This Is Us Star Milo Ventimiglia to Play Daredevil Evel Knievel in New Miniseries

After multiple Emmy nominations for his work on the highly-celebrated NBC series This Is Us, actor Milo Ventimiglia is taking on the role of the most celebrated daredevils in history. The actor will trade in family drama for high-flying motorcycle stunts as the star of USA's upcoming limited series, Evel, based on the life of Evel Knievel.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ventimiglia has signed on to star as Evel Knievel for USA, serving as an executive producer for the series as well. Etan Frankel (Shameless) will write the series and serve as executive producer, alongside Ventimiglia, McG, Mary Viola, Steven Bello, Alex Gartner, Charles Roven, and Topher Rhys-Lawrence.

Evel will chronicle Knievel's preparations for his legendary Snake River Canyon jump in 1974. The series is being described as "a portrait of a complex man living the American Dream, juggling meteoric celebrity and raising a family - and the very real probability that his next jump will kill him."

We we all know now, Knievel failed the Snake Siver Canyon jump, and it turned out to be one of his final stunts. He survived the jump and walked away with just a broken nose.

"USA Network is known for big event series that celebrate heroes, rebels and icons, and what could be bigger than the story of one of the greatest thrill seekers of all time?" said USA Network and Syfy president Chris McCumber. "The incredible life and journey of Evel Knievel lends itself to a dramatic retelling, and we are excited to be partnering with Milo, McG, UCP, Atlas and Wonderland to bring this iconic American tale to our viewers."

Production on Evel is set to begin in 2020, following the conclusion of USA's cornerstone series Mr. Robot and Suits.

Are you looking forward to seeing Evel? What do you think of casting Milo Ventimiglia as the iconic daredevil? Let us know in the comments!

Milo Ventimiglia will be seen next in the new season of This Is Us this fall on NBC.