Milo Ventimiglia got real about why playing Jack has “hurt” his dating life

Even those who haven’t been watching This Is Us probably know by now that Milo Ventimiglia’s character Jack is an incredible partner. While he’s had a few ups and downs with his wife Rebecca (played by the lovely Mandy Moore) Jack’s portrayal in season one included a lot of romantic moments and gestures. Plus, the fact that he’s played by Ventimiglia, who many of us swooned over due to Gilmore Girls, doesn’t hurt.

However, Ventimiglia opened up about how his character has actually made romance a bit more difficult. Why? Because, well, he’s a character.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ventimiglia discussed how his popular character “totally hurts” his real life.

"People are like, ‘Man, I wish my husband were more like Jack.’ ‘Man, I wish my boyfriend would do the things that Jack would do.’ And I’m like, Jack’s not real. The dude standing in front of you is real and he’s probably sitting down watching the show with you, so therefore, give your dude some love," he said.

It must hurt if Ventimiglia has to not only prove that he’s not Jack, but stand up for a countless amount of relationships. We don’t envy him for that.

Speaking of the show, the end of season one (which hopefully you’ve seen by now — if not, prepare for a spoiler) showed Jack and Rebecca deciding to take some time apart. He agrees with Moore in wanting a few lighter scenes for season two.

"Playing this couple that has been through this argument that we all saw at the end [of last season] and knowing the road of repair that they’re going to have to get back to being the couple that we love them to be, yeah," he said. "Mandy and I, we just want those happy moments because they’re fun to play. When it’s heavy, you’re like, ‘I really want to have a light moment.’"

No matter what scene they’re in together, we’re ready for it. This Is Us is expected to return this September.