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Rory, Lorelai and beyond: See where the 'Gilmore Girls' cast is today

By Jessica Inman
Lauren Graham, who stars as Lorelai on "Gilmore Girls," attends the Golden Globe Awards in 2020. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
1 of 10 | Lauren Graham, who stars as Lorelai on "Gilmore Girls," attends the Golden Globe Awards in 2020. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 21 (UPI) -- As soon as the leaves begin falling, Gilmore Girls fans crave their annual return to Stars Hollow -- home to mother-daughter duo Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, portrayed by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel.

"I made it a rule that we had to coincide with pumpkin spice lattes," Amy Sherman-Palladino, who created the show, told the Hollywood Reporter.

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That outlet reported the show has recently become a fall favorite, according to Nielsen viewership data.

The series follows Lorelai as she opens the Dragonfly Inn with Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) and helps Rory achieve her dreams of an Ivy League education.

Gilmore Girls initially aired in October 2000 and ran for seven seasons. In 2016, Netflix released a four-part reboot.

Eight years later, this is what the show's beloved stars are up to.

Alexis Bledel as Rory

In 2012, Bledel briefly joined the Mad Men cast as Beth, a lonely housewife who becomes entangled with Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) during the "Lady Lazarus" episode.

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In real life, the pair fell in love, got married in 2014 and had a son together. They divorced in 2022.

Bledel also portrayed Emily in The Handmaid's Tale until that character's departure in Season 5. She won an Emmy award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her Handmaid's Tale role in 2017.

Lauren Graham as Lorelai

Graham is also well-known for her portrayal of single mom Sarah Braverman in Parenthood, which premiered in 2010. The show ran for six seasons.

She struck up a romance with her on-screen brother, portrayed by Peter Krause, and the couple dated for more than 10 years before their 2022 split.

She also starred in and executive-produced The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers series on Disney+ and guest starred in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist on NBC.

She released her most recent book, Have I Told You Already: Stories I Don't Want to Forget to Remember, in 2022, and stars in the holiday film, Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Kelly Bishop as Emily

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Bishop, 80, is known in Gilmore Girls as Lorelei's stuffy, judgmental mother, Emily. Since then, she portrayed Benedetta in Sherman-Palladino's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and the pair is set to team up again on Sherman-Palladino's upcoming Étoile, Forbes reported.

She recently appeared on Apple TV's Shrinking, portraying ex-wife to Harrison Ford's character, Paul. Her memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl, was published by Gallery Books in September.

Melissa McCarthy as Sookie

McCarthy, who played Sookie -- the Dragonfly's amazing, albeit clumsy, chef and Lorelei's best friend-- has been so busy since that show that she didn't have time to appear in its 2016 reboot.

McCarthy is perhaps best known for her roles in films such as Bridesmaids, Identity Thief and Tammy, released in 2011, 2013 and 2014, respectively. She also starred in the show, Mike & Molly, which ran through 2016.

More recently, she starred as Ursula in the live action remake of The Little Mermaid and Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building.

She and her husband, comedian Ben Falcone, have been promoting their new narrative podcast, Hildy the Barback and the Lake of Fire.

Chad Michael Murray as Tristan

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Murray, who portrayed Tristan in Gilmore Girls, was also beloved for his role in One Tree Hill and the films A Cinderella Story and Freaky Friday.

He married Sarah Roemer in 2015, 10 years after his break-up with Sophia Bush, who also starred in One Tree Hill.

Earlier this year, he starred in Mother of the Bride, and will portray Luke, who dances in a male revue to save the Rhythm Room. That upcoming film premieres on Netflix on Wednesday.

Keiko Agena as Lane

Agena portrayed Lane, Rory's best friend, on Gilmore Girls. She went on to appear in Shameless, 13 Reasons Why, Better Call Saul, Dirty John and Prodigal Son.

More recently, Agena portrayed the first Chinese woman to enter the United States in the play, The Chinese Lady.

"I feel real awkward, but I had to take a video," she says in an Instagram clip that shows her standing in front of a sign promoting the show.

Adam Brody as Dave

Brody portrayed Lane's boyfriend in Gilmore Girls, and recently has seen a resurgence in popularity after starring as Rabbi Noah in the Netflix comedy, Nobody Wants This, alongside Kristen Bell.

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He met Leighton Meester, whom he would later marry, on the set of the 2011 film, The Oranges.

Brody also starred in Some Girls, Startup and Fleishman is in Trouble.

Netflix recently confirmed a second season of Nobody Wants This will be forthcoming.

Scott Patterson as Luke

Patterson played Luke, who owned the Stars Hollow diner that Lorelai and Rory frequented. He and Lorelai ultimately fall in love over the course of the show.

In real life, he hosts the I Am All In podcast, which fans will know is a reference to when Luke starts dating Lorelai. He has also been promoting a "Holidays Made Here" event that features a Stars Hollow tour.

Jared Padalecki as Dean

Padalecki played Rory's first boyfriend on Gilmore Girls. In the show Supernatural, which ran between 2005 and 2019, he played Sam, who battled paranormal entities alongside his brother, Dean (Misha Collins).

He also starred in Walker, which ran for four seasons. More recently, he booked a guest spot on Fire Country, and a spinoff might be in the works. Padalecki would helm the offshoot.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jess

Ventimiglia played Jess, Rory's well-read, but aloof, love interest on the show. He also starred in Heroes, and would eventually portray Jack in This is Us, which premiered in 2016.

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In 2023, he married Victoria's Secret model Jarah Mariano, and the couple is expecting a child.

Matt Czuchry as Logan

Czuchry portrays Logan, a well-off man that Rory dates later in the show. He went on to play Dr. Conrad Hawkins in The Resident, which aired for six seasons, but was ultimately scrapped due to low ratings.

Czuchry now plays Dex in the anthology series American Horror Story: Delicate. His character is married to Anna (Emma Roberts), and the couple is trying to have a baby when things take a turn for the worse.

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