Gilmore Girls, The Cast
Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore
For her sarcastic yet sensitive portrayal of Lorelai Gilmore, Lauren Graham has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, a Screen Actors Guild Award for Female Actor in a Drama Series and two Television Critics Association Awards for Individual Achievement in Drama and Comedy. Additionally, she has earned a Best Actress nod from Viewers for Quality Television, as well as an award as Best Actress in a Drama from the Family Friendly forum.Graham will next be seen in Universal's Because I Said So, opposite Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore, opening in February 2007. This summer, she has been in production on the comedy Evan Almighty, in which she stars alongside Steve Carell.
Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, Graham landed a recurring role as Richard's (Malcolm Gets) relentlessly sunny girlfriend, Shelly, in the first season of Caroline in the City. Recurring roles followed as Graham played an efficiency expert hoping to downsize the staff of NewsRadio, and a Los Angeles studio executive who pursued Benjamin Bratt's character when his marriage was on the rocks on Law & Order. In addition, Graham guest-starred on Seinfeld and 3rd Rock From the Sun. Series regular roles on the comedy series Conrad Bloom and Townies led to her role as a high school administrator dealing with her disruptive niece on M.Y.O.B. and then to the role of Lorelai on Gilmore Girls.
Graham's additional feature film roles include the dark comedy Bad Santa, opposite Billy Bob Thornton, The Pacifier, opposite Vin Diesel, The Amateurs, opposite Jeff Bridges and Tim Blake Nelson, Warner Bros.' Sweet November, starring Keanu Reeves, and the thriller Nightwatch, starring with Patricia Arquette and Ewan McGregor. She also starred as Renee Zellweger's best friend and confidante in the Meryl Streep drama One True Thing.
In 2002, Graham appeared on stage at The Williamstown Theatre Festival starring in the comedy Once in a Lifetime. This 1929 comedy about the advent of the talking picture marked the first collaboration between famed playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.
Growing up an avid equestrian in Northern Virginia, Graham attended Barnard College in New York, where she majored in English. She then earned a master of fine arts degree in acting from Southern Methodist University. Graham currently lives in Los Angeles.
Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore
Alexis Bledel is quickly emerging as one of Hollywood's brightest talents in both film and television. She made her television debut in Gilmore Girls and has garnered a 2002 Family Television Award and a 2005 Teen Choice Award for her portrayal of teenager Rory Gilmore.Bledel recently starred in the feature film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, with Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrera. She was also a part of the ensemble cast of the Robert Rodriguez film Sin City, with Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Rosario Dawson and Brittany Murphy.
Bledel made her feature film debut in Tuck Everlasting, based on the acclaimed novel by Natalie Babbitt. The film also stars Ben Kingsley, William Hurt, Sissy Spacek and Jonathan Jackson. Bledel's other films include Bride and Prejudice, an Indian musical version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, directed by Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham), and the independent film I Am Reed Fish, opposite Jay Baruchel.
Bledel began her acting career in community theatre in her hometown of Houston. She also modeled in New York during her school breaks. Before winning the role of Rory Gilmore, Bledel attended NYU Film School to study writing and directing.
Scott Patterson as Luke Danes
An accomplished actor in film, television and theater, Scott Patterson brings his many talents to Gilmore Girls as Luke Danes, the diner owner who serves up a dash of unsolicited advice with every order.
Patterson was born in Philadelphia, and raised in New Jersey. He attended Rutgers University and pursued a degree in comparative literature. He studied acting in New York with renowned coaches Robert Lewis and Sondra Lee. He was exposed to the teachings of such luminaries as Paul Newman, Arthur Penn and Frank Corsaro at The Actors Studio, where he appeared in numerous productions, including Rasputin and Miss Julie.
Patterson recently completed filming the leading role in the feature film Her Best Move, directed by Norm Hunter and co-starring Lisa Darr. He also appeared on the big screen in Little Big League, with Timothy Busfield and Jason Robards, and in Three Wishes, with Patrick Swayze and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. He also starred in the independent films Highway 395 and Rhapsody in Bloom, with Penelope Ann Miller.
On television, he has landed romantic roles guest starring opposite some appealing leading women. On Seinfeld, Patterson was deemed "spongeworthy" by Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). He had a profound effect on Grace (Debra Messing) in the "Das Boob" episode of Will & Grace, and he played the love interests of Jennifer Grey in It's Like, You Know and Sharon Lawrence's character in Fired Up. He has also guest starred on Arli$$ and Get Real.
Among Patterson's recent projects is voicing the character of Lieutenant Farraday in the 2004 animated series Justice League Unlimited, from Warner Bros. Animation.
Patterson lives in Los Angeles. Matt Czuchry as Logan Huntzberger
Matt Czuchry (pronounced Zoo-Kree) appears on Gilmore Girls as Logan, a privileged Yale student who caught the eye of Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel). Prior to his role in Gilmore Girls, Czuchry starred in the feature films Eight Legged Freaks and Slap Her, She's French. Among his other film credits are Mary Janes Last Dance and the independent film Em & Me, Swimming Upstream and A Midsummer Nights Rave.
On television, Czuchry had a recurring guest role on the drama Hack and starred in the pilot Jake 2.0: The Tech. He guest-starred on 7th Heaven, The Practice and Young Americans and also appeared in Freaks and Geeks, The Opposite Sex and Go Fish.
Czuchry studies acting with Belita Moreno, star of the comedy series George Lopez. His Bachelor of Arts degree in history/political science is from the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
Melissa McCarthy as Sookie St. James
A natural-born comedian with credits that include film, television, stand-up and theater, Melissa McCarthy returns for a fifth season as clumsy culinary genius Sookie St. James in Gilmore Girls.
Born and raised in Plainfield, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, McCarthy first made her mark on the comedy stage, performing stand up in New York at The Improv and Stand Up New York. At the same time, she received dramatic training from The Actors Studio in New York and starred in a variety of stage productions throughout the city.
Since moving to Los Angeles, McCarthy's quick wit gets a workout almost every weekend as a member of The Groundlings Main Company, a world-renowned improv and sketch troupe.
McCarthy's recent television and feature film work includes a leading role in the independent film One Part Sugar, starring Danny DeVito and Dylan Walsh, directed by Hart Bochner, as well as The Nines, starring Hope Davis and Ryan Reynolds, directed by John August. McCarthy also appeared in Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Life of David Gale, with Kevin Spacey. Her previous credits include White Oleander, with Michelle Pfeiffer, Pumpkin, with Christina Ricci, and Go, directed by Doug Liman. In addition, McCarthy starred in John August's short film God, as a young woman having gossipy phone conversations and a short-lived spat with the Almighty.
She also recently turned her creative attentions to writing, directing and producing, creating the short film Polk Valley and playing the main character.
McCarthy currently lives in Los Angeles.
Edward Herrmann as Richard Gilmore
Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor Edward Herrmann boasts an impressive career that spans more than 30 years in theater, film and television. He returns for a seventh season as family patriarch Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls.
His work on Broadway includes Mrs. Warren's Profession, for which he won a Tony Award; The Philadelphia Story, for which he earned a Tony nomination; Plenty and Love Letters.
On the big screen, Herrmann has created memorable characters in Nixon, Ritchie Rich, Born Yesterday, Lost Boys, Compromising Positions, The Man With One Red Shoe, The Purple Rose of Cairo, A Little Sex, The Great Gatsby, Annie, Reds, The Great Waldo Pepper, The Day of the Dolphin, Critical Care, Overboard, Big Business, Mrs. Soffel, Takedown, The Paper Chase, Double Take, The Cat's Meow, Down and The Emperor's Club and Welcome to Mooseport. Herrmann also co-starred in the Coen brothers feature film Intolerable Cruelty and Martin Scorcese's The Aviator. Soon to be released is Relative Strangers, with Danny DeVito. He has also wrapped principal photography on the independent films The Skeptic, opposite Tim Daly, and The Pleasure of Your Company, opposite Isla Fisher and Jason Biggs, as well as Factory Girl, with Sienna Miller and Guy Pearce.
Herrmann appeared on television in a six-episode story arc on The Practice, which earned him a 1999 Emmy Award. He also guest-starred in the 200th episode of Law & Order and in a recurring role on Oz. Herrmann received additional Emmy nominations for his work on St. Elsewhere, the movie Concealed Enemies and Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years.
Among his television movie credits are Atomic Train, Vendetta, Hallmark Hall of Fame's St. Maybe, Pandora's Clock, Soul of the Game, What Love Sees, Face on the Milk Carton, The End of a Sentence, Fire in the Dark, Murrow, The Lawrenceville Stories, Electrical Grandmother, A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story and Last Act is a Solo.
Herrmann frequently returns to the stage. He performed in Neil Simon's play, The Dinner Party, at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the play Educating Rita, directed by the late Bruce Paltrow.
Herrmann also carries a full schedule of recording books on tape, having recorded over 50 thus far, including the latest novel in Tom Clancy's Net Force series. In 1999, he was awarded an AUDIE Award for his work in the complete recording of The King James Bible.
Additionally, he serves as the narrator for the A&E Channel's History Lost and Found and the series Founding Fathers. He also continues his work as the announcer for the History Channel as well as hosting the series The Ultimate Auto, which has established Herrmann as a leading figure among automobile hobbyists. With six automobile restorations to his credit, Herrmann is an active participant in rallies and car shows.
Kelly Bishop as Emily Gilmore
Veteran actress Kelly Bishop has portrayed many memorable roles in film, television and the theater since her breakout performance as one of the original cast members of the hit Broadway musical A Chorus Line.
The Colorado Springs native grew up in Denver, where she trained to be a ballet dancer. At 18, she headed to New York and landed her first job dancing in a year-round ballet company at Radio City Music Hall. Bishop danced in Las Vegas, summer stock and on television until she was cast in 1967 in Golden Rainbow, her first Broadway role.
Her big break came when she was cast as the sexy, hard-edged Sheila in A Chorus Line. She won Tony and Drama Desk Awards for her performance, giving her the confidence she needed to eventually leave the acclaimed original ensemble to pursue a dramatic acting career.
It wasn't long before she was cast opposite Jill Clayburgh in Paul Mazursky's big-screen drama An Unmarried Woman. She went on to play "mom" to several high-profile stars in numerous features: Jennifer Grey's mother in the box-office hit Dirty Dancing, Howard Stern's mother in the Betty Thomas-directed comedy Private Parts and Tobey Maguire's mom in Wonder Boys. Her additional feature credits include Blue Moon, Cafe Society, Miami Rhapsody, Queens Logic and Me and Him.
On television, Bishop starred in the Mike Nichols' series The Thorns and played Lisa Ann Walter's mother on My Wildest Dreams. She has guest-starred on Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Murphy Brown.
Bishop's extensive theater credits include the lead in the Broadway production of Six Degrees of Separation, as well as Broadway productions of Neil Simon's Proposals, the Tony Award-winning The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Bus Stop. She also has starred in numerous regional theater and off-Broadway productions.
When she's not working, Bishop practices Pilates and aerobics, and enjoys gardening and hiking near her home in New Jersey, where she lives with her husband, TV talk show host Lee Leonard.
Keiko Agena as Lane Kim
Most familiar from her recurring role on The WB drama Felicity as a college student who inspired Felicity (Keri Russell) to stage a demonstration at the student health center, Keiko (pronounced Kay-ko) Agena stars in Gilmore Girls as Rory's (Alexis Bledel) best friend.
Agena was born and raised in Honolulu, where she lived until she was 17. She made her acting debut at the age of 10 with a small part in the play The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. She enjoyed the experience so much that she decided to continue performing. Her parents were very supportive, with her mother taking her to auditions and helping her memorize lines for roles in community theater productions.
After high school, Agena studied drama at Whitman College in Washington State. She came to Los Angeles during the summer break after her first year and has been working steadily in theater, television and film ever since. Her very first professional audition resulted in a guest spot on the television series Renegade.
Since then, Agena has guest starred as the mother of a deaf boy on ER and a student reporter on Sister, Sister, as well as appearing on Beverly Hills, 90210. She has also appeared on the Kids' WB! series The Nightmare Room and played a young woman struggling with anorexia nervosa in the television special Strong Medicine.
Agena also starred in the independent feature film Hundred Percent, an Asian-American drama featuring the interwoven stories of three couples.
She currently resides in Los Angeles, with her husband and their two cats.
Lisa Weil as Paris Geller
Liza Weil stars as the brainy Paris Geller, best friend and occasional adversary to Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) in Gilmore Girls.
Although she was born in New Jersey, Weil spent much of her childhood traveling throughout Europe with her parents, who had their own comedy troupe. When Weil was 12, her family settled in Pennsylvania, and her mother began taking her to New York for auditions. At 16, she began traveling to the city alone for auditions.
Her first acting jobs came in regional theatre, summer stock and off-Broadway plays. She then moved to New York City to pursue her dream full-time. She began doing student films at Columbia University, which led to an audition for an independent film called Whatever. Weil landed the lead in the coming-of-age drama and made her film debut. Her other film credits include Stir of Echoes, opposite Kevin Bacon, and Dragonfly, with Kevin Costner.
After shooting Stir of Echoes, Weil moved to Los Angeles, landing memorable guest starring appearances in ER, as the wife of a murderous schizophrenic patient, and The West Wing, as an intern responsible for leaking a White House staffer's drug and alcohol problem. Last year, she appeared as a rape victim on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Weil participated in the intensive Sundance filmmakers' lab, workshopping Scar, which was written and directed by Teboho Mahlatsi, opposite the South African cult star Ronnie Nyakale. On stage, she recently starred in a production of Proof, and had the great pleasure of working with her father for the first time.
She currently lives in Los Angeles.
Yanic Truesdale as Michel Gerard
Though Yanic (pronounced Ya-neek)Truesdale is a fresh face to American audiences, he has been one of Canada's busiest and most popular actors for years. He made his American television debut in Gilmore Girls, the first role he auditioned for after relocating to Los Angeles. His performance as the arrogant Frenchman, Michel, prompted Daily Variety to select him as one of the "10 Actors to Watch."
Truesdale was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. He got into acting "by accident" at age 17 when he decided on a whim to audition for acting school with a friend. Though his friend was turned down, Truesdale got in, and soon discovered a passion for acting. He graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada when he was 20, and the talented actor was quickly in demand.
His first big break came with a starring role in He Shoots, He Scores, a hugely popular Canadian television series about hockey. A six-year role on the series The Duval Family followed, during which Truesdale also found time to co-host a live daytime talk show for teenagers called Special Delivery.
Truesdale was later nominated for a Gemini Award (the Canadian equivalent of the Emmy) for playing the only black child of white parents on the sitcom Roommates. The role mirrored his own life offscreen, as Truesdale was raised solely by his mother, who is Caucasian.
On stage, his hilarious performance as the maid in the long-running Canadian production of The Bird Cage, earned him rave reviews.
After many professional accomplishments in Canada, Truesdale decided it was time for new challenges. He studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in New York and moved to Los Angeles, which he now calls home, and enjoys dual citizenship. The self-described "movie maniac" sees several films each week, and also enjoys writing and traveling.
Sean Gunn as Kirk
Sean Gunn has played Kirk, one of Stars Hollow's most colorful and eccentric citizens, since the first season of Gilmore Girls. The character of Kirk has held jobs as a delivery man, a DSL installer, a wedding photographer, and an entrepreneur. He has worked in the grocery store, the video store and as the town mailman.
The youngest of six children, Gunn's four older brothers all work in the entertainment industry, while his sister took a different path and is an attorney. Born and raised in St. Louis, Gunn always knew he wanted to be an actor. His love of performing in high school plays led him to enroll in DePaul University's prestigious acting conservatory, the Goodman School of Drama.
After graduating, Gunn spent two years in Chicago, where he began a theater company with college friends. He directed many productions and thought his career would be as a stage director until he landed several acting roles in commercials and films shooting in Chicago. Deciding to take the plunge into acting, he relocated to Los Angeles where his first role was a guest starring spot in a pilot. His early credits include roles in Angel and Brutally Normal, as well as Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Yes, Dear, Going to California and 3rd Rock from the Sun.
When he is not working, Gunn follows a variety of sports and is a season ticket holder for the Los Angeles Clippers.
He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Credit: The CW