 Ventimiglia attended El Modena High School in Orange, California, where he wrestled, acted in drama productions and served as student government president, graduating in 1995.At eighteen, Ventimiglia studied at the American Conservatory Theater for their summer program, subsequently attending the University of California, Los Angeles as a theatre major.At eighteen, Ventimiglia pursued an acting career, first starring as a gay teenager in "Must Be the Music", a short film released as part of Strand Releasing's "Boys Life 2".