It's undeniable that Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia have one of the most beautiful relationships on television. The This Is Us stars have both been nominated for Emmys because of their work, but it's not just their on-screen relationship that is special. Off screen, they are incredibly close and have a respect for each other that isn't always seen among actors.
In honor of her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Ventimiglia penned an essay about Moore in Variety, talking about how wonderful the actress's process is, and how they communicate.
"The day that we met I was meeting with a couple of different women who might play Rebecca on the show," Ventimiglia recalled. "There were a bunch of us in the waiting room, and I introduced myself to everybody, but Mandy and I didn't talk a whole lot. I didn't want to distract her or anyone else, and audition rooms are sometimes nerve-wracking or challenging, but what I saw in Mandy was this intense focus but yet this kind-hearted human being that was bursting at the seams with warmth."
Despite not really knowing each other, the two actors had an instant connection, according to Ventimiglia.
"Once we got in the room and we were reading scenes together, it just felt natural," he recalled. "We were playing husband and wife of five years, expecting kids, and there's an intimacy with that, and even in the room that very first time, I would say to her, 'I'm going to put my face in your neck, is that OK? I'm going to have my hand on your back, is that OK?'"
Just like a real-life marriage, the couple had to learn all about communication.
"It's always about communication," Ventimiglia pointed out. "For Mandy and I, if we ever come to difficult times in a scene, character-wise or even just a difference of approach, one thing we've always done since the beginning is just turn to each other and say, 'What do you think?' Her process is as simple as mine, and I think that's what really bonded us in the beginning. You do the homework, show up and see what happens on set "” and [are] not afraid to dance."
The other thing about Moore, Ventimiglia points out, is that she knows what she wants. When other people might roll over or not speak up, she isn't afraid to speak her mind.
"I think a lot of actors try to get a performance out of you that folds into what they were thinking up for themselves, but Mandy shows up ready to go and try new things and also has the confidence to say, 'No, this is what I think,'" Ventimiglia said. "She has her power within how she approaches the work and she's not afraid to show it."
Moore has been in the industry for more than 20 years, and she has built a reputation of being incredibly pleasant, as well as talented.
[H/T: Variety]
