Milo Ventimiglia will play famed daredevil Evel Knievel for an upcoming limited series titled Evel, set to air on USA Network. Ventimiglia, famous for his role as Jack Pearson on This Is Us, has starred in a number of other projects recently. The limited series, will be his latest.
Throughout the years, Knievel has been the subject of several films and his death-defying jumps have helped in creating a lasting legacy. Known as The Last Gladiator, Knievel has been portrayed by the likes of Sam Elliot and George Hamilton. At one point, legendary director Martin Scorsese was rumored to direct a biopic that would explore the thornier aspects of the daredevil’s life. Other possibilities were also floated, such as Darren Aronofsky directing Channing Tatum as Knievel. Though Ventimiglia won’t be the first actor to step into the shoes of the famous performer, Evel will likely be a more contemplative look at a seemingly familiar story.
As reported by Variety, the limited series will specifically delve into what is arguably Knievel’s greatest feat: the historic Snake River Canyon Jump, which was attempted in 1974. Production on the series is slated to get underway in 202o. While no specific episode count has been revealed, and no other cast members have been announced other than Ventimiglia, it is known that Etan Frankel is attached to pen the script. Frankel has written for television shows including Shameless and Friday Night Lights. Evel hues closer to the latter, described as a portrait of a complex man juggling his astronomical level of celebrity with the responsibilities of raising a family. As well as the possibility that his next jump may very well result in his death.
Chris McCumber, the president of USA Network, said in a statement that the incredible life and journey of Knievel lends itself to a dramatic retelling and expressed his excitement in bringing Knievel’s iconic, American tale to the small screen. The network is also working on a limited series based on the life of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
With This Is Us season 4 soon returning to screens, it’s not hard to see why Ventimiglia was chosen for Evel. Going beyond Jack Pearson, a fundamentally kind yet flawed character, the actor has made a career out of playing decent, yet troubled protagonists. This was the case in The Art of Racing in the Rain, and his turn as Rocky Balboa’s son in the sequel to Creed, and even going all the way back to his time as Peter Petrelli on Heroes. Ventimiglia is almost certain to bring out a more relatable side to the larger than life daredevil in Evel.
Source: Variety