Heroes and This Is Us actor Milo Ventimiglia has choked up during a live interview while discussing watching his house burn down in the Los Angeles wildfires.
READ MORE: Entertainment world reacts to “heart-wrenching” Los Angeles wildfires
The wildfires that began on Tuesday (January 7) have quickly morphed into five concurrent fires in separate neighbourhoods, and has forced over 180,000 residents and counting to evacuate from their homes. At the time of writing, 10 deaths have been confirmed, per NBC News.
Thousands of homes have been burned to the ground, as have schools, restaurants and business in the area. One actor who has suffered from the raging flames is Milo Ventimiglia, who has revealed in a chat with CBS News that he watched his house burn down after getting himself and his heavily pregnant wife Jarah Mariano to safety.
Ventimiglia and the CBS crew drove to the spot where the actor’s house stood just days ago to talk about the ordeal. When asked how he felt being there, Ventimiglia said while fighting back tears: “Heavy.”
“It hits you so quick. You start thinking about all the memories in the different parts of the house and whatnot. Then you see your neighbours’ houses and everything around, and your heart just breaks.”
Actor Milo Ventimiglia tells CBS News’ @TonyDokoupil he helplessly watched his home burn to the ground through security cameras. The 47-year-old father-to-be returned to his property to see what was left. pic.twitter.com/jidcR5ZAsY
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 10, 2025
After getting to safety, Ventimiglia and his wife watched their house burn down through security cameras: “I think there’s a kind of shock moment where you’re going, ‘Oh, this is real, and this is happening.’ And then at a certain point, we just turned it off. What good is it to continue watching? We kind of accepted the loss.”
The actor also discussed the eerie similarities to the ordeal faced by his This Is Us character Jack Pearson, whose house also burned down: “It’s not lost on me, life imitating art. We’ve got good friends, and we’ve got good people we’re working with. We’ll make do. Wife and baby and dog are most important.”
His This Is Us wife, portrayed by Mandy Moore, has also experienced fire damage to her home. While the house is mostly destroyed, she’s revealed: “Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now. It’s not liveable but mostly intact.”
Oscar-winning actor James Woods broke down in tears during a live TV interview while detailing his evacuation and losing his home. “One day you’re swimming in the pool and the next day it’s all gone” he said. He also broke down recalling his eight-year-old niece’s innocent offer of help. “She came out with her little Yeti piggy bank, for us to rebuild our house” he said while wiping away tears.
Singer Jheńe Aiko and Beyoncé‘s mother Tina Knowles have also lost their houses to the fire, as have actor-comedian Billy Crystal and musician-TV personality Paris Hilton.
Hilton shared her experience watching her home burn on television. “Heartbroken beyond words” she wrote on Instagram. “Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience. This home was where we built so many precious memories”.
Cary Elwes, best known for starring in The Princess Bride and Saw, wrote on his Instagram account “sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire”.
The aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. Credit: JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images
A fundraiser for DIIV’s frontman Zachary Cole Smith was launched after his house succumbed to the fires. According to the GoFundMe campaign launched by their friend Lindsey Hartman, Smith and his family are safe but have unfortunately had their house burnt and destroyed in the fires.
Hartman wrote: “Dani is also six months pregnant, making this already horrifying event even more impossible to bear. This home included all of their possessions (clothing, heirlooms, prized possessions) as well as all of Cole’s musical gear, the family car, and all of their baby supplies for Roy and the newborn on the way.”
Musicians like Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande were quick to share links to resources on social media, while others detailed their experiences with evacuation. Others also shared their sympathies with the people affected by the tragedies as thousands of homes, belongings and more are being burnt to the ground.
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