This Is Us has largely grown into a phenomenon due to the many tears it illicits from viewers on a weekly basis.
However, Milo Ventimiglia just made fans cry not for something he did as Jack Pearson... but for something he said off-air about Jack Pearson.
The character's death, of course, was a major focus of the NBC drama over the course of its first couple seasons.
But most of Season 4 has honed in on how those close to Jack are moving on after his passing, prompting a logical question:
Might we soon start seeing less and less of Ventimiglia on screen as this season, and future seasons, tick on?
"Maybe that is a possibility," Ventimiglia told The Hollywood Reporter, emphasizing, however, that he isn't leaving for good
Not any time soon, at least.
Continued the very popular (and handsome!) actor;
"Even though there may be the perception that his storylines are limited, there's always going to be some kind of relation between what the kids are going through today and what they experienced in the past, what they saw from their father in the past, or how Jack impacted or Rebecca in a way that he's always going to be with her."
NBC made the unusual decision last year to renew This Is Us through seasons four, five and six.
As a result, the show's stars have at least some idea of where their characters and storylines are headed, even as far away as the year 2021.
Ventimiglia confirmed as much in this interview.
"I'm pretty familiar with what Jack's presence is going to be through the next couple of seasons," he says here, adding:
"I know through six. But I also know that, if maybe there's some moments where you need to put Jack on the bench because some other story storylines are taking over, they can always call me out to direct those episodes.
"I think there's always going to be a version where I'm around, but maybe I'm not in front of the camera on the show."
Indeed, Ventimiglia directed Season 4 Episode 5.
You can catch up on it here:
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.