‘This Is Us’: Milo Ventimiglia Told Teen Kevin Actor Logan Shroyer He Might Wait ‘Years’ for His Next Acting Gig
This Is Us star Logan Shroyer, who portrays the teenage version of Kevin Pearson, revealed he’s actually closest to Milo Ventimiglia, who portrays his father, Jack, in the award-winning series. He recently recalled advice he received from the Heroes star.
Logan Shroyer revealed the advice he received from ‘This Is Us’ co-star Milo Ventimiglia
The actor who portrays Kevin Pearson during his teenage years, Logan Shroyer, spoke about his strong relationship with Milo Ventimiglia, who portrays his father, Jack, in a May 2022 interview with TODAY.
The teenager named him as the co-star he has the “most deep talks with,” calling him a “very big resource of wisdom.”
Shroyer talked about the “inconsistent” nature of the entertainment business, pointing out that most “A-list” actors go through periods where they don’t land any gigs.
The teenager recalled Ventimiglia’s words, remembering his on-screen father advising him, “Don’t wait by the phone. Keep life going. Travel, make experiences, continue growing your craft, and something will show up eventually if you stick through.”
Shroyer previously compared his ‘The Waltons’ John-Boy to Kevin on ‘This Is Us’
Produced in the 1970s, The Waltons is a drama portraying the ‘30s. Shroyer portrayed John-Boy in CW’s The Waltons’ Homecoming and believes there’s a connection between the two.
Speaking in a November 2021 Zoom panel for the remake, he explained he didn’t think he “approached” the characters similarly, despite the resemblance. He pointed out that Kevin (This Is Us) “has maybe more of a proclivity to being selfish,” making him a more polarizing character.
However, the teenager also noted that his character “experienced such kind of great hardship early on in his life, and he didn’t handle it well.” Therefore, viewers are watching him get his life together as he gets older, “hopefully.” On the other hand, John Boy Walton has a steadfast loyalty to his loved ones.
Shroyer described the character as “more of a servant, I would say, perhaps to his family” because of how much he cares. “That’s obviously the conflict between his passion for writing and sort of the man’s responsibility as it is in the ’30s,” pointing out the differences in time periods might also play a part in why Kevin and John Boy operate much contrastingly.
Shroyer nearly missed the ‘This Is Us’ audition
Since September 2016, Shroyer has portrayed Kevin in his teenage years for all six seasons of This Is Us, from 14 to 18.
During this time, Kevin deals with the ending of his football career due to an injury and his spiraling into alcoholism after the unexpected death of his father.
After high school, he married his childhood love, Sophie (Alexandra Breckenridge), before moving across the country to pursue an acting career. However, he cheated on his wife, resulting in a divorce.
Shroyer almost didn’t portray the teenage version. In an interview with People, he revealed he received a “super last minute” call for the audition but nearly decided not to go due to a doctor’s appointment. However, he canceled, noting, “I have to do this.” This Is Us airs Tuesdays on NBC.
