Sometimes life imitates art in the cruelest of ways, and heartbroken fans of Milo Ventimiglia can’t help but point out the devastating similarities between his This Is Us character and real life.
On Thursday, the 47-year-old actor visited the remains of his Malibu home, destroyed during the Los Angeles fires, where he and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, 41, were preparing to raise their first child.
Ventimiglia became visibly emotional as she talked about her loss, which included the crib and “everything that was prepared” for her baby’s arrival.
Fans couldn’t help but point out the eerie (and sad) similarities between Ventimiglia’s character on the NBC drama and her real life.
In season 2 of This Is Us, Ventimiglia’s character Jack Pearson dies devastatingly in a house fire from smoke inhalation after rescuing his family, which heartbroken fans were quick to point out.
‘“Life imitates art” in the worst possible version. Once for Jack Pearson and once for Milo Ventimiglia,” one fan wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“As someone who watched every episode of This Is Us and cried, it’s heartbreaking to know that both Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia have lost their homes in the fires,” another added.
‘Of course I’m heartbroken for everyone. But it’s sad how life imitated art for Mandy and Milo,” someone commented.
Milo Ventimiglia, 47, choked after his Malibu home caught fire in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
In season 2 of This Is Us, Ventimiglia’s character Jack Pearson dies devastatingly in a house fire from smoke inhalation after rescuing his family, which heartbroken fans were quick to point out.
“It’s weird how he lost the house in the fire on ‘This Is Us’ and now this,” another chimed in.
In an interview with CBS News on Thursday, the actor fought back tears as he saw the remains of his family’s home.
He revealed that he and his wife watched their house burn to the ground in horrifying CCTV footage.
The actor commented on the similarities between his own situation and that of his characters on the hit show.
“It’s not lost on me,” he said of the comparison. ‘Life imitating art.’
Fortunately, unlike his on-screen character, Ventimiglia is alive and he said that fortunately he still has everything that really matters.
“We have good friends and good people we work with,” he said. ‘We’ll manage. The wife, the baby and the dog are the most important things.
Once the fire in the area was out, he returned to the area two days later. He knew his house was gone, but being there in person he said it felt “heavy.”
Fans couldn’t help but point out the disturbing (and sad) similarities between Ventimiglia’s character on the NBC drama and her real life.
Heartbroken Milo Ventimiglia fans can’t help but point out the devastating similarities between his This Is Us character and real life. Pictured is Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson on This Is Us
The This Is Us star visited the remains of the home where he and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, 41, had been excitedly preparing to raise their baby; photographed in October 2024 in Agoura Hills
Fortunately, unlike his on-screen character (pictured), Ventimiglia is still alive and said he thankfully still has everything that really matters.
His ex-onscreen wife Mandy Moore was also one of many who were forced to evacuate amid the devastating fires.
The Gilmore Girls alum also spoke to CBS about how he and his wife watched their house burn to the ground in horrifying security camera footage.
Fortunately, he, his wife and their dog were safely evacuated Tuesday before it happened.
He knew his house was gone, but being there in person he said it felt “heavy.”
“You start thinking about all the memories in different parts of the house and stuff,” the Gilmore Girls alum explained.
“And then you see your neighbors’ houses and everything around you and your heart breaks,” he continued.
His ex-onscreen wife Mandy Moore was also one of many who were forced to evacuate amid the devastating fires.
At least 10 people were killed and thousands of structures were burned as fierce wildfires raged through the Los Angeles area, authorities said.
Fast-moving flames swept through homes and businesses as residents fled smoke-filled canyons and picturesque neighborhoods that are home to many celebrities.
Many of the massive fires that started Tuesday were fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, which reached gusts of more than 70 mph in some places. Winds eased Thursday, but the National Weather Service warned that even reduced gusts could spread the fire quickly.
The exact death toll is still unclear, but is expected to rise as teams begin searching through the rubble.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said California has deployed more than 1,400 firefighters to battle the flames. Oregon, Washington, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona sent teams to help.
AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on the weather and its impact, raised its estimate of damage and economic losses to between $135 billion and $150 billion. Government officials have not yet released any damage estimates.