In an exclusive preview of hisemmymagazinecover story (out Feb. 24), the 45-year-old actor reveals that he “brought a majority of our crew fromThis Is Us” to his new ABC seriesThe Company You Keep.
“I’ve got my grips, my electric, my costume designer,” he shares. “I’ve got my cinematographer, my production coordinator. I got one of my location managers on. I got my craft service. I got our gal who cleans up on set, Maria. I got just about everybody, short of writers,actorsand, sadly, the art department.”
John Russo
Ventimiglia also refused to filmThe Company You Keepanywhere besides the Paramount lot in Los Angeles whereThis Is Uswas filmed for six seasons before itsseries finalelast spring.
“They’d say, ‘Hey, Mi, how do you feel about Atlanta?’ ‘No, let’s stay in California.’ ‘Hey, Mi, how do you feel about Vancouver?’ ‘Nope, let’s stay in California,'” he recalls. “I wanted to film it at Paramount because that’s where we did This Is Us. It works for my crew. The crew knows the lot — and the lot knows the crew.”
Ventimiglia believes keeping theThis Is Usfamily together has helped bring some of the same magic to his new show.
“This Is Uswas such a wonderful set to be on,” he says. “How could I not try to put that magic into a new endeavor that we have? So far, it has really saved us, helped us.”
He adds, “I know a lot of talented folks. When you can work with your friends, I just think that’s the best recipe. You’re going to capture something great and have a good time while you’re doing it.”
PHOTO: John RussoPHOTO: John Russo
While Ventimiglia pushed to keep theThis Is Uscrew together, he was ready to bring his newThe Company You Keepcharacter, Charlie, to life.
“Jack, in my mind, became a total caricature,” he says of playing the Pearson family patriarch on the NBC series. “When you do a show for six years, you know what the parameters are, what the challenges are. You know the moments when you’re operating off of instinct. You don’t have to discover anything with the character. With Charlie, I’m still discovering.”
However, he may not be not opposed to bringing back Jack’s signature facial mustache in his new role.
“I’m sure Charlie will pop up with a mustache, with some facial hair, and maybe blonde at some point or a little wild hair,” he teases.
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The Company You Keeppremieres Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
source: people.com
