Milo Ventimiglia’s newest film, the action thriller Land of Bad, hits close to home for the actor.

“It’s deeply personal to me,” he told ABC Audio.

The movie – which also stars Liam Hemsworth and Russell Crowe – follows a U.S. Army Delta Force special ops mission that goes horribly wrong, resulting in lives lost and a wild rescue operation.

Ventimiglia, whose father is a Vietnam War vet, says he nearly went into the Navy.

“I wanted to fly jets when I was, when I was a kid. Took a very different path, and now I wear makeup and read lines for a living,” Ventimiglia said. “I spend quite a bit of time in the military space these days. Active-duty members, veterans, Gold Star families – the families who lost loved ones in combat – I do a lot of advocacy for those that wear the uniform.”

Understandably, it was this personal connection that drew him to Land of Bad.

“To have an opportunity to play a character in uniform and understand the experience that they go through, the missions they’re on, the specificity, and the real professional quality of what they do for a living — it was a draw,” Ventimiglia said.

He opened up about the specific parts of the script that really spoke to him, including the tragic reality for so many military families.

“I have a lot of friends who lost loved ones in combat,” Ventimiglia said. “We can play Hollywood, and it’s entertainment, of course, but these things happen and they’re very real. So, you know, it’s sometimes tough to wear. But we do our best as actors. We do our best as entertainers. And you know, hopefully we’re just honoring those folks that are in the real profession.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.