Milo Ventimiglia was on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” for a hot minute but he learned A TON from watching Will Smith

Remember when Milo Ventimiglia was on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Ya, it’s okay if you don’t because it was a LONG time ago, but now the actor is opening up about what he learned on set and what Will Smith taught him and it’s pretty awesome.

Ventimiglia might be known as Jess Mariano from Gilmore Girls to some, or most recently for his role as Jack Pearson on This Is Us, but his first TV gig ever was playing Party Guest #1 on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and we can’t get over it.

His episode was back in 1995 and although it was a super small role it taught the 39-year-old actor a lot about the acting world, specifically because of how Smith handled himself on set.

"The most impactful thing for me being on that set was to see how Will Smith was with his crew," Ventimiglia told Interview magazine about his first acting role.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEM9TWGEc98?feature=oembed

"I think he was coming off of Men in Black, and was already signed up for Men in Black II. He was not just a TV star; he was a movie star already. He knew everyone's name and was inclusive of everyone and the crew."

It was Smith’s ability to make everyone feel important by treating both cast and crew with respect that Ventimiglia has carried with him throughout his own successful career.

"For me, being that that was my first job, I just watched and soaked up as much as I could. It impacted me and how I am around my sets and my crews," he explained.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNezov3BQqy

"Will Smith is a good man. So I just try to be a good man. It was a pretty impactful moment, I'm very thankful that that was my first gig — being around him."

So it’s Will Smith that we have to thank for Ventimiglia’s swoon-worthy demeanor, both on and off screen!