Summary
- The talented cast of Gilmore Girls, including Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, and Melissa McCarthy, have pursued various television and movie roles since the show's finale.
- Alexis Bledel's role in The Handmaid's Tale earned her a Primetime Emmy Award, showcasing her versatility as an actress.
- Scott Patterson, who portrayed Luke Danes, continues to be closely associated with Gilmore Girls through his podcast and appearance in the revival series.
The incredibly talented Gilmore Girls cast is a big reason why the cozy dramedy ran for seven successful seasons on the WB and the CW. Gilmore Girls follows single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her teenage daughter Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel). The fast-talking mother-daughter duo are best friends who bond over a love of coffee, junk food, and pop culture while pursuing personal and professional goals. While Lorelai butts heads with her wealthy parents, Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop), she and Rory find comfort in their quaint town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut and its quirky citizens.
Most of the cast returned for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, a 2016 Netflix sequel miniseries that showed what the characters had gotten up to after the series ended. Sadly, Edward Herrmann passed away before the revival, so the showrunners incorporated his real-life death into the miniseries and Richard’s passing is a pivotal point of growth for Lorelai and Rory. Though reviews on the revival were mixed, it was heartwarming seeing these beloved characters onscreen again. Between Oscar nominations and starring in other television shows, the Gilmore Girls cast has been busy since the series finale and may even be more recognizable for their latest roles.
Lauren Graham As Lorelai Gilmore
Lauren Graham plays the lovable Lorelai Gilmore, one of the two protagonists in the Gilmore Girls cast. When not dropping pop culture references or having her umpteenth cup of coffee, Lorelai was pursuing her dreams of running an inn or spending time with Rory, her daughter and best friend. Since Gilmore Girls' ending, Graham has mainly appeared in television shows like Parenthood as Sarah Braverman, Vampirina as Oxana Hauntley, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist as Joan, and Curb Your Enthusiasm as Bridget. She also starred as Alex Morrow in the Disney+ series Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.
Alexis Bledel As Rory Gilmore
In the Gilmore Girls cast, Alexis Bledel played Rory, the bright, inquisitive teenager with big dreams of attending an Ivy League school and becoming a journalist. Besides A Year in the Life, Bledel's post-Gilmore Girls movie credits include starring alongside Luke Hemsworth and Kurt Russell in the 2019 movie Crypto as Katie. On the TV side, Bledel played Beth Dawes in Mad Men, but her most notable role was Ofglen/Emily Malek in the critically acclaimed dystopian Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award.
Melissa McCarthy As Sookie St. James
Melissa McCarthy plays Sookie St. James in the Gilmore Girls cast. Sookie is a fiercely talented chef and Lorelai's business partner and best friend. Many fans also agree that Sookie and Jackson are the best Gilmore Girls couple. McCarthy had the biggest success post-Gilmore Girls, and only returned for the "Fall" episode of A Year in the Life.
After Gilmore Girls ended, McCarthy continued to star in TV shows, playing Molly on Mike and Molly and Amily Luck on God's Favorite Idiot. But McCarthy also became a bona fide movie star, starring in many hit comedies including Bridesmaids as Megan Price, a role which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The actress has also starred in several blockbuster films including Thor: Love and Thunder as Hela and the live-action Disney remake The Little Mermaid as Ursula.
Keiko Agena As Lane Kim
Keiko Agena appears in the Gilmore Girls cast as Rory’s best friend, Lane Kim. Lane is brilliant hilarious, and a talented musician who often clashed with her strict, overbearing mother. Since appearing in the Gilmore Girls reunion, Agena has been busy with multiple acting roles primarily in television shows, including 13 Reasons Why as Pam Bradley, Dirty John as Nancy, and Prodigal Son as Dr. Edrisa Tanaka. Most notably, Agena also had a recurring role on Better Call Saul as Viola Goto.
Yanic Truesdale As Michel Gerard
Yanic Truesdale appears in the Gilmore Girls cast as Lorelai’s colleague and frenemy, Michel Gerard. Michel is sarcastic and doesn’t always love working with Lorelai, but the two have a mutual understanding and are close friends despite their sniping at each other. Truesdale went on to work in more television shows like The Fixer as FBI Agent Kincaid, Les mecs as Étienne Lebeau, and Curb Your Enthusiasm as Aaron. He also appears alongside Gilmore Girls alum Melissa McCarthy in God’s Favorite Idiot as Chamuel. In film, Truesdale can be seen in My Salinger Year as Max.
Scott Patterson As Luke Danes
Scott Patterson portrays the gruff diner owner Luke Danes in the Gilmore Girls cast. Luke and Lorelai had a bumpy relationship timeline, but Luke was always a dependable father figure to Rory, and later on his own daughter, April. Since the series ended, Patterson starred in the Saw franchise as Peter Strahm. However, Patterson is most associated with Gilmore Girls, as he starred in A Year in the Life and hosts a Gilmore Girls rewatch podcast called I'm All In with Scott Patterson, in which he recaps an episode of the series and interviews cast and crew alumni. Patterson also stars in the Canadian series Sullivan's Crossing as Sully Sullivan.
Kelly Bishop As Emily Gilmore
The memorable Emily Gilmore has some of the shadiest burns in the series. As Lorelai's mom, Emily always expects the best and judges anyone who doesn’t fit in with her wealthy circle, but actress Kelly Bishop also gave the character nuance. Bishop has been acting since the '60s and continues to work today. She notably starred in A Year in the Love and starred in the Netflix miniseries Halston as Eleanor Lambert. Bishop also appeared as Benedetta in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's third series.
Liza Weil As Paris Geller
Liza Weil appears in the Gilmore Girls cast as Paris Geller. The ambitious Paris started out the series as an enemy to Rory but quickly became one of her best friends, and the two were even roommates at Yale together. Weil primarily appeared in television shows after Gilmore Girls including a starring role in How to Get Away with Murder as Bonnie Winterbottom and supporting parts in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Carole Keen and Westworld as Deborah. Weil also returned for three episodes of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
Jared Padalecki As Dean Forester
In the Gilmore Girls cast, Jared Padalecki played Dean Forester, Rory’s first boyfriend who had a kind heart but also a jealous streak. Padalecki’s reappearance in A Year in the Life shows Dean and Rory parting as friends. The actor went on to even more fame in another CW show, Supernatural, where he co-starred as the monster-hunting Sam Winchester. After Supernatural, Padalecki went on to star in Walker, the reboot of the Chuck Norris series, as the titular Texas Ranger, Cordell Walker.
Milo Ventimiglia As Jess Mariano
Milo Ventimiglia played bad boy Jess Mariano in Gilmore Girls. Jess was Rory's second boyfriend and though they had a tumultuous relationship, they ended the series as friends. As well as reprising his role in the Gilmore Girls reunion, Ventimiglia appeared in a number of TV shows including Heroes as Peter Petrelli and Ultimate Spider-Man as Spider-Man Noir. More notably, Ventimiglia plays Jack Pearson in the hit series This Is Us, for which he earned three Emmy nominations. The actor also appeared in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Sylvio. In movies, Mariano played Rocky Balboa, Jr. in the Rocky and Creed franchises.
Sean Gunn As Kirk Gleason
Sean Gunn has built quite a career for himself since his time as part of the Gilmore Girls cast. In the series, Gunn played Stars Hollow's kooky resident, Kirk, known for his many jobs. Outside of the Gilmore Girls fandom, including the reunion for which he reprised his role, Gunn is best known for appearing as Kraglin Obfonteri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He is the younger brother of director and producer James Gunn and often appears in his projects, including Creature Commandos, an animated series for Max where he voices Weasel and G.I. Robot.
Matt Czuchry As Logan Huntzberger
Matt Czuchry is most known for his time as Logan Huntzberger in the Gilmore Girls cast. Within the Gilmore Girls fandom, "Team Logan" supporters agreed that some of the best Gilmore Girls episodes involved Rory and Logan. Logan started as a spoiled rich kid, but he grew a lot over the years and had matured in A Year in the Life. On television, Czuchry was in the main cast of The Good Wife as Cary Agos and The Resident as Dr. Conrad Hawkins. Czuchry also appeared in American Horror Story: Delicate as Dexter Harding.
Emily Kuroda As Mrs. Kim
In the Gilmore Girls cast, Emily Kuroda played the formidable Mrs. Kim, Lane's mother. Mrs. Kim loved her daughter but didn’t approve of a life outside of her strict household and dedicated religion, which was exactly what Lane wanted. Nevertheless, Mrs. Kim finds ways to support Lane and keep a close relationship with her. Kuroda only appeared briefly in the reunion special but she has had a successful movie career including starring in Stephen Soderbergh's Kimi as Dr. Sarah Burns as well as voicing characters in Baymax and Strange World. On television, Kuroda has a recurring role in the Amazon series The Power as Sister Veronica.
Liz Torres As Miss Patty
Miss Patty is Stars Hollow's dance instructor known for her multiple marriages, and she's played by Liz Torres in the Gilmore Girls cast. Along with Babette, Miss Patty is one of the town's biggest gossips, but she also takes her civic responsibilities seriously and is very active at town meetings. A New York comedian and singer who came up with Bette Midler, Torres was known for her sitcom roles, including Mahalia Sanchez in The John Larroquete Show, Julie Erskine in Phyllis, and Teresa Betancourt in All in the Family. After Gilmore Girls, Torres continued to work in TV, appearing in Desperate Housewives as Connie Solis and Scandal as Judge Kaley.
Sally Struthers As Babette Dell
In the Gilmore Girls cast, Sally Struthers plays Babette Dell, Lorelai and Rory's loud but kindhearted neighbor. Babette is head over heels for her husband Morey (Ted Rooney) and enjoys gossiping about the townspeople with her best friend Miss Patty. Struthers is most famous for playing Gloria Stivic, Archie and Edith Bunker's daughter, in the All in the Family cast. The actress is also known for voicing Charlene Sinclair on the sitcom Dinosaurs. Since Gilmore Girls ended, Struthers has continued to work in television. She played Shirley in Maron, and voiced the roles of Clara in American Dad! and Mrs. Polydopoulos in Not Quite Narwhal.
Amy Sherman-Palladino
Amy Sherman-Palladino is the creator, writer, and executive producer of Gilmore Girls. Without her imagination and storytelling, Gilmore Girls wouldn't have been the iconic television series that it is. Sherman-Palladino's most recent is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, starring Rachel Brosnahan as a female stand-up comic in 1950s New York. The series featured the same combination of witty dialogue and strong female characters as her previous series and includes several Gilmore Girls alumni. Mrs. Maisel concluded with its fifth season in April 2023, but Sherman-Palladino has an overall deal with Amazon Studios, meaning she will likely be developing future series for their streaming service, Prime Video.