The Law And Order: SVU Episode You Forgot Starred Milo Ventimiglia

Television viewers have fallen in love with Milo Ventimiglia in recent years due to his portrayal of Jack Pearson on "This Is Us." Before the show premiered in 2016, however, the actor already had a thriving television career, appearing as bad boy Jess Mariano on "Gilmore Girls" and superhero Peter Petrelli on the NBC hit show "Heroes" (via IMDb).

Born in California, Ventimiglia decided at the age of eight that he wanted to pursue acting. He even won a scholarship from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and studied theater at UCLA (per The Famous People). Although his first dream was to be a movie star, he soon found work on TV. "As I got older, I started thinking about just the work," he told W Magazine. "You know, I didn't need to be a movie star to be a part of great work, to play a great character. TV felt more readily available than the small margin of films that were being made, and how much effort it took to get into movies."

But before he hit in big on the small screen, Ventimiglia appeared in a string of commercials, as well as guest spots on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "CSI," and "Saved by the Bell: The New Class." Plus, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" fans might also remember him appearing in one Season 5 episode of the crime drama (via IMDb).

Milo Ventimiglia appeared on the Season 5 episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" titled "Escape." During this installment, he played a young man named Lee Healy, who accuses his stepfather of assaulting him (via HelloGiggles). As noted by HelloGiggles, too, the best part of any "SVU" guest star is that they typically get to share the screen with Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson. In Ventimiglia's case, Benson saved him — and the day — in the end.

While his role on "SVU" was just a one-time appearance, Ventimiglia's time playing Jack Pearson has had a lasting impression on the actor. "Jack will probably be a part of me for a long time," he told TV Insider. "But at the same time, I get to shave the mustache, shave the beard, get a haircut. [Laughs.] I'm looking forward to filming that [last episode]. I think it's going to be one for the books."

He also has his next television project lined up–and his new role is nothing like Jack. Ventimiglia will star in and executive produce "The Company You Keep," where he will play a con-man named Charlie who falls in love with CIA officer Emma. According to Deadline, the drama has received a pilot order from ABC. Ventimiglia can also be seen in a Season 4 episode of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," which reunited him with "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino (per IMDb).