Gilmore Girls Cast, Then & Now

It’s been nearly two decades since the show premiered, and the residents of Stars Hollow stole our hearts

Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore

THEN: Lorelai Gilmore was the definition of a “cool mom,” and there was no one better for the role than Lauren Graham. With her penchant for junk food, coffee addiction, and quick wit, she raised her daughter Rory on her own after finding out that she was pregnant at 16. 

NOW: Following a Broadway debut in Guys & Dolls in 2007, Graham continued her streak of playing iconic TV moms when she took on the role of Sarah Braverman in Parenthood from 2010 to 2015. She has also starred in films like Evan Almighty, Because I Said So, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Graham also did a stint on Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2017 and is gearing up for a role in the show Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist in 2020. 

Graham is currently in a relationship with her Parenthood co-star, Peter Krause, and has been since 2010! 

Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore

THEN: Bledel made her television debut when she landed the role of Lorelai’s daughter, Rory Gilmore. Rory was smart, quiet but just as caffeine-addicted and witty as her mom. 

NOW: All grown up now, Bledel starred in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (both the original and the sequel), had a role on Mad Men (she married her co-star, Vincent Kartheiser) and snagged an Emmy in 2017 for her performance in The Handmaid’s Tale. She’s slated to star in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 3, so get ready for some nostalgia! 

Scott Patterson as Luke Danes

THEN: Patterson had appeared in a few television shows and films before really making a splash as Lorelai’s on-again/off-again love interest. 

Luke Danes was every girl’s fantasy: rough around the edges but financially stable (hello, he owned a diner!); no-nonsense but caring; and able to supply endless amounts of coffee. 

NOW: After Gilmore Girls, Patterson moved on to horror films, taking on roles in Saw IV, V and VI. Patterson also appeared on 90210 and The Event, amongst other television roles. He is in pre-production for two films: The Rogue and Liberty. 

In 2017 Patterson started, Scotty P’s Big Mug Coffee, a real-life coffee company. How absurdly appropriate.

Melissa McCarthy as Sookie St. James

THEN: McCarthy put her comedic chops to the good use when she played the clumsy, yet lovable, chef and best friend of Lorelai. Before she put on her apron and served dishes at the Dragonfly Inn, she had a few voice acting roles and guest appearances on shows like Kim Possible and Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

NOW: McCarthy’s career took off after Gilmore Girls, with the actress scoring roles on shows like Samantha Who? and Mike & Molly as well as in iconic films like Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters, and Can You Ever Forgive Me? She’s got two Oscar and Golden Globe nominations to her name, as well as two Emmy Awards. 

McCarthy has been married to actor Ben Falcone since 2005 and the pair share two children. McCarthy shows no signs of slowing down any time soon as she is rumored to play Ursula in the live-action Little Mermaid. 

Keiko Agena as Lane Kim

THEN: Agena had small roles on shows like Sister, Sister, Felicity and Beverly Hills, 90210 before landing the role of Rory Gilmore’s best friend, Lane. Though raised in a super-strict household, Lane managed to start a rock band, Hep Alian, become a drummer, and get married to one of the band’s members, Zack. 

NOW: Agena appeared in some guest roles on TV series like Scandal, Private Practice, Shameless and Grimm after retiring her drum sticks. More recently, she has had roles in Thirteen Reasons Why, Dirty John, Better Call Saul and Prodigal Son.

Liza Weil as Paris Geller

THEN: Weil played Paris Geller, Rory’s over-achieving best friend who didn’t get into Harvard because she had sex (at least, that’s how she saw it). Before her turn on Gilmore Girls, Weil appeared in shows like The West Wing, E.R. and Law & Order: SVU. 

NOW: You’ve seen Weir in some of your favorite Shondaland shows. After Gilmore Girls ended, Weir started off with an appearance on Grey’s Anatomy, eventually landing roles in Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder. 

Jared Padalecki as Dean Forester

THEN: Padalecki jumped on the scene when he played Rory’s first boyfriend, Dean, the bag boy at Doose’s — never forget their sweet first kiss that involved petty theft. 

NOW: After Gilmore Girls, Padalecki landed a role on Supernatural, a series that he has starred in since 2005 and that will end in 2020 after a whopping 15 seasons on the air. It was announced in September 2019 that the actor will be involved with the Walker, Texas Ranger reboot. 

Milo Ventimiglia as Jess Mariano

THEN: Ventimiglia played Luke’s nephew, the bad boy of Stars Hollow and Rory’s love interest, Jess Mariano. Before he made hearts melt and Rory choose between him and Dean, Ventimiglia appeared on television in shows like American Dream, Boston Public, and The Opposite Sex. 

NOW: Ventimiglia has enjoyed quite a bit of success as an actor, working in TV and film since the series ended. He enjoyed a long run playing Peter Petrelli on the hit television show, Heroes, from 2006 to 2010. Most notably, he is currently making everyone in America cry every week as Jack Pearson on NBC’s This Is Us, a role that has earned the actor three Emmy nominations.

Matt Czuchry as Logan Huntzberger

THEN: Czuchry was both incredibly irritating and so very endearing as Rory’s college boyfriend, Logan Huntzberger. Czuchry joined the cast in its fifth season, having already appeared in series like Veronica Mars, Seventh Heaven, The Practice, and Young Americans. 

NOW: Since the penultimate episode of the series, in which Rory refuses his proposal, Czuchry has been busy! He followed up Gilmore Girls with an arch on Friday Night Lights and then on The Good Wife from 2009 to 2016. He’s currently starring in The Resident on FOX. 

Sean Gunn as Kirk Gleason

THEN: Gunn nailed it as the loveable and kooky Kirk, whose antics were well-known throughout Stars Hollow. From his many, many jobs to his love and adoration of his mother, Kirk was one of a kind. 

NOW: Gunn is part of the Marvel Universe now (which we all know is an excellent place to be as an actor) having appeared in the Guardians of the Galaxy films and Avengers: Infinity War as Kraglin. He will reprise the role in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. He has also acted in television series like Glee, Bunheads, Bones and October Road.