidated by the brutal, fierce fear of what that represents,” he said.

Ventimiglia was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Awards in the category Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series three times in a row for his portrayal of Jack Pearson in This Is Us. Pearson is the patriarch of the central family in the series and has some emotional storylines throughout the show, including dealing with his alcohol problem.

In his interview with EW, Milo Ventimiglia described one scene that helped him connect with his character in This is Us.

"The scene where I really realized that I connected with Jack the most was the pilot. It was the scene where Jack hears that his wife is okay, but he lost a baby…I remember just standing there and just nodding my head and then feeling the wind taken out of me and from that point on, every time it’s action, it’s not even me, it’s just Jack.”

Ventimiglia also spoke at length about the season 2 storyline where his character had to come out with his alcohol problem to his teenage daughter, Kate. The actor claimed it was "crushing" for him to film the scene.

"It was heartbreaking to feel what Jack felt and the fear he must’ve experienced knowing he’s taking himself out of that hero status for his little girl," he said.

After shooting his fatal death scene from a house fire in This Is Us, Milo Ventimiglia became a strong advocate for fire safety.

After losing his home to the Los Angeles fire, the actor told CBS News that he would now focus on wildfire safety. The actor explained that he is already thinking of ways in which he can help the community.

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Apart from This Is Us, Milo Ventimiglia is also well-known for his portrayal of Jess Mariano in the teen drama series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007). He also reprised his role as Jess in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016).