Milo Ventimiglia Reveals Why Filming 'I Can Only Imagine 2' Was a Terrifying Challenge

Nicole PajerSun, February 22, 2026 at 12:03 PM UTC

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I Can Only Imagine 2 is officially in theaters with Milo Ventimiglia starring as Christian singer Tim Timmons in the true story about the power of friendship and faith in the face of an incurable diagnosis. Over the course of his career, Ventimiglia has played a wide range of roles—including a literary bad boy, a superhero and a beloved dad. But I Can Only Imagine 2 sees him entering uncharted territory: For the first time, he's singing and playing guitar on the big screen.

The biographical sequel centers on the incredible true story behind MercyMe's 2017 hit "Even If" and focuses on the deep bond between the band's lead singer—Bart Millard—and Timmons, the musician whose 25-year battle with cancer serves as the film’s emotional core. Ventimiglia's performance brings the story to life on the big screen, showcasing how a message of hope can emerge even from the most difficult of circumstances.

In this exclusive interview, Ventimiglia and Timmons share the journey of both preparing for the role and filming it. "I put him through extensive training and he nailed it," the "Starts With Me" singer says. Read on to see what Ventimiglia had to say about the role and why it was "terrifying."

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Tim Timmons and Milo Ventimiglia attend the 'I Can Only Imagine 2' premiere in Nashville.

Parade: So Milo, you get to actually sing in this film. What was that like?

Milo Ventimiglia: Terrifying. Singing and guitar playing and kick drum with a heel tambourine is not in my bag of tricks! So I kind of had to learn all that, but I had a wonderful teacher [Timmons] that helped me polish everything, and I understood that I didn't have to learn how to play guitar. I had to learn how to play three songs really well, and then vocally, like I took lessons and I went through coaching and all that.

Tim Timmons: He nailed it!

What was the rock star training like?

Timmons: I put him through extensive training.

Ventimiglia: He did.

Timmons: I mean, we did underwater things where he had to hold his breath for a while!

Ventimiglia: Moving a rock!

Timmons: He had to learn so much. I mean—poor guy! Literally, I play the kick drum, a tambourine with my heel, guitar, harmonium, and sing—and get a crowd clapping. He did all that, which is really wild. He did great.

Ventimiglia: But Tim also taught me that there's 14 different ways to play one note, which I didn't understand—

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Timmons: I'm not proud of my teaching ability!

Ventimiglia: But your encouragement was awesome. Because along the way, as he's just ripping out like three or four or five or 10 different ways to play the single note, you just kept encouraging me: "You're doing so great! You're doing so good!"

Related: HBO Max’s Next Big Hit? ‘This Is Us’ Star Milo Ventimiglia Leads Gritty New Cop Drama From ‘Supernatural’ Boss

So Milo, is there any more music in your future? Are we going to see an album?

Timmons: Thank you!

Ventimiglia: Absolutely not!

Timmons: A Christmas record?

Ventimiglia: Nobody needs that. No, I'm never gonna be on the top charts with a Christmas album. I take them as they come. You know, if all of a sudden somebody says, "Hey, we want you back behind a guitar or piano or whatever, then I will put myself—I'm calling Tim. I'm literally going to him: "Hey coach. What are we doing? Let's go in the pool, do some rock breathing."

Related: Milo Ventimiglia and Jarah Mariano Expecting Baby No. 2

Tell me about the performance scene.

Ventimiglia: We were at TPAC—which is a venue in Nashville, Tennessee—and there were 2,500 background actors that were just kind of people that were invited. Like, "Hey, do you want to be a part of MercyMe and I Can Only Imagine 2? Come on by and sit in the audience."

And Tim got up and sang, Bart sang—Sammy Dell got up and played some music. But when the cameras were rolling, I had to perform. We were doing "Everywhere I Go" in front of 2,500 people. And the Band-Aid was off. It had to go—and it was a very thrilling moment of my life.

I Can Only Imagine 2 is in theaters now. Watch the trailer below!

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Up next: ‘Gilmore Girls’ Star Reunites With Milo Ventimiglia for Emotional New Movie

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”