In 1980, the country was consumed with the mystery of “Who Shot J.R.?”
Almost four decades later, America couldn’t stop asking, “What killed J.P.?”
“It also came with surprise!
Milo Ventimiglia on ‘This Is Us’.NBC
(Thanks a lot, George!)
MILO VENTIMIGLIA:I don’t want to say a relief, but I think it was acceptance.
She didn’t know that I was going to be there.
So that was it was a moment.
I wanted to give her the space and lay there, still, not moving.
Which was the most difficult scene to film emotionally or even logistically throughout the episode?
There are some really tiny, beautiful moments, there are some frantic moments with the fire…
The difficulty for me was the logistics of the fire.
We were working in a controlled way with live flames, but still, it’s fire.
So logistically that was tough.
You’re just done.
You’ve known Jack was going to die since the beginning of the series.
I mean, it was nothing but applause for Dan Fogelman.
His creation of these moments is so beautiful they’re perfect.
They really are perfect.
Who does that as a writer?
Dan Fogelman does and it’s heartbreaking and beautiful and it’s unique.
Does it feel like in some ways that a burden has been lifted?
Yes, it does and no, it doesn’t.
All of us have gotten very accustomed to not speaking about family secrets.
“Yeah, I’m sorry, I can’t tell you.
I am happy to have that in the rear-view.
But it’s not the end of Jack.
There is still so much to know about this guy.
It’s hardly goodbye for you.
What does telling this chapter of the story now allow the show to do moving forward?
This is episode 14, so that’s only the 32nd hour we’ve ever known this family.
The cast recently had a viewing party to watch the episode together.
What stands out to you about that?
Who lost it the most?
But there was no one that wasn’t crying.
I mean, that beautiful scene with Eris Baker, who plays Tess, I mean, my god!
Knocked out of the park!
We’re going into the future!
Like, how cool is that?
How much guilt, if any or what emotions should Kate feel?
Kate shouldn’t feel any guilt at all.
There’s no guilt associated with that.
It wasn’t her crying out for her dog that ultimately is responsible for Jack.
Jack made a decision.
I mean, it’s not that Jack just went in and grabbed the dog and ran out.
Look at all those other treasures those family memories that Jack pulled out.
I mean,how?
Even Rebecca said that at the hospital: “How, Jack?”
It’s just Jack, it’s who he is.
Literally, saved her.
Such a beautiful moment played by Chrissy and Chris Sullivan.
Now we can write the epitaph on Jack’s gravestone or urn.
How should that read now that we know maybe not the full story, but more of the story?
Jack died as he lived in service of his family.
To read more from Ventimiglia about Jack’s “fing painful” death,click here.
To find out whyThis Is Uscreator Dan Fogelman wanted to Jack to die THAT way,click here.
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