After landing small roles on numerous '90s sitcoms, California native Milo Ventimiglia had his big break when he joined the cast of the WB's Gilmore Girls as the quiet and shy Jess.

However, it wasn't until NBC's 2006 hit show Heroes that his fan base widened beyond just teenage girls.

Ventimiglia dated Gilmore Girls costar Alexis Bledel for four years before their breakup in 2006, and his romance with Heroes costar Hayden Panettiere lasted a year before they split in 2009.