Years before he was king of the 3-inch inseam, Milo Ventimiglia played a gay teen in this ’90s short film
This Is Us and Gilmore Girls star Milo Ventimiglia is recognized as one of the forefathers of the short-shorts movement, rocking a three-inch inseam in a 2021 paparazzi photo that forever changing the face thigh of casual menswear.But nearly three decades ago, the actor got his start in a short of a different kind—and a gay one at that!This past weekend at the 30th Annual Independent Spirit Awards, Ventimiglia (who was on hand to present the Best Documentary award) hit the red carpet where he spoke with Variety and reflected on the “most indie” project he had ever worked on.Subscribe to our daily newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.His answer?
The 1996 short film “Must Be The Music,” where he played a gay teen going out for a night on the town. Written and directed by Nickolas Perry, the short happens to be his second ever credited screen role—after playing an unnamed party guest in an episode of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.“I played a gay teenager who is going out with his friends, meets a guy but his buddy’s best friend is already kind of sweet on that guy,” Ventimiglia recalled to Variety. “Then he ends up giving them a ride home and he gets the guys number.
It was a very sweet story.”It was sweet, and “Must Be The Music” doesn’t really get any more complicated than that. Ventimiglia’s Jason is our main character and narrator, the designated driver for his group of friends on a gay night out in Los Angeles.
Another guy at the club catches his eye, but then Jason finds himself in an awkward position when his friend asks him for a ride home—with his crush.You can watch the short in full on Vimeo:At just 19, one might think Ventimiglia’s team might’ve cautioned him away from taking on a role in an LGBTQ+ project, lest he pigeonhole himself or his career (the ’90s were a different time!), but the star said he received nothing but support.“That’s the great thing about being an actor,” he continued..
