Gilmore Girls is one of the greatest teenage comedy-drama series ever. The show featured unique characters, witty dialogue and a ton of pop culture references. Fans of the show are beyond excited that there will be a four-part special on Netflix soon (November 25th, to be exact and yes, we're counting down the days). Despite the show’s cult following, there are still many things about the cast that fans may not know. Here are 15 things that may surprise you.
15 Scott Patterson liked pranking Milo Ventimiglia
Who, out of all the actors and actresses in Gilmore Girls, would you expect to be the prankster in real life? Our best guess would have been Milo Ventimiglia (who plays Jess) just because we see him as a bad boy. Surprisingly, Milo was not the prankster. Rather, Scott Patterson (who plays his uncle on screen) was the prankster. How unexpected is that? Apparently, the actor loved pranking Milo. He said that he nailed Milo’s shoes down to a floor, filled Milo’s shoes with shaving cream and also put Vaseline on Milo’s toilet seat in his trailer! Suddenly, that scene in the show when Luke shoved Milo into the lake doesn’t seem so far off from reality. Scott probably enjoyed it way more than he should have.
14 Scott Patterson and Lauren Graham didn’t get along so well
Every Gilmore Girls fan rooted for (Scott Patterson) and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) throughout the show. They were just perfect for each other! Unfortunately, they didn’t end up getting married in the series like we wanted them to, but perhaps it will finally happen in Netflix’s upcoming revival of the series. Although, we shouldn’t get your hopes up, because Lauren Graham actually didn’t want Lorelai to end up with Luke (she preferred Christopher instead). It may be surprising for GG fans to know that, despite the chemistry on-screen, Scott and Lauren didn’t exactly get along the way that Luke and Lorelai did. It’s not like they had a dramatic feud or anything like that, but Lauren Graham admitted that they were not the best of friends (i.e. they were not “intimates”). Sorry GG fans, there go your fantasies of the two co-stars hanging out at a local coffee shop and fast-talking about life.
13 Alexis Bledel’s background
In Gilmore Girls, Alexis Bledel speaks broken Spanish with the maid, Esperanza. But, Bledel’s first language is actually Spanish! She grew up in a Spanish-speaking household (her father is from Argentina) and she considers herself Latina! That’s not the only surprising thing about the actress’s background, though. Bledel was actually a model before she landed the iconic role of Rory. At the age of 14, a scout discovered her in a local mall. So, she took time off from high school to model around the world. The featured image shows her modeling for Lip Sparklers.
Despite the fact that she was a model, Bledel was very shy. The show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, said that her shyness and overall demeanor is what made her perfect for the part of Rory.
12 Keiko Agena was 27 when filming began
It’s well-known that actors constantly play the part of characters that are a different age than they are in real life. But, did you know that Keiko Agena was much older than the part she played in Gilmore Girls? She was actually around 27 years old when the show premiered in 2000! But, the character that she plays (Lane) was only 16 years old—that’s a difference of a decade! So, she was actually closer in age to the adults in the show than to her classmates. How did she pull it off? She really knew how to play the part of a secret rebellious teenager. That’s what we call good acting skills. Alexis Bledel, on the other hand, was actually close in age to her character (Rory) during the season premiere. She was 19 years old when she played the part of 16-year-old Rory.
11 Alexis Bledel hated drinking coffee
There’s no doubt that the two main characters of Gilmore Girls are known for their coffee-drinking habits. In practically every episode, we see them both drinking at least one cup of the caffeinated beverage. When they weren’t at school or working, they were at Luke’s, pestering him for coffee. Yes, the Gilmores loved their coffee. But, you might be surprised to know that Alexis Bledel actually hated coffee! So, how did she manage while filming? Well, instead of drinking it, she would drink coke or water. You’re probably now thinking that everything you know is a lie, right? Unfortunately, actors are not exactly like the characters they play, as much as we like to think they are. On the bright side, Lauren Graham was just as addicted to coffee as Lorelai.
10 Lauren and Alexis actually ate the food in the scenes
Lorelai and Rory were always eating junk food, if not drinking coffee. They enjoyed everything from Chinese food to Pop-Tarts. It’s really a miracle that they remained so thin! You’re probably thinking that it’s because the actresses didn’t really eat the food the characters ate in the show. Well, you’re wrong—they did. It’s surprising because many actresses are health-conscious and strict about their diet. But, Lauren and Alexis indulged in their characters' unhealthy cravings. Bledel explained, "It really bothers me when actors don't eat the food that's in the scene." But, after several takes of their scenes (and upset stomachs), Graham says they would eventually rely on spit buckets to get them through it.
9 The actresses that auditioned for different roles
Could you imagine Liza Weil (who played Paris Geller) acting as Rory? It’d be super weird, right? But, Liza Weil actually auditioned for the part of Rory. Although she didn’t get the part, the producers were so impressed by her that they wrote the part of Paris just for her. So, it’s really a good thing that she auditioned, otherwise there would have been no Paris to compete with Rory throughout school. And Liza really knows how to come across as stern and demanding, as Paris’ role requires.
But, that wasn’t the only strange audition. Rose Abdoo (who played Gypsy) auditioned for the part of Sookie! Again, we just cannot imagine anyone other than Melissa McCarthy in the role. Thankfully, Rose didn’t get the part, but she later auditioned to be Gypsy and was chosen. We wouldn’t want it any other way. Each actor and actress in the show is perfect for their role.
8 The cast didn’t always understand the pop culture references
There are a few things that are prominent throughout Gilmore Girls: coffee, junk food, fast-paced dialogue and pop culture references. Yes, we all loved those pop culture references, didn’t we? The show referenced pretty much any celebrity you could think of (RuPaul, Korn, Macy Gray etc.). On top of that, the show introduced us all to the world of classic literature through Rory, the bookworm. Apparently, there are 339 different books referenced in the show! The funny part is, the actors didn’t even understand all the references, as much as we’d like to imagine that they did. They revealed that there were no explanations of the references in the script. But, they went along with it, anyway. Lauren Graham said she had to do her own research. She also recalled, in an interview, that Alexis once asked her who the Waltons were.
7 Lauren Graham never won an Emmy for Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is just amazing. It’s really become a pop culture phenomenon and people love it so much, that the creators decided to bring it back by releasing a revival on Netflix. Despite being so loved and being on-air for seven seasons (a feat that not many shows can accomplish), Gilmore Girls only won one Emmy award… and it was for Outstanding Makeup in a Series! Seriously, how lame is that? Lauren Graham at least deserved one Emmy for all that fast-paced dialogue! Perhaps her time will come in 2017, thanks to the revival, which may be considered for an award in the Limited Series category.
On the bright side, Gilmore Girls now gets the critical recognition it deserves. And Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel were both paid very well for the series, as it’s reported that they each received $750,000 for each episode of the Netflix revival.
6 Lauren Graham was in several failed sitcoms before Gilmore Girls
It seems like some things in life are just meant to be. Lauren Graham is obviously a very talented actress, but her career wasn’t successful right from the start. After receiving her Master’s of Fine Arts Degree in Acting Performance, she struggled to find work. In fact, she was in several failed sitcoms before landing the popular role of Lorelai on Gilmore Girls. These failed sitcoms include Townies, Lush Life and M.Y.O.B. But, Lauren did land guest starring roles on some successful shows (like Seinfeld, 3rd Rock from the Sun and Law & Order).
Perhaps it was just fate, though. If those sitcoms hadn’t failed, Lauren probably wouldn’t have auditioned for the role of Lorelai. And we just can’t imagine Gilmore Girls without her.
