Will Smith’s kindness left lasting impression on Milo Ventimiglia

Will Smith left a lasting impression on Milo Ventimiglia at the very start of the This Is Us actor’s career.
Over the last year Milo has become a star in his own right, after landing the role of dad Jack in NBC’s groundbreaking drama This is Us. But long before he was a household name, Milo was a jobbing actor with bit parts in shows like Will’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Despite being a complete unknown, Will took the time to chat with him, and Milo has never forgotten how well the A-lister treated everyone on set.
“My very first paying gig was on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and I remember Will Smith being the kindest person to his entire crew and (to) me – a guy who had one line on that set,” he recalled to Entertainment Tonight. “That’s what I wanna inspire too when it’s my show. Not only do you have to put in the work, but also (you have) be a good person.
“Respect everyone around, inspire and make sure everyone in the crew and the cast and everyone feels welcome.
“So, that was the best lesson I’ve learned and (that) was my first paying job.”
Milo was talking at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) on Sunday (21Jan18), where he was representing This Is Us, which won both awards it was nominated for, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for Sterling K. Brown, with Sterling’s win marking the first time a black actor has ever taken home the award.
“It’s nice when the group of us are recognised,” Milo said prior to the ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. “I mean, it’s a hard working group. It’s a very talented group of people. We’re excited to be here.”
Mandy Moore, Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley co-star in the show.