Milo Ventimiglia Hints at Details of Upcoming Evel Knievel Role (Exclusive)
Milo Ventimiglia is spilling the details on his new death-defying role!
ET's Lauren Zima caught up with the This Is Us star at the ABC/20th Century Fox and Hulu's joint Emmys after-party on Sunday following the 71st Primetime Emmys, where he opened up about playing the legendary stuntman Evel Knievel on the USA Network's upcoming limited series.
Ventimiglia started off by making it clear that he won't be risking his life for the role, stating, "Let me just say, when you're playing a heroin addict, you don't do the heroin."
In terms of stunts that he will be helping to recreate from the late daredevil's career, the leading man teased that the show will be pulling out all the stops.
"So, I imagine you will see me on a motorcycle which I'm comfortable on. You're not gonna see me jumping over the Ceasers fountain or across Snake River [Canyon]," the 42-year-old actor added. "But still, I'm excited to dive [into] that character. As a guy who influenced a lot of guys like myself in extreme sports and whatnot, he was a very fascinating character. The more that I learn about him, the more excited I am to portray him."
Early in September, USA Network announced that they'd be creating a series centered on the world-famous stuntman, his career and his private life.
"USA Network is known for big event series that celebrate heroes, rebels and icons, and what could be bigger than the story of one of the greatest thrill seekers of all time?" said Chris McCumber, President of Entertainment Networks at USA Network and Syfy, in a statement. "The incredible life and journey of Evel Knievel lends itself to a dramatic retelling, and we are excited to be partnering with Milo, McG, UCP, Atlas and Wonderland to bring this iconic American tale to our viewers."
The series begins filming in 2020, likely after the fourth season of This Is Us wraps production earlier in the year.
On Sunday, Ventimiglia also gracefully discussed losing out to Billy Porter in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category at Sunday's awards show for his work on Pose.
"I'm very happy for Billy Porter, I'm very happy for everyone that won tonight," he shared. "I'm grateful for their performances and their artistry and all that, but I'm perfectly fine not walking up on stage. It's OK."
This Is Us premieres on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
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