Milo Ventimiglia has opened up about his real-life romance with Alexis Bledel during their “Gilmore Girls” years.
In an interview published Monday, Ventimiglia, 49, reflected on the personal bonds formed behind the scenes of the WB series. “The episodes are for an audience to pick apart, dissect,” he explained. “For us to make it, [it’s] the experience of making it. What were those days like on set? Hanging out with Jared Padalecki, being with Alexis. The experience is something that I always lean into, that really fills me up.”
The actor, who joined the show in its second season as Jess Mariano, dated Bledel, now 45, from 2002 to 2006. Their off-screen relationship overlapped with their on-screen pairing, as Jess became the boyfriend of Bledel’s character, Rory Gilmore, throughout Season 3.
Ventimiglia’s memories center on practical moments rather than plot points. He recalled one specific day shooting on the Warner Bros. Backlot with Bledel, when a prop bag became a point of contention. “I remember shooting on the backlot of Warner Bros. With Alexis and getting on the bus and carrying a bag that the prop guy wanted to make really light,” he shared. “But I [said], ‘Yeah, but it looks full and it’s huge, so it should be heavy. Put a sandbag in it.'”
“Those are the things that I think about. I don’t think about the episode,” he added.
The “This Is Us” star made recurring appearances as Jess until the series finale in 2007, and fans have remained fixated on his character’s dialogue decades later. Ventimiglia noted that strangers still quiz him on specific lines. “It’s funny: I’ll have people run up to me and be like, ‘Hey, do you remember that time on ‘Gilmore’ when you said this?’ I’m like, ‘That was 26 years ago.’ I’m like, ‘Tell me something about your life from 26 years ago.’ They’re like, ‘I wasn’t born,'” he recounted.
Ventimiglia confirmed he is expected to participate in an upcoming “Gilmore Girls” documentary currently in production for HBO Max from series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. Lauren Graham, who portrayed Lorelai Gilmore, is also set to appear.
Regarding preparation for the documentary, Ventimiglia admitted he has not revisited the show. “I probably won’t watch any [episodes] to refresh,” he stated. “I have no idea what I’m getting into,” he continued, revealing that he “[has] yet to record [his] part.”
“I think the world of Amy, and Lauren, too. I have no idea what we’re going to talk about. It was 26 years ago that I made the show,” he said.
Ventimiglia has been married to model Jarah Mariano since 2023. The couple share two children: daughter Ke’ala Coral, whom they welcomed last year, and son Rock-Anthony Makoa.
Bledel married actor Vincent Kartheiser in 2014, and the pair finalized their divorce in 2022. The former couple share a son, whom they welcomed in fall 2015.
The documentary project marks a new chapter in the enduring legacy of the series, which premiered in 2000 and gained renewed attention through a 2016 Netflix revival. Ventimiglia’s participation reunites him with the creative team behind his breakout role, even as he maintains that the production experience, not the finished episodes, remains his truest connection to the show.
Ventimiglia has yet to schedule his recording session for the documentary.