In January 2013, Milo Ventimiglia shared a photo of a city skyline on Instagram, captioning it “Finito,” and didn’t post another photo until January 1, 2018. So, why return after five years off?
“It’s funny when people are writing articles about how I don’t give a s—t about rules of Instagram. I’ve always respected what social media can do, the connective tissue of sharing life moments. What I started to see was a lot of projected ideas of how people wanted to be viewed, as opposed to what they’re seeing so I stepped away from Instagram,” Ventimiglia, 40, tells Us Weekly. “But I came back because I was still photographing, picking up little moments in life. It just felt like, after five years of being away, to come back on nearly the same day that I left it … it felt like it was time.”
However, he also came back to both inspire others, and get inspired.
“Instagram is about contributing to a community that I think is still searching for inspiration, for good, for a view on life that maybe I might offer,” he explains. “There are other people on mine that I’ll look at and be like, ‘Oh wow, that’s interesting.’ Or you see a photograph taken in a foreign country and think, ‘Oh, I want to go there.’ I think to get back into the realm of contributing … it was time.”
Speaking of getting into a different realm, Ventimiglia has partnered with Harley Davidson to celebrate the company’s 115th anniversary — a perfect match for the avid rider.
“My love affair with Harley started when I threw my own leg over mine,” the This Is Us star says. “I’d always had my eye on bikes. I grew up mainly around cars but when I was in my twenties I was on a TV show and because I had a costar on the back of my bike, I had to get a license. I was so exited to finally have a reason to jump on a bike.”
While the actor is constantly taking on new projects, jumping on his bike is “always about the freedom,” as well as a way to escape everything else going on. “It’s clear focus. You can’t be distracted, you have to safely proceed. For me, riding’s away to step away from hard moments or busy moments in life.”
Ventimiglia will be taking over Harley Davidson’s social media on Monday, April 16 at 12 p.m. ET.
