“This Is Us” doesn’t just make audiences cry. The actors are affected too, but they can’t always be sobbing in their scenes on the NBC drama. Milo Ventimigilia revealed that he has a hard time controlling his reaction to Jack’s storyline.

“Jack is not one to cry, and I myself am more emotional than Jack,” Ventimiglia admitted to Glamour. “The hardest moments for me are where I personally have to hold my emotion in.”

Those moments must happen pretty often. “This Is Us” has been dealing with Jack’s flaws this year. While Jack’s death is definitely going to be the most emotional reveal, the look into his addiction really had Ventimiglia holding back the tears. “When Jack opens up about his drinking problem [to Kate]...I’m welling up thinking about the experience,” he said.

This Is Us Jack
Milo Ventigmiglia says co-stars like Mackenzie Hancsicsak help him control his reactions during Jack’s heartbreaking “This Is Us” scenes. NBC

The “Gilmore Girls” alum says having stellar co-stars helps him stay in character as the less emotional Jack. “But thank God I have partners like [teen Kate] Hannah Zeile, [10-year-old Kate] Mackenzie Hancsicsak, and all the kids both ages. And Mandy, Mandy, Mandy…she’s a God send,” he praised.

Fans can only imagine how the actor would’ve reacted if he had been in Tuesday’s emotional therapy session. The episode featured all of the present day Pearsons in therapy with Kevin (Justin Hartley), where he revealed that he felt ignored as a child. He accused his mother of favoring Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and Kate (Chrissy Metz) of having an addiction to food. Randall claimed Kevin just wanted attention, and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) blurted out that Randall was just easier and never abandoned her.

Though it was an emotionally draining day for Kevin, executive producer Isaac Aptaker told audiences to expect the emotions to keep running high as Kevin tries to apologize to those he has wronged next week.

“He has a lot of amends to make, he has a lot of work to do based on what happened in that therapy session,” Aptaker teased to Entertainment Weekly. “Episode 12 picks up right where we left off; he dives headfirst into repair. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s one of my favorite Kevin stories we have coming up — the people he chooses to try to fix his relationship with first.”

“This Is Us” Season 2 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.

RELATED STORIES