Ventimiglia played Jess Mariano — one of Rory Gilmore's love interests — in the beloved TV series
NEED TO KNOW
- Gilmore Girls alum Milo Ventimiglia told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that he would be “way okay” if his daughter, Ke’ala, declared that she was on “team Dean” one day
- His character in the series, Jess, was involved in a love triangle with Rory (Alexis Bledel) and her first boyfriend, Dean (Jared Padalecki)
- Ventimiglia also spoke about his enduring friendship with Padalecki and costar Matt Czuchry, who played Logan, another of Rory’s love interests
Milo Ventimiglia says he would be "way okay" if his daughter declared that she was on "team Dean" one day.
While it will be many years before the Gilmore Girls alum's daughter, 1-year-old Ke'ala, can watch the beloved series, Ventimiglia, 48, told PEOPLE that he is open-minded when it comes to her future take on the love triangle between lead character Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), Dean Forester (played by Jared Padalecki) and his character, Jess Mariano.
Dean, Rory's classmate and first boyfriend, ends up publicly breaking up with her at a school dance marathon event after pointing out to Rory and Jess — a newcomer to their town, Stars Hollow — that the pair's feelings for each other were "so damn obvious."
Asked how he would react if Ke'ala — whom he shares with wife Jarah Mariano — was team Dean, Ventimiglia told PEOPLE, "I'd be way okay if my daughter eventually watched the show and she was team Dean. I get it because I'm team Jared, so I get it."
The WB
The I Can Only Imagine 2 star went on to speak about his enduring friendship with Padalecki, 43, as well as fellow Gilmore Girls costar Matt Czuchry, who played another of Rory's love interests, Logan Huntzberger.
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"I know that Logan and Jess and Dean were kind of very spread apart in who they were as characters, but Matt Czuchry and Jared Padalecki couldn't be … I mean, they're the best guys," Ventimiglia said. "They couldn't be any lovelier as human beings, and I think it's nice that more than 20-plus years later we all still can talk about this show we were growing up on and come together as grown men just to recognize that and still have loving words for one another."
Doug Inglish
Ventimiglia's comments come just months after Padalecki and Czuchry, 48, reunited last year for an exclusive interview for PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive issue, during which they debated which of Rory's boyfriends was the best.
"I'm team Jess, funny enough," Padalecki replied. "Just knowing the show and having some idea of where Rory was in her life. They all were flawed, let's be clear. Well, I'll say Dean was flawed. They all had their issues, but today I'm team Jess."
Padalecki also revealed that his daughter, Odette, 8, enjoys watching the show with his wife, Genevieve, but doesn't like to see Dean and Rory kiss. She's like, 'Why is dad kissing somebody else?' " he shared.
Jared Padalecki/Instagram
As for Czuchry, he said his take on the Dean-Jess-Logan debate "kind of changed for me over the course of time."
"I think right now, because we had that part on Netflix that went back, and we had that whole aspect too, which was great, it was so much fun — but I think if he changes his life, then I could see Logan coming back and being with Rory," he told PEOPLE, referring to the 2016 revival series Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which revisits the Stars Hollow characters nearly a decade after the original series' storyline concluded.
"He would be in a completely different place in his life," Czuchry added of Logan.
The Gilmore Girls revival ends with Rory returning home to Stars Hollow single and pregnant, seemingly with Logan's baby. At the time, Logan is engaged to a French heiress but still seeing Rory during her frequent trips to London, where he is living. Jess, meanwhile, is working in publishing, and Dean is married with four children.
Girlmore Girls and Girlmore Girls: A Year in the Life are streaming on Netflix.
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