While “Heroes” fans will have to wait until the fall when the show will return with new episodes, ComingSoon.net talked to Milo Ventimiglia Monday on the set of his new movie, Armored, and he told us a little about his “Heroes” character, Peter Petrelli. Armored, co-starring Columbus Short, Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno and Skeet Ulrich, is currently being shot in Culver City on the Sony Pictures lot. The 30-year-old star admitted he knows what’s in store for him on the NBC series, but he can’t give up many details. Okay, actually he can’t spill any information, but we tried anyway.
CS/SHH!: Would this shoot have fallen into your hiatus or did the writers strike allow you to be available?
Milo Ventimiglia: This probably would not have been possible if the writers strike didn’t happen. I think it’s one of those good things and bad things where I was torn out of my day job, but I got the opportunity to do three films on my break. This is my third.
CS/SHH!: What are the other two films and have you noticed different offers since being on “Heroes?”
Ventimiglia: Yes. “Heroes” brought about more of an awareness. “Heroes” is across the world so I think people understand and go, “Peter Petrelli why did you cut your hair?” But still it’s getting jobs the old fashioned way. Going in and speaking to the director and the producers and the studio. Making sure it’s the right fit. I have two other films. One is called “Chaos Theory” with Rhys Coiro. I don’t know if you guys know who he is. Do you watch “Entourage”?
CS/SHH!: Yes.
Ventimiglia: You know Billy Walsh, the crazy director. That’s who he is. Amazing. In the movie it’s a two hander. It’s him and I. He plays the straight man so he’s not this wild and eccentric guy. He’s actually very in the box. He doesn’t really step outside of it too much. I’m the opposite antagonist to him. The other film is “Game.” It’s with Gerard Butler and Amber Valletta by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the guys who did “Crank.”
CS/SHH!: This movie seems pretty action intense. Does it compare to “Heroes?”
Ventimiglia: Yeah. We were on the Sony lot and I was walking around and I had a huge opening on my hip and side. Some guy said to me, “Oh, you guys are shooting over here?” I go, “Yeah. No, no! A different job.” He’s like, “Oh, you’re not back on ‘Heroes.'” I’m like, “No, no no.” It’s the same and I treat it the same. We do a lot of stunts. There is a lot of blood on “Heroes” and I’m pretty comfortable with it.
CS/SHH!: When do you go back to your day job?
Ventimiglia: I think sometime in May.
CS/SHH!: Do you have any idea what’s in store for Peter?
Ventimiglia: Yes, I do.
CS/SHH!: I know you can’t tell us, but it must be nice to know something, but sometimes you don’t.
Ventimiglia: I think we’ve always had an idea. I know I try to sit down with Tim [Kring] and all the guys who are in charge and understand where they’re going so that I can mentally and physically prepare myself for that. If I’m not prepared then it’s just going to be sh*t work. They’re always wanting to help the actors with whatever we need to get ourselves in the right mind space so that we can perform and do the best job that we can, so yeah, I know a little bit of what Peter has coming.
CS/SHH!: Do you think Nathan is really dead this time?
Ventimiglia: I hope not. It’d be really, really bad to lose Adrian [Pasdar]. Regardless of whether or not Nathan’s character has run its course, losing Adrian on that show for me personally would be a tragedy. It would be a different show.
CS/SHH!: Is the “Game” pretty action-packed also?
Ventimiglia: Yes, it’s really action-packed. You’re going to get a better sound byte on what the film is from Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the filmmakers, but it’s roughly a futuristic society where people are controlled by in a video game sense and there are two different worlds. One that takes place in society and one that takes place on a battlefield. There’s a lot of action and a lot of death in this movie. Amazingly, beautiful shots.
CS/SHH!: I was wondering what kind of crazy stuff they made you do because we know what Jason Statham do in “Crank.”
Ventimiglia: My stuff wasn’t so action-packed as it was just disturbing. I’m playing just one of those sick f**k characters. I’ll be honest, he’s a sick f**k.
CS/SHH!: In both worlds or just in one?
Ventimiglia: Just in one.
CS/SHH!: How he is so sick?
Ventimiglia: His name is Rick Rape.
CS/SHH!: Are they still calling it the “Game” because I heard they were changing it?
Ventimiglia: I don’t know. I don’t think there has ever been a “the.” I think it’s just “Game.” It’s funny because when I heard Mark and Brian talk about it someone said, “Oh, you’re doing ‘The Game.'” And they just went, “Game.” I’m not sure about that.
CS/SHH!: You were in “Pathology” which they wrote, so are you lobbying to be in “Crank 2?”
Ventimiglia: They said to me, “Milo you’re not Asian, you’re not Hispanic.” And I’m like, “What else you got?” I’m big fans of Mark and Brian. Those guys took an opportunity with me on “Pathology” and I don’t really take that lightly, guys putting their confidence in me so when they invited me to go be a part of “Game” in the smallest way I’m like, “I’m there.” Finding myself in their favor has been a very, very good thing. So working with guys who are setting trends in filmmaking for the next generation I really think they are. They’re amazing with what they write, everything. They don’t subscribe to filmmaking I think as they’re told to do. They just do whatever they want and it comes across great. They’re innovators.
CS/SHH!: Are you at a point where you’re consciously looking for roles that are different from Peter Petrelli?
Ventimiglia: Yeah, I think sometimes when you’re on television you are kind of viewed in one way because that’s the predominant character that you do. I think for me when I’m not playing Peter Petrelli, I just like to find characters that are interesting whether they’re different or similar for me I go with what’s interesting to me. So it’s not so conscious of a choice to look for or seek out characters that are different. If I see a character that is different and that is presented or brought to me or that I have to audition for or whatever it is, sometimes it turns me on a little bit more than usual because I’m not repeating myself or playing the same kind of character. I had a string of guys who were similar to Peter Petrelli and now I’ve had a handful of different kinds of characters.
CS/SHH!: Why did you cut your hair?
Ventimiglia: I needed to grow up. I think there was a moment where Peter Petrelli needed to step out of the lost little boy kind of innocent I don’t know what to do character persona and I think in doing that and kind of cutting the ties of long hair or anything that’s associated with that young boyish nature kind of allowed him to grow up. It coincided at a point in my life where I was turning 30. I was 29 and I’m like I can’t play these young teen roles anymore, but I still look young so I’m like what do I do? I’ll just pack on some weight and cut your hair. It helped.
CS/SHH!: Do you think your girlfriend will be back? The Irish girl from last season.
Ventimiglia: I don’t know. I’m not sure. I think where the story left off is kind of open to the direction that we are going to go, but I do know where we’re headed is going to be a f***ing ride.
