Milo Ventimiglia Plays Role Of Santa Claus As He Reportedly Dishes Out $10K On Christmas Gifts For ‘This Is Us’ Cast

He may play the alluring Jack Pearson on NBC‘s This Is Us, however, Milo Ventimiglia is taking on the role of Santa Claus for the holiday season. In fact, the actor reportedly spent a grandiose amount of money on Christmas gifts for the cast and crew.

“Every year, the network creates a custom Christmas gift for all involved with the show,” a behind-the-scenes source revealed to Life & Style. According to the insider, that wasn’t merry enough for the 41-year-old. “Milo wanted to show everyone just how much he appreciates them, too.” The source added that he supposedly “designed a sweater that says ‘Pearsons’ on the back, over a graphic of Philadelphia.”

But wait, it gets better. The insider dished that “a custom-designed sweater for 300 people must have come to about $10,000 — and Milo picked up the tab himself!” Milo’s generous and meaningful gift is pretty impressive considering the network is apparently gifting the actors with replicas of the Vietnam necklace that Milo’s character gave to Justin Hartley’s character, Kevin Pearson.

Perhaps Milo’s gratitude comes from previously struggling to get a gig in Hollywood. The Second Act star recently opened to Access Hollywood about his one-year unemployment stint after his role on NBC’s Heroes.

“I’ve had moments where I’ve had to pick myself up. In my early 30s, I couldn’t get hired. I really couldn’t,” he revealed in the interview. “I did not work for one calendar year, one entire year, I couldn’t get a job. And, I was really having to re-evaluate what I was going to be doing because, you know, it’s a profession. You need to feed yourself and clothe yourself and have a roof over your head. I was starting to see those things minimize.”

When asked if he thought about giving up, Milo didn’t have to think twice. “Absolutely,” he admitted. However, at the time, he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet.

His advice going forward? “I look at it like I’m a shark that just has to keep swimming or I will die,” Milo explained. “If I stop for a moment to understand where I am or how I’m here or what I’ve done to get here — No, just be here. Just be here in this exact moment that you’re in right now because nothing else matters.” So inspiring!