Is it too late to name "This Is Us" to returning as Rory's ideal partner (she'll figure it out) Jess in "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life." The 39-year-old actor just had a heartwarming Q&A with Interview, during which Will Smith got a surprising name-drop, and heaps of praise.

Interview noted that Ventimiglia's first credited role was Party Guest #1 on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" back in 1995. Here's the star's response when asked, "What was it like on that set?"

"It was fun, man. I had one line. You can still go on YouTube, type in 'Milo Ventimiglia Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' and you'll find it. But the most impactful thing for me being on that set was to see how Will Smith was with his crew. I think he was coming off of 'Men in Black,' and was already signed up for 'Men in Black II.' He was not just a TV star; he was a movie star already. He knew everyone's name and was inclusive of everyone and the crew. For me, being that that was my first job, I just watched and soaked up as much as I could. It impacted me and how I am around my sets and my crews. Will Smith is a good man. So I just try to be a good man. It was a pretty impactful moment, I'm very thankful that that was my first gig — being around him."

Such a class act. By the way, here's what comes up when you Google that:It's amazing that Ventimiglia could soak up so much just from being on set for that one (super cheesy) scene, but that's what happens when you maximize every experience.

Speaking of maximizing experiences -- all "This Is Us" fans have learned to keep tissues on standby, and you may need them again for the section of Ventimiglia's interview when he talks about his own father. He was asked if there was anything from his own family he could draw on for the role of Jack, and here's his response:

"I feel like Jack has the same heart as my father. My father was a very fun dad; he was always coaching our soccer sports teams, he made sure that we had activities to do. He was kind of goofy and fun. But at the same time, he had a lot of lessons to teach us so that we didn't grow up and just not be good people. I try and reflect a lot on how I was raised by my father in the character that I'm playing now in being a dad. You've got to be strong for these kids. You also have to be fun and teach them all the lessons, not just one, or two, or three. I'm in my trailer right now, and in it I have a photograph of my dad from when I was about three years old, and above it, it says, 'Be a good father' and below it, it says, 'Be a good husband.' It's really simple—really simple, easy things to look at right before I walk out of my trailer."

That's so sweet. It certainly helps to have strong influences when you're young. Will Smith should be proud that he had anything to do with keeping Ventimiglia on this "good man" path. Keep it up!

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