See Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson’s Rare Gilmore Girls Reunion

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Where Lauren Graham leads, her costars will follow.

Actually, the actress had not one, but two touching TV show reunions as she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 3rd.

Cast members from Lauren Graham’s Gilmore Girls family-including Scott Patterson (Luke Danes), Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore), Yanic Truesdale (Michel Gerard) and Matt Czuchry (Logan Huntzberger)-came to honor the actress who played Lorelai Gilmore. The event was also a special get-together for Lauren and Scott, who hadn’t appeared on a red carpet together since 2016, when the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life revival premiered.

Among those cheering for Lauren in the crowd were Amy Sherman-Palladino, the show’s creator, and her husband Dan Palladino. They were both heavily involved in Gilmore Girls, having written, directed, and produced a large number of its episodes.

Even though Lauren’s look-alike, Alexis Bledel, couldn’t attend the celebration, Mae Whitman-who played her daughter on the show Parenthood-was present to pay tribute to the 58-year-old.

“This is incredibly overwhelming and wonderful,” Lauren shared while on stage. “It’s really touching to see so many friends and coworkers here. I’m just very proud of the work I’ve been able to accomplish.”

However, Lauren is aware that Alexis, age 44, is always up for a new adventure. As evidence, the actresses-who played a mother and daughter on screen-reconnected at the 2025 Emmys, where they jointly presented the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.

“Twenty-five years ago,” Lauren started, “a television show called Gilmore Girls first aired and, it seems, completely captured the spirit of autumn.”

You know, looking back on my time with the show, Alexis always playfully described us as being “bullied and starving” during those seven seasons. But honestly, what really kept us going – and Lauren pointed this out – was that we always had scripts. It was a lifeline, really!

While accepting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Z-Suite actress spoke about how important the writing was for Gilmore Girls.

Speaking to the showrunner about Amy and Dan-especially Amy-Lauren explained, “I often feel like we think alike, and I understand what she’s trying to convey in her writing.”

Hinting at a possible future partnership with Amy, she remarked, “That was a wonderful surprise from the initial script, and I hope it’s not the only one.”

So, are we going to see another Gilmore Girls revival? It’s still uncertain. In the meantime, continue reading to discover some interesting behind-the-scenes facts about the series.

The show’s imaginary town of Stars Hollow-now considered one of the most cherished locations in television history-came about because of Amy Sherman-Palladino‘s surprising trip to Washington, Connecticut. She was captivated by the friendly locals, the town’s customs, and the inn where she stayed, and left with the idea for the series-even incorporating some lines into the first episode’s script.

Sherman-Palladino shared with Deseret News that her hope was, “If I can make people feel even a fraction of what I experienced while exploring this enchanting town, I’d consider that a success.”

2. Alexis Bledel was relatively new to acting, with just one minor, uncredited role before auditioning for the part of Rory. She was also a student at New York University at the time.

Let me tell you, I was really unwell when I was a student at NYU, but they just kept calling me back for auditions! I think I went maybe six times. It’s funny because I honestly wasn’t a very experienced actor at all – I didn’t really understand the audition process. I started to get a little impatient, and I might have even had a bit of an attitude! But our boss absolutely loved it. She actually said, ‘That’s our girl!‘ I remember asking, ‘Are you guys going to bring me back again?‘ and she replied, ‘I like that, that’s perfect.‘ It was all so strange and wonderful, appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, but that’s how it happened!

3. Gilmore Girls without Lauren Graham as Lorelai? Unimaginable, right? But it almost happened.

In her 2016 book, Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between), Graham recalls receiving the script for the Gilmore Girls pilot. She was in New York, staying at a friend’s apartment, and anxiously awaiting news about a series she’d recently finished for NBC – Don Rooses’ M.Y.O.B.-to see if it would be renewed for another season or canceled.

Luckily, M.Y.O.B. wasn’t selected, which meant Graham could play the quick-witted main character. This was also beneficial for any other actresses being considered for the role.

She described a rare and intense feeling of connection she experiences when reading a script and finding a character she deeply desires to play. She explained, “It’s like a sudden, almost crazy recognition.” She further elaborated that this feeling is a mix of warmly greeting an old friend and an urgent need to claim the character as her own-a feeling of ‘Hello, old friend,’ combined with ‘EVERYONE GET OUT OF MY WAY SHE’S ALL MINE.’

4. Scott Patterson was the sole actor who tried out for the role of Luke. He instantly impressed the casting team with his portrayal of the diner owner – a character who was both endearing and a bit grumpy – and Lorelai’s eventual husband.

According to casting director Jill Anthony, who spoke with Vanity Fair, Amy stated, ‘I don’t need to see anyone else.’ Anthony added, ‘He’s 100 percent it.’

But Patterson never thought he was going to sport Luke’s signature hat and flannel shirts. 

The actor explained to Glamour that he had three auditions that day, and this was the second one. He’d only prepared one scene, but they’d asked for two. He went in and performed anyway, but he didn’t really care about the outcome anymore… he already felt he wouldn’t get the role in [Gilmore Girls]. He thought the script was exceptionally well-written – the pilot script was so good that they would likely cast a well-known star, so he didn’t see the point in continuing. He was already running late for another [audition] and worried about getting a parking ticket [outside], so he politely asked if he could leave.

Before Jared Padalecki got the part of Dean Forester, Rory’s initial boyfriend, two other Canadian actors were let go. The reason? The character was changed to be more mainstream, as Anthony explained to Vanity Fair.

6. Ryan Gosling and Chris Pine both tried out for roles in the show. Gosling initially read for a minor character, and casting director Jami Rudofsky later revealed at the 2015 ATX TV Festival that his audition didn’t go well.

Pine shared that his father, actor Robert Pine, helped him land an audition – it was his first professional one, though he couldn’t recall what role he auditioned for. In a video for W Magazine, he jokingly said, “I dunno, maybe a boyfriend.”

7. Although Melissa McCarthy later became a major comedy star, Amy Sherman-Palladino shared that she “had to advocate strongly” to cast her as the endearing and quirky chef, Sookie.

“There was hesitation. It wasn’t that people disliked her, but she brought a unique vibe. She was a different type of actress,” Sherman-Palladino explained during the cast’s 2015 ATX TV Festival reunion. “The character was simply written as a woman, with no specific physical description or requirements. I just needed someone funny who was also a strong actor.”

Sherman-Palladino knew immediately that McCarthy was right for the part, but she admitted, “It wasn’t easy to convince everyone. It took some time…but eventually, people agreed, after a few episodes.”

8. In the initial pilot episode, Sookie was portrayed by Alex Borstein, but she had to leave the role due to her commitments to MADtv. She later appeared in smaller, recurring parts throughout the series, playing a harpist and stylist. Sherman-Palladino would later cast Borstein in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, where the actress went on to win two Emmy Awards for her performance in the Amazon comedy.

9. Jackson Douglas, who was married to Borstein at the time, secured a longer-lasting role on Gilmore Girls. Sherman-Palladino specifically wrote the character of Jackson, Sookie’s farmer boyfriend, with Douglas in mind. Originally intended for just a few episodes, his strong on-screen connection with McCarthy led to him staying with the show for all seven seasons.

10. Liza Weil first tried out for the part of Rory, and although the show’s creators were impressed with her audition, they felt she wasn’t quite the right person for the role.

“I received a call where they told me they really liked my performance, but it just didn’t feel quite right. They added that if [the show was approved], they might be able to find something for me to do,” Weil shared during a panel at the ATX Festival. “I honestly thought that was the end of the line for me.”

However, they didn’t just find a role – they actually *created* one specifically for Weil. They wrote the character of Paris, who starts as Rory’s rival but eventually becomes her friend, with Weil in mind. Although Paris became a beloved character among fans, Weil wasn’t immediately certain about playing such a sharp-tongued and difficult person.

“I was honestly terrified when I first read that,” the How to Get Away With Murder star said with a laugh. “It didn’t even seem possible they’d go there! But looking back, I actually find it quite flattering, and I’m happy they did.”

11. The amazing connection between Graham and Bledel was actually a happy accident! The two actors didn’t even meet until the very first day of filming. In fact, Bledel was so inexperienced with acting that Graham often had to gently guide her – even physically touching her arm – to help her stay in the correct position on set as her onscreen daughter.

“Fans always comment on our great chemistry,” Graham playfully shared on Today. “But honestly, I was kind of bossing her around – that’s the secret!”

12. Most actors don’t actually eat the food shown on screen, but Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham did for much of the series – and fans know they ate a lot of it.

Bledel shared on the Today show that she finds it distracting when actors pretend to eat. However, Lauren Graham admitted that after many takes and some stomach upset, they started using spit buckets to manage the volume of food.

According to casting director Mara Casey, Alexis Bledel actually dated two of her main love interests on the show during its run.

She shared that they once considered a joke about having Alexis’ [actual] boyfriends appear in the show. “She dated Jared and Milo [Ventimiglia],” she told Life & Style in 2016. “She also dated a young actor from New York named Chris Heuisler, who even had a small part as a guest star. He was a really nice guy.”

14. Though Sean Gunn first appeared in Stars Hollow as Mick, the DSL installer, he later became a regular cast member playing Kirk, who consistently held a new, unusual job in each episode. Gunn explained that the reason for the name change was simply that Sherman-Palladino had forgotten he’d already been given a name.

15. The WB network considered creating a new show featuring Ventimiglia. The third season episode, “Here Comes the Son,” was essentially a test episode – a backdoor pilot – for this potential series. Windward Circle would have focused on Jess’ life in Venice Beach, California, but the project was canceled because it was too expensive.

As Gilmore Girls neared the end of its seventh season, discussions began about potentially creating a follow-up series focusing on Rory’s life as an adult, especially after Alexis Bledel indicated she wouldn’t be returning to the show.

I remember telling everyone, ‘I’m not coming back,’ as I shared with TV Guide. Then the producers wondered if they could make it work with just Alexis. I don’t want to put words in her mouth, but we really talked it over a lot. In the end, neither of us wanted to continue the show without the other. We both felt it wouldn’t be the same, and ultimately, we decided to return together.

She went on to say, “They really wanted to cover all their bases. At one point, we even considered having me work behind the scenes as a producer, instead of being a regular on-screen personality.”

Following unsuccessful contract talks, the town of Stars Hollow was stunned to learn that Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino would not be involved in the seventh (and last) season of the show.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve learned that sometimes things just don’t work out, and that’s what happened with the show’s contract. Amy Palladino explained to TV Guide that we simply couldn’t reach an agreement with the studio for a new deal. She and I really tried to negotiate a multi-year extension, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t possible.

Deals offer flexibility,” she said. “Many factors influence any agreement. Our requests weren’t unreasonable-they weren’t outlandish or impossible. Really, we were simply trying to, honestly, safeguard the show.

Although the couple had already chosen Dave Rosenthal to take over, Sherman-Palladino confessed that handing over control was deeply upsetting, describing it as “like a freaking nightmare.”

And she’s since revealed she’s never watched the final season.

18. Despite the clear connection between Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson when playing Luke and Lorelai, rumors of on-set friction circulated for years. Many devoted fans thought this tension led to the couple’s breakup in a controversial plotline during season six. However, Graham dismissed these rumors in a post-series interview with TV Guide.

Yes, the situation was exaggerated,” she stated, adding that she had a friendly relationship with David Sutcliffe, the actor who portrayed Rory’s father, Christopher. “I worried people might think I was unfairly helping him because we’re friends, but that wasn’t my intention.”

Graham felt just as let down and frustrated as the viewers were by the way Luke and Lorelai’s relationship concluded with no clear resolution during the show’s initial airing.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Luke and Lorelai, but I didn’t think their storyline had a good conclusion,” she told TV Guide. “It felt unresolved, and we didn’t know if it was truly over. Amy wasn’t involved in the final season, so it’s hard to say. It didn’t feel like a proper ending because things weren’t really settled.”

After Amy Sherman-Palladino left the series following season six, the show didn’t conclude as she had initially envisioned. She openly discussed this, playfully hinting to fans for years about the “last four words” she’d planned to use to finish the story of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore.

Nearly every interview with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino in the following years touched on those famous, unrevealed lines, but they consistently avoided sharing any specifics, and for a deliberate reason. As Sherman-Palladino explained to Entertainment Weekly, “I don’t want to completely reveal [what my ideas were],” because if a movie were ever made, she’d be essentially revisiting her original plans, and that would put her in a difficult position – as she put it, she’d be “kind of [screwed].”

When Netflix announced it would bring the show back in 2016, they also confirmed that the four-episode revival would finally deliver those famous four words. You can find all the details about it right here. (And trust us, it lived up to the hype.)

20. Edward Herrmann and Kelly Bishop played Lorelai’s parents, Richard and Emily Gilmore, and became very close friends while working on the show. Star Herrmann, Edward’s wife, playfully called Bishop her “second wife.” Sadly, Herrmann passed away in 2014 at age 71 after fighting brain cancer. In the final weeks of his life, his wife asked Bishop to come and visit him.

“She was the sole person who attended,” she explained to Vanity Fair. “It meant a lot to both of them.”

Bishop described the invitation as “wonderful, sad, and surprising.” During the cast’s reunion panel at the ATX TV Festival, an empty chair was placed on stage as a tribute to Herrmann.

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2025-10-04 03:49