There have been few shows in television history more charming than Gilmore Girls. The main characters (a hilarious mother/daughter duo) had to navigate life in Stars Hollow, a fictional New England town full of quirky characters and nostalgic delights. Of course, Gilmore Girls has itself become a nostalgic delight, airing its last regular episode back in 2007 before the series got a brief revival on Netflix in 2016.
That led us to the natural question: what has the cast of Gilmore Girls been up to since we last saw everyone hanging around Luke’s Diner and sharing fast-paced quips about life, love, and literature? From Lauren Graham to Alexis Bledel and beyond, we’ve got the scoop on what everyone has been doing. Just keep reading to discover everything worth knowing about what the cast of Gilmore Girls has been doing in the last few years!
Lauren Graham: from actor to author and back again
Lauren Graham played Lorelai Gilmore, the older (but not always wiser) half of the titular Gilmore Girls. While this was arguably the role of the actor’s career, she didn’t hesitate to take on other acting challenges once this hit show was in her rearview mirror. For example, she has starred in other popular television series like Parenthood and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. She also popped up in The Mighty Ducks, the Disney+ reboot of the original film starring Emilio Estevez.
When she’s not staying busy in front of a camera, Lauren Graham is staying busy in front of a computer. Incredibly enough, she has written a whopping three different books that ended up becoming New York Times bestsellers. This goes to show that she’s always been much more than a pretty face, and she clearly learned a thing or two acting in one of the best-written shows in television history!
Alexis Bledel snagged an Emmy
The other half of Gilmore Girls is Alexis Bledel, who played brilliant-but-impetuous Rory Gilmore. Like Lauren Graham, she took on a number of major roles after her hit show ended, including acting in movies like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and hit television dramas like Mad Men and ER.
However, her greatest work since leaving Stars Hollow behind has most definitely been The Handmaid’s Tale. She was chillingly effective as the character Ofglen, and critics agreed, which is why Bledel took home the Primetime Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2017. As the show continued, she was nominated for the same award again in 2018 and 2019. When she’s not dazzling on the big or small screen, Bledel is navigating the trickiest role of all: being a mom.
Scott Patterson: movie star and voice actor
Aside from the core Gilmore Girls, the most important member of the show’s cast was arguably Scott Patterson. He played the owner of Luke’s Diner, a gruff town fixture who just happened to carry a torch for Lorelai Gilmore. Like the other core cast members, he came back to star in the show’s controversial 2016 revival. But that’s not all: as it turns out, the man who played Luke has launched a quietly successful movie career for himself.
In the last few years, he has starred in a number of films, including Con Man, Ape, Yellow Fever, and Sons of Summer. Perhaps most interestingly, he also voiced Commission Gordon in the alternate universe Batman animated film Gotham by Gaslight. In this way, he got to do something that geeks everywhere wish they could do: have a conversation with the Dark Knight!
Melissa McCarthy: superstar turned fashion guru
When Gilmore Girls was first airing, Melissa McCarthy had a relatively unassuming role as Sookie, a talented chef who eventually becomes a business partner with Lorelai Gilmore. In the show, she was often lost in the shadow of Lauren Graham’s main character, but McCarthy arguably became the biggest movie star of the entire cast. For example, she was a main character in the hit film Bridesmaids, and she has also had meaty roles in everything from This Is 40 to The Hangover Part III.
It would have been impressive enough if Melissa McCarthy had limited herself to simply dominating the box office. But she also launched a clothing line in 2015 and has created some of the cutest fits the world of fashion has ever seen. Whether she’s taking on a new role or designing a bold new fashion item, McCarthy is a bit like Sookie: she knows how to cook!
Sean Gunn has friends in high places
In Gilmore Girls, Sean Gunn had a relatively small recurring role as Kirk, the quirkiest (or should that be Kirkiest?) character in all of Stars Hollow. Since the show ended, some of the actor’s biggest opportunities have come from his brother. You see, his brother is James Gunn, the superstar Marvel director who became the co-CEO of DC Studios.
In the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Sean Gunn played the cowardly character Kraglin, and he also did the motion-capture work to bring Rocket Raccoon to life. Later, he starred as Weasel in The Suicide Squad before his brother cast him in the relatively important role of Maxwell Lord. It’s fair to say that Sean Gunn has friends in high places, and thanks to his brother’s superhero successes, Sean is never going to be hurting for work!