Do you remember your first celebrity crush? Time seemed to stop whenever we turned on our TV's to watch our dreamboat boys grace our screens! Having crushes on our favorite TV heartthrobs seemed like a journey with no end date in sight; from tearing out pictures of our fantasy fellows to paste all over our bedroom walls, and recording the episodes featuring our fave hotties so we could have marathons on a loop. We loved their storylines on our favorite shows, but let's be real, we loved to tune in every week in order to catch a glimpse of our chosen crushes!

If we're lucky enough, our favorite actors grow up on screen alongside us and evolve from teen heartthrobs to critically acclaimed picks for "ones to watch," which makes growing up with our favorite actors all the more sweeter! There's one heartthrob who has graduated from the class of teen magazines to the ranks of Emmy nominees; Milo Ventimiglia.

Ventimiglia came to land heartthrob status in his role on the classic dramedy Gilmore Girls, in the role of Jess Mariano, a member of the trifecta of Rory Gilmore's boyfriends. Jess was a "bad boy" type, who was a major influence on her character. Jess taught his girl so much about the importance of relationships, which lasted for life.

In 2016, Milo's repertoire of impactful characters expanded when he was cast as Jack Pearson in This Is Us, and we want to celebrate Milo as he is: a television legend!

20 He Has A Real-Life Rebecca Pearson

There's absolutely no doubt Milo's portrayal of Jack Pearson, the patriarch of the Pearson family has raised the standards for fathers, boyfriends, and husbands everywhere! Jack treats his wife, Rebecca, with endless amounts of patience, love, and respect, you're not alone in wondering if Milo is as good of a partner as his character.

After having a few high profile relationships with well-known actresses, it seems as if Milo has opted to keep his private life much more on the quieter side. Sorry ladies, but Milo is spoken for these days! His leading lady is Kelly Egarian, a marketing coordinator!

19 He Started Out Doing Commercials

Before the days of Milo wearing a leather jacket on Gilmore Girls, or donning a vintage goatee as Jack Pearson on This Is Us, Milo was able to experiment with his acting abilities through years of filming commercials, allowing himself (and his fans) to see him in so many different scenarios!

Milo looked back fondly on his early days of filming commercials in an interview with W last year. He revealed to the publication he often found himself in the business of enjoying "a lot of soft drinks."

One thing's for sure; Milo's legendary smile is intact in every commercial!

18 J-Lo's A Fan

In the late '90s, Jennifer Lopez was known not only for her movies but for a string of irresistible dance hits, among them, a song called "If You Had My Love."

As of late, Milo Ventimiglia has J-Lo's love! The two actors recently teamed up for a film, which looks to be action packed! Not only does the film seem to promise a gripping tale, the way J-Lo and Milo met before filming is just as irresistible.

Jen had her mind made up. According to Milo, it was "flattering" that J-Lo wanted him to be her love in Second Act!

17 He Rides In Style

Is that... Milo on the back of a bike? Are you sure this isn't Jess Mariano?

In a move reminiscent of his legendary Gilmore Girls character, Milo Ventimiglia prefers traveling on the open road as opposed to getting around via a contraption with wheels and four doors!

Milo's favorite method of transportation is his motorcycle. His love for them isn't only an obsession for a season; Milo's gone on to collect many different bikes, which, according to Men's Journal, are customized specifically for him!

Can you imagine riding along with Milo on an endless open road for miles and miles?

16 He's Got A Thing For Mickey

Talk about a dream vacation! Milo Ventimiglia certainly subscribes to the idea of Disneyland being known as the "happiest place on Earth." As an adult, he's been known to take a trip to hang with his homie, Mickey Mouse!

Not only is Disneyland one of Milo's most loved vacation spots, he has a pretty goofy history with the California hangout of our dreams. He opened up to Jimmy Kimmel in an interview about his love of all things Disney. He jokingly responded, "Disneyland's one of those places where you go to fall in love, but also get into real trouble!"

15 He Looked To His Dad For Inspiration

Watching Milo act as Jack Pearson and interact with the kids on This Is Us fills us with the warm fuzzies! Milo's chemistry with the younger members of the cast is so obvious and lovely, it's refreshing to hear Milo enjoys working with kids.

The Ventimiglia family was an extensive family, with many children around. Milo has been very open about his relationship with his father, and he's very happy to let everyone know his father had a big influence on how he portrays a certain Papa Pearson!

Perhaps remembering his father's influence will lead him to fatherhood one day!

14 He Lost A Role To A Famous Actor

Hollywood seems to be such a vast place considering how many celebs are in the business but in reality, Hollywood is a pretty small world! Milo Ventimiglia knows what it's like to encounter a fellow celeb in the long process of landing a part in a film.

Before they were both stars, Milo and Elijah Wood, an actor you may know from the legendary film series Lord Of The Rings, auditioned for the same film. For a great piece of trivia, the film the duo auditioned for was called Radio Flyer.

Wouldn't Milo and Elijah be an awesome on-screen pair?

13 He Dated A 'Hero'

Given Milo's status as one of the most attractive leading men in Hollywood, it's understandable to want the scoop on the leading ladies of Milo's private life!

It's pretty well-known that Milo's romance on Gilmore Girls with Alexis Bledel, translated off-screen, but did you know Milo dated another co-star who became a well-known actress?

Milo and Hayden Panettiere carried on a romance beyond the Heroes script in the late 2000s, but their relationship didn't last for very long. The pair split up after two years.

Dating in the limelight is no longer Milo's cup of tea for better or worse.

12 He Spent Some Time In Bel-Air

It's always very interesting to learn when two blockbuster Hollywood stars are somehow connected in Tinsel Town! If you ask a Will Smith fan of a certain age about which role they remember Will Smith best from, it's pretty common for them to launch into a familiar rap...

Milo Ventimiglia spent some time on the block in Bel-Air in the early 1990s when he guest starred on Will Smith's Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air! Blink twice and you may miss his appearance, but thankfully it is available on YouTube. Milo is very thankful for his role as "Party Guest Number One!"

11 He Got To Work With His Crush

We know Milo was once a fixture on the cover of teen magazines and was the number one crush for many of us back in his Gilmore Girls day, but did you know Milo had his own crush back in the day?

It sounds like fan fiction, but Milo's teenhood crush on Alyssa Milano, who was famous for her role on Save By The Bell, eventually became a co-star years later in the movie, Pathology.

Imagine establishing a connection strong enough behind the scenes to warrant a legacy as important as naming a son after him? These are friendship goals!

10 He Loves The Camera

For someone who is often in front of the camera as a subject, Milo frequently trades spots! The actor frequently switches angles and finds himself looking through the camera lens, as he's an avid photographer.

If you take a look at his Instagram page, you'll notice pretty quickly his profile isn't like your typical celeb's photo collection! Milo takes professional photography style pictures of sky shots, and frequently documents his love of cars!

Milo's relationship with Instagram has been on and off. He tells the Associated Press, "Nobody was looking at my photos. They were asking about my acting jobs."

9 How He Tapped Into His Inner Jack

In the latest episodes of This Is Us, viewers are able to see a new side of Jack Pearson as he cares for his brother from a young age. These episodes chronicling Jack's time in Vietnam lay the foundation for viewers to understand why Jack is so paternal and is able to take care of so many people!

In order for Milo to figure out how to play Jack so convincingly well, he had an influence whom he mapped his character after. Ventimiglia revealed, "I feel like Jack has the same heart as my father" to Interview Magazine. How sweet!

8 He's Not "Team Jess"

A longheld debate among Gilmore Girls fans centers around which one of Rory's love interests is the best boyfriend for her! So many people are shippers of the "literati" relationship between Rory and Jess. Milo, however, doesn't really agree with Rory and Jess fans and has expressed he isn't a member of "Team Jess."

Milo's preference for Rory's best beau may be surprising, considering their characters didn't get along well in the show! He told Bustle he was "always Team Dean" and he doesn't seem to be changing his mind!

No matter Milo's stance, there are endless classic "Literati" moments.

7 "This Is Us Makes" Him Cry

There's no doubt the appeal of This Is Us comes from the actors' extremely believable performances. Every cast member portrays their characters with an ability making us believe the Pearsons are our own family, and their emotional performances give fans such a connection!

When the cast discusses how particular scenes really moved them, they really mean it! Milo's been moved to tears a number of times on set; he revealed multiple moments where he needed to reach for the tissue boxes. His love for each of the overall elements in the show's storyline makes his performance all the more endearing.

6 He's A Big Fan Of The Snooze Button

Actors are just like us! When we find out tidbits about celebrities revealing they're just as normal as we are, it's refreshing!

It would appear Milo's on-screen performances require concentration, so it makes sense the actor would need to get shut-eye to survive long hours on set. One family member Jack Pearson may not get along with? The alarm clock. Milo revealed in an interview he struggles with conquering the snooze button!

According to Coveteur, Milo's magic snooze-button- push number is two. He says, "my first alarm is just alerting me that the second one is coming two minutes later."

5 His Mom Loved Gilmore Girls

You may be familiar with a variation of the saying "your mother knows best," and oftentimes it's true. It doesn't matter if you're a famous actor or just your Mom's favorite child, your mother knows much more than you realize!

A mother's intuition played a role for Milo Ventimiglia. Mama Ventimiglia had a feeling she knew just the perfect TV show for her actor son to star on!

Milo revealed to Megyn Kelly he had called his mom to let her know he would be appearing on Gilmore Girls, and Mrs. Ventimiglia was super excited for her son's longtime role.

4 Julia Roberts Brought Him To Tears

For an actor who brings his fans to tears each week with his TV show, there's bound to be some media which inspired Milo to reach for the tissues!

When you ask romantic comedy fans to name the films that move them, there's a chance the sentimental 1980s film Steel Magnolias will come up in conversation. Milo Ventimiglia proves you can be an Emmy nominated actor and still be moved by Julia Roberts' career-defining performance! In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Milo revealed the film brought him to tears, even as a kid.

Perhaps Milo took some cues from Julia?

3 He Loves Hearing People's Stories

Whether you're a longtime viewer or a brand new fan, the cast of This Is Us's love for family is evident in both the show's storylines and behind the scenes. From many behind the scenes photos featuring the cast genuinely enjoying each other's company to Mandy Moore's Instagram stories of her tearfully watching the show and thanking the cast and crew, they're a family.

The cast's close-knit bond to family stories has translated off-screen as well! Milo told Jimmy Fallon in an interview, he's been known to get teary-eyed over fan stories. He said, "I've got a big heart, too!"

2 He's Not Great With Texting

For those of us who dream we could have a text thread going with the man behind Jess Mariano or Jack Pearson, this dream may be left on "read."

Texting can be such an intricate part of our lives and it can be easy to misread or misunderstand what someone is trying to say. Text issues like these could be a reason why Milo would rather put down the phone. In an interview with Coveteur, he says, "I feel like texting should be information-based, as opposed to 'Hey, so how are you? How's it going?...'"

Shall we call Milo instead?

1 Around The World

Milo's been known to enjoy seeking out nature's gifts through traveling on a motorcycle and documenting his trips through his interesting Insta feed, it's evident he appreciates a trip!

When it comes to navigating around the world, Milo refuses to limit himself to a particular destination. According to Men's Journal, he would love to explore multiple different countries. He says, "But for me, the ultimate would be to go cross country or fly to another country—you know, go from the tip of Japan to the bottom of Japan, or travel around India."

Milo as a travel guide? Yes, please!

References: Country Living, W Magazine, Men's Journal, YouTube

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