‘Gilmore Girls’ Cast, 25 Years Later: Where Are They Now?

Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore

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

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, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Max. Graham did a stint on Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2017 and flexed her vocal abilities once more on the show Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist in 2020.

In addition to acting, Graham is an author, writing multiple books. Her most recent title, Have I Told You This Already? Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember, was published in 2022.

Graham and her longtime partner, Parenthood costar Peter Krause, split in 2021, after more than a decade together.

Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore

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

Now all grown up, Bledel starred in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (both the original and the sequel), had a role on Mad Men and won an Emmy in 2017 for her performance in The Handmaid’s Tale. Her other film roles include Violet & Daisy, Jenny’s Wedding and Crypto.

Bledel and Graham had a Gilmore Girls reunion at the 2025 Primetime Emmys, appearing together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their beloved show.

Bledel was previously married with her Mad Men costar Vincent Kartheiser and they welcomed a child together before divorcing in 2022.

Scott Patterson as Luke Danes

Scott Patterson had starred 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.

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 slated to appear next in The Rogue and Liberty.

The actor hasn’t completely left Stars Hollow behind. In 2021, he launched the podcast I Am All In, which featured him commenting on the series episode by episode.

He also starred in a Walmart ad with Lauren Graham and several other Stars Hollow faces for the 2024 holidays.

Since 2023, Patterson has played Harry “Sully” Sullivan on Sullivan’s Crossing, starring another Gilmore Girls alum, Chad Michael Murray.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jess Mariano

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.

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 portrayed Jack Pearson on NBC’s This is Us, a role that earned the actor three Emmy nominations.

In Jan. 2025, Milo Ventimiglia revealed his Malibu home was one of the many impacted by the Pacific Palisades fire that swept through L.A.

“I think there’s a kind of shock moment where you going, ‘Oh, this is real. This is happening,’ ” he told CBS Evening News. “You start thinking about all the memories in different parts of the house and whatnot. And then you see your neighbors’ houses and everything, kind of around, and your heart just breaks.”

On Jan. 23, 2025, Ventimiglia and his wife Jarah Mariano welcomed their first child, Ke’ala Coral Ventimiglia.

Melissa McCarthy as Sookie St. James

Melissa McCarthy put her comedic chops to 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, the actress had a few voice acting roles and guest appearances on shows like Kim Possible and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

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 films like Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.

She has received two Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, as well as two Emmy Awards. McCarthy has been married to actor Ben Falcone since 2005 and the pair share two children.

Keiko Agena as Lane Kim

Keiko 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.

After retiring her drumsticks, Agena appeared in guest roles on TV series like Scandal, Private Practice, Shameless, Grimm, 13 Reasons Why and Better Call Saul. She also had a small role in Transformers: Dark of the Moon and starred in the Fox television series Prodigal Son.

Liza Weil as Paris Geller

Liza 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.

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 and had guest appearances on shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Westworld.

She was married to actor Paul Adelstein from 2006 to 2017.

Jared Padalecki as Dean Forester

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.

After Gilmore Girls, Padalecki landed a role on Supernatural, a series that ran a whopping 15 seasons from 2005 to 2020. He also starred on Walker, the Walker, Texas Ranger reboot.

Padalecki has been married to wife Genevieve since 2010. The two have three kids.

Matt Czuchry as Logan Huntzberger

Czuchry was both incredibly irritating and so very endearing as Rory’s college boyfriend, Logan Huntzberger.

He joined the cast in its fifth season, having already appeared in series like Veronica Mars, Seventh Heaven, The Practice and Young Americans.

Since the penultimate episode of the series, in which Rory refuses his proposal, Czuchry has been busy. He followed up Gilmore Girls with an arc on Friday Night Lights, then on The Good Wife from 2009 to 2016 and The Resident on Fox.

In Sept. 2025, Czuchry and Padalecki had a Gilmore Girls reunion, when they costarred in a fall-themed campaign for Panera Bread.

Yanic Truesdale as Michel Gerard

No one could have played Michel, the snarky concierge (and then part-owner) of the Dragonfly Inn, quite like the Canadian-American actor.

Before he played Michel, Yanic Truesdale had mostly acted in French-Canadian films in Quebec. He later appeared on shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Fixer and Mohawk Girls.

Truesdale returned to his hometown of Montreal and continues to act in films and on television there. He reunited with McCarthy in the Netflix comedy series God’s Favorite Idiot and the Gilmore Girls revival series.

Edward Herrmann as Richard Gilmore

Before he was Richard Gilmore, the patriarch of the Gilmore clan, Edward Herrmann enjoyed a long career, which began in 1971 with an uncredited role in Lady Liberty. From there, he appeared in series like Beacon Hill, M*A*S*H, St. Elsewhere, The Practice and Oz.

Following the show’s finale, Hermann continued to act, working on films like The Town That Dreaded Sundown and television shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Law & Order and The Good Wife.

Herrmann died at age 71 from brain cancer on Dec. 31, 2014. His death was written into the series revival on Netflix, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

Kelly Bishop as Emily Gilmore

Kelly Bishop played the matriarch of the Gilmore family with a silver tongue and an iron fist. Emily didn’t suffer any fools, loved a well-planned event and had a secret soft side.

Before her role on the series, Bishop had already enjoyed a long acting career that included roles in films like Dirty Dancing and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in A Chorus Line.

The actress followed her time on Gilmore Girls with roles on television shows like Law & Order: SVU, Mercy, Army Wives, Bunheads and The Good Wife.

She is still acting and was in the TV movie, Art of Falling in Love, in 2019, and the fourth season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

She also released her memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl, in 2024.

Sean Gunn as Kirk Gleason

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.

Gunn is part of the Marvel Universe, having appeared in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love & Thunder as Kraglin. Gunn also provides the performance capture for Rocket in the Marvel films.

He has also acted in television series like Glee, Bunheads, Bones and October Road.

In July 2025, Gunn played Maxwell Lord in Superman, directed by his brother, James Gunn.