Let’s take a peak inside the lives of the Gilmore Girls cast today. Perhaps one of the wittiest and most whimsical TV shows of its time, Gilmore Girls first lit up our TV screens starting in 2000, as noted by Entertainment Weekly. Additionally, many viewers who watched the show as teens may feel like they grew up with younger characters like Rory Gilmore and Lane Kim. The reason? The series managed to mirror the lives and strife of American teens pretty well during its original, seven-season run.
Thanks to its popularity, Gilmore Girls turned many actors in its cast into household names, and propelled their careers forward significantly. Thankfully, most of the show’s beloved cast members were able to come back for the reboot, even if just for a short appearance. Here’s what the cast of Gilmore Girls looks like today.
Many actors from Gilmore Girls have gone on to work on new projects since, while others have taken a step back from acting altogether. Some have started families, and others have won major awards. Keep reading to find out what your favorite actors and actresses from Gilmore Girls are up to these days.
Alexis Bledel from the Gilmore Girls cast won an Emmy Award
Alexis Bledel, who played the sweet-natured and studious wunderkind Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, has been incredibly busy since the show wrapped. According to IMDb, she’s acted in a steady stream of movies and TV shows, including Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Mad Men (where she met her husband, according to Vulture), ER, Postgrad, and Us & Them.
Now a mother, Bledel chooses her roles very carefully. “More than anything, I just think about what roles I take on, and make sure that it’s really something that I feel passionate about if I’m going to leave home and go work,” she shared with Entertainment Tonight.
Most notably, Bledel found success in her haunting portrayal of Ofglen in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Thanks to this role, she won an Emmy Award in 2017, and was nominated again in 2018 and 2019 as well. How impressive! Much like Rory, Bledel seems to take every one of her tasks in stride, excelling in everything she does.
Lauren Graham from the Gilmore Girls cast acted in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Rory’s scatter-brained, lovable mom (who might just take the cake for the fastest-talking TV character to ever exist) Lorelei Gilmore was played by Lauren Graham on the hit TV show. Since then, she’s starred in Parenthood, as well as the NBC musical dramedy Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. According to The Hollywood Reporter, filming Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’s took Graham back to her days on the set of Gilmore Girls. “I had never had so much responsibility and I had never done something that required so much stamina and time,” Graham shared, when describing how this role was just as demanding as playing Lorelei.
Graham has also written not just one, but three books that were deemed bestsellers by The New York Times. Interestingly enough, she wrote one of them while filming the Gilmore Girls reboot for Netflix.
In early 2020, Graham shared that she was busy on the set of a Disney+ production of Mighty Ducks. “The kids are so cute and I’m learning to skate,” she continued. “Another skill to put on my resume!” We can’t wait to watch it!
Scott Patterson has done quite a bit of movie work since leaving the Gilmore Girls cast
To the delight of Gilmore Girls fans around the world, Scott Patterson reprised his hat-and-flannel-wearing character Luke Danes in Netflix’s 2020 reboot of the show, grumpy demeanor and all. Though many years had passed since he originally appeared on the show, he inserted himself back into the small town of Stars Hollow seamlessly, playing Lorelei Gilmore’s understanding partner to perfection — something he savored. “We were all more appreciative because we knew we were there a limited period of time,” he explained to Glamour. “There was a chance this would be it and there wouldn’t be anymore after this.”
Since then, Patterson has been incredibly busy. According to IMDb, he’s worked on several movies including Ape, Yellow Fever, and Con Man. He also took on a voice acting job to, playing the character of James Gordon on Batman: Gotham by Gaslight. Patterson has also been announced as a star in the film The Sons of Summer.
Gilmore Girls cast member Melissa McCarthy ventured into the world of fashion design
Melissa McCarthy — who’s undergone a stunning transformation — played Lorelei’s best friend Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls. Not surprisingly, the actress and comedian has had a full dance card since wrapping up Gilmore Girls, too. According to IMDb, she’s acted in a bunch of great movies, including Life as We Know It, Bridesmaids, This is 40, and The Hangover Part III. Thankfully, she was able to take some time away from her busy schedule to reprise her character in the show’s Netflix reboot.
In addition to her work on the silver screen, McCarthy has also given fashion design a shot. In 2015, she launched her own clothing line, as noted by Forbes. And according to Yahoo! Life, McCarthy collaborated with Clare V to design a four-piece collection in 2020.
But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean McCarthy is retiring from acting. On the contrary, she’s still involved in a wide variety of projects, as both an actress and a producer — and we couldn’t be happier about it.
Keiko Agena, who played Lane Kim in the Gilmore Girls cast, also played a doctor on TV
Whatever happened to Lane Kim from Gilmore Girls? Actress Keiko Agena played the role, and went on to further her acting career once the series ended. According to Entertainment Tonight, she’s since worked on TV and movie projects including 13 Reasons Why, The First, Dirty John, and Better Call Saul.
Agena also played the role of Dr. Edrisa Tanaka on the crime drama Prodigal Son. “I loved the idea that it was someone who was so good in one area of their life, as far as medicine and science, and so deficient in the other areas of their life, in the social or romantic aspect,” she revealed. “That’s something that feels like it’s playable and something I can dig into and go long term.”
Though she has now made a name for herself, Agena, who was in her late 20s when she started working on Gilmore Girls, still looks back fondly on those days.
Gilmore Girls cast member Liza Weil guest starred in another Amy Sherman-Palladino show
Liza Weil played Paris Geller on Gilmore Girls, who started out as Rory Gilmore’s nemesis, but ended up becoming one of her closest and most trusted friends. Fortunately for fans, Weil was also able to make it to the set of the reboot as well, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter.
According to TV Line, Weil had already spent several years playing a lead character on ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder when Amy Sherman-Pallandino, the creator of Gilmore Girls, approached her to guest star in another project: Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Upon dreaming up the Carole Keen character, who was reportedly inspired by the life and work of Carolyn Kaye, Sherman-Pallandino thought of Weil for the part immediately. “Liza is a comedic genius — that is the bottom line,” she gushed. “Anytime we can work with Liza we will.” Luckily, Weil was able to clear her schedule in order to shoot the character’s season 3 three-episode arc.
Jared Padalecki from the Gilmore Girls cast finished filming his last episode of Supernatural
Soon after Jared Padalecki finished playing Rory Gilmore’s first love Dean Forester on Gilmore Girls, he landed the role of Sam Winchester on hit TV show Supernatural. This show occupied nearly all of his time from 2005 to 2020, according to IMDb – though he did manage to make an appearance in the Gilmore Girls reboot in 2016.
Padalecki finally finished filming his very last episode of Supernatural in September 2020. “Obviously, my head is spinning and my emotions are stratospheric, but there’s still a bit of time left on the clock,” he wrote on Instagram post, on his last day on the show’s set.
Once the Supernatural cameras stopped rolling for good, Padalecki revealed he was gifted an unusual souvenir from the show’s set: a Winchester Impala. He told Michael Rosenbaum on an episode of the Inside of You podcast that both he and co-star Jensen Ackles were gifted the cars as a thank you present. We can’t wait to see what he does next!
Gilmore Girls cast member Milo Ventimiglia was cast alongside Mandy Moore in a hit TV show
There was absolutely no way Milo Ventimiglia’s acting career was going to end after Gilmore Girls ––not with his good looks and talent! To that end, according to IMDb, Ventimiglia starred in TV shows like Heroes and Wolverine before being cast in the role of Jack Pearson on This Is Us.
Ventimiglia’s TV wife and co-star on This Is Us is none other than singer and actress Mandy Moore, who’s undergone a stunning transformation. From the start, Ventimiglia always knew the show would take off. “I knew that it was special,” he revealed in an interview with W magazine. “And I knew that it was different than anything else that was on television. It was heartfelt without being saccharine.” He added that it was also impactful without having to force the issue.
Much like his Gilmore Girls role, Ventimiglia pays a flawed character whose heart is in the right place on This is Us. Keep your eyes peeled for more Ventimiglia on TV in the future!
Matt Czuchry starred in a medical drama after leaving the Gilmore Girls cast
Matt Czuchry played Rory Gilmore’s lovable (if a little stuck up and spoiled) college boyfriend Logan Huntsberger in Gilmore Girls; he went on to reprise the role in the show’s reboot. Though he only joined the cast later on in the series, Logan become one of the show’s most iconic characters.
In an interview with DaMan, Czuchry opened up about his work in the medical drama The Resident, one of his biggest roles following Gilmore Girls. In the show, he plays Dr. Conrad Hawkins, resident doctor who is constantly fighting the system in the name of his patients. “The hard work of that journey, overcoming the obstacles along the way, and finally seeing positive results is very fulfilling,” he said of the show’s success.
As an actor who’d been working for decades, The Resident was the perfect opportunity for Czuchry. “It is the next step in the journey,” he continued. “This show came at the right time for me both personally and professionally.”
Chad Michael Murray from the Gilmore Girls cast appeared in another teen drama
Chad Michael Murray lit up our TV screens as Tristan Dugray, Rory Gilmore’s love interest during season 1 of Gilmore Girls. Although his character was emotionally-troubled, Murray was still quite charismatic, so many viewers remember him fondly.
However, Murray’s character arc on Gilmore Girls wrapped up pretty quickly, as Murray was cast in the lead role of Lucas Scott in another teen drama: One Tree Hill. “Lucas was very much the moral compass of One Tree Hill, and there [was] really no opportunity for me to step outside those boundaries,” Murray explained to Vanity Fair. Here’s what the cast of One Tree Hill looks like today.
Seven years after his last One Tree Hill appearance, Murray finally got to play the villain, when he took on the character of Edgar Evernever in the cult-favorite Riverdale. His wife, Sarah Roemer, was a huge fan on the show, and convinced him to take the role. “Anything I can do to please the Mrs., I’m in,” he added.
After leaving the Gilmore Girls cast, Sean Gunn joined the Marvel and DC Universes
Did you know that Sean Gunn from Gilmore Girls has a brother who works as a Hollywood director? To that end, after Gunn finished working on the Gilmore Girls set as the strange-yet-lovable Kirk Gleason, Gunn went on to play the roles of Kraglin and Rocket Racoon in the 2014 Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy. According to Discussing Film, this film was directed by his brother, James Gunn. And though some of us might not want to ever work with family members, Gunn loves working with his brother. “He and I have such a shorthand for communicating that I don’t ever wonder what the director wants, in the way that I often do with other projects,” he shared.
Gunn went on to reprise these roles in Guardians of The Galaxy 2 as well as Guardians of the Galaxy 3. He also joined the DC universe as Wesel, and made an appearance in the 2021 film The Suicide Squad film, also directed by his brother. Who knew the laughing stock of Stars Hollow would turn out to become not one, but three superheroes!
Vanessa Marano from the Gilmore Girls cast is all grown up
Remember April Nardini, Luke Dane’s child-genius daughter on Gilmore Girls? April was played by a young Vanessa Marano, who was only 13 years old when filming her first episodes of the show.
Marano is all grown up now, and has worked on many different projects since Gilmore Girls. According to Metro, Marano produced (and acted in) Saving Zoë in 2019, together with her mom and sister. The film was based on a book by Alison Noel, who incidentally is a huge fan of Gilmore Girls. Marano revealed that Noel actually wrote the book around the time Marano’s season on Gilmore Girls was airing!
Marano and her family took on Saving Zoë because of its heavy subject matter, and the important story the film tells. The project was so impactful that it went “all the way to the UN.” Since wrapping up Saving Zoë, Marano has worked on several TV shows and movies, as her star continues to rise.
Gilmore Girls cast member Adam Brody likes spending time catching waves in Malibu
Adam Brody was the actor who brought the role of Dave Rygalski, Lane Kim’s bandmate boyfriend, to life on Gilmore Girls. He then went on to play the lovable Seth Cohen on The OC, which made him a household name. He’s been busy acting in numerous films and television shows since then.
In addition to acting, Brody also got married and started a family. Fans of his will know that his wife is none other than Leighton Meester — who’s undergone a stunning transformation — of Gossip Girl fame. The pair met on the set of The Oranges in 2010, and have been blissfully married since 2014. Who would have thought Seth Cohen and Blair Waldorf would be so perfect for each other!
While Brody and Meester share two children, they also appear to share a fun hobby: surfing. According to the Daily Mail, the couple was spotted in the water in Malibu in September 2020, surfing the day away. The sighting occurred just a week after Brody announced the birth of his beloved son.
David Sutcliffe from the Gilmore Girls cast has retired from acting
David Sutcliffe, who played the gorgeous but emotionally unstable Christopher Hayden (AKA Rory Gilmore’s dad) on Gilmore Girls, announced that he was retiring from acting in 2019. In an interview with The Post, Sutcliffe revealed that he’s focusing on other pursuits like life coaching and self-improvement. “My interest turned to other things,” he explained. “I became obsessed with a form of psychotherapy called core energetics.” He added that he now leads workshops that help individuals find meaning in their lives and heal from their trauma.
Sutcliffe may be retired from acting, but he still looks back fondly on the days he spent shooting Gilmore Girls. “It was fun to play a character that brought so much emotional charge,” he continued. “I feel grateful to be a part of a show that has become a multi-generational classic and lives on in the hearts of the fans.”
Whatever Happened To Lane From Gilmore Girls?
Keiko Agena — aka Lane from Gilmore Girls — is a comedian and actress who has appeared in many mainstream television shows. Of those shows, her most notable role was as Rory Gilmore’s best friend Lane Kim in Gilmore Girls, of course. If you’re a fan of Rory, Lorelai, and the rest of the gang, you know that the Stars Hollow community wouldn’t be complete without the rebellious and fiercely loyal Lane. She defied her mother’s strict rules to pursue her passion for music, drumming for her band Hep Alien and playing small shows with bandmates Zack, Brian, and Gil.
The talented woman behind Lane, Keiko Agena, has an impressive filmography and has made strides in amplifying the voices of Asian American performers. She has shown her talents across several multimedia platforms, appearing in films, live productions, and even video games!
So what’s she doing today? Here’s what Lane from Gilmore Girls has been up to.
The actress behind Lane from Gilmore Girls has been a guest star on several popular series
Following her tenure as Lane from Gilmore Girls, Keiko Agena expanded her resume with appearances on some of TV’s hottest shows, including NCIS: Los Angeles, House, and Castle.
In 2012, Agena guest starred on Scandal as White House Press Secretary Britta Kagan in the episode “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.” From 2018 to 2019, she played a recurring character in the first season of the show Dirty John. She carried out the role of Nancy, one of the colleagues of main character Debra Newell, who was played by Connie Britton.
Starting in 2018, Agena played the character of Viola Goto on Better Call Saul, making her first appearance in the episode “Something Beautiful.” At least one Gilmore Girls fan loved seeing her in the series, remarking on Reddit, “So great to see Keiko Agena in a new show!”
Keiko Agena, aka Lane from Gilmore Girls, launched a podcast
In 2015, Keiko Agena, aka Lane from Gilmore Girls, and Will Choi combined forces to produce the podcast Drunk Monk Podcast. The podcast followed Agena and Choi as they “rewatch every episode of USA Network’s hit TV show Monk and may get a little drunk in the process.” The podcast ran from 2015 to 2017, boasted 53 episodes, and analyzed each season of Monk.
While the podcast focused on Monk, Agena and Choi also tackled current events and social issues throughout each episode. In the podcast’s inaugural episode, they discussed gun control and Asian American representation. Subsequent episodes delved into the hosts’ personal lives with stories about their high school experiences, most embarrassing moments, and a revolving door of hysterical roommates for Choi.
As guests on Talk Nerdy With Us, Agena and Choi discussed their inspiration for the podcast, with Agena saying, “We were really just floating the idea around one night after drinking. It didn’t start as a serious idea … just a last minute conversation.”
The woman behind Lane from Gilmore Girls played live with Hep Alien
During the 2015 ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas, Keiko Agena and her former Gilmore Girls co-stars put on a show with their fictional band, Hep Alien, at the San Jose Hotel, as noted by Refinery29. The band — which consisted of Agena, Todd Lowe (who played Zack), and John Cabrera (who played Brian) — played covers of songs by Blondie and the White Stripes and even performed a cover of the Gilmore Girls theme song, “Where You Lead.” The iconic song was originally performed by musician Carole King.
In addition to the Hep Alien performance, Agena, who’s still known as Lane from Gilmore Girls, took part in a panel alongside co-stars Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Kelly Bishop, Milo Ventimiglia, and others during the festival. Selfies of the cast also went viral on social media at the time (via HuffPost), as fans were excited to see the cast reunited again following the show’s series finale that aired on May 15, 2007.
Years after playing Lane from Gilmore Girls, Keiko Agena starred in commercials
In 2015, the actress behind Lane from Gilmore Girls, Keiko Agena, was cast in a commercial for Verizon Wireless for their “Flipside Testimonials” campaign. In the commercial, Agena demonstrated the cons of a bad cellular network, and Agena’s appearance did not go unnoticed by fans of Gilmore Girls. Realtor.com even published a review of the campaign, which partially focused on real estate, in which they noticed Agena and said, “Isn’t that Keiko Agena from The CW’s Gilmore Girls? Squee!”
Agena also appeared in another commercial – this one for UnitedHealthcare and titled “Pool Vault.” In the commercial, she plays one of two women who watch a group of men try to pole vault across a backyard pool. Knowing that the looming pole vault is doomed to fail, Agena and the other woman discuss which urgent care they should have on standby, and Agena pulls up the UnitedHealthcare app to easily access nearby facilities.
Keiko Agena played Lane from Gilmore Girls again in the show’s revival
Lane was a breakout character during the seven years that Gilmore Girls originally aired, and Keiko Agena recognized the responsibility she had to bring to her role. Speaking to the importance of Agena’s portrayal of Lane, The Lily noted, “Many of the millennials who grew up with the show thought of her as our best friend, too, particularly children of immigrants, who saw our mother-child dynamics reflected less in Rory and Lorelai’s relationship than in Lane and Mrs. Kim’s, which despite its sternness and secrecy we also recognized as loving.”
So, it was exciting to see Agena return to our screens as Lane in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, the Gilmore Girls revival, in 2016. Produced by Netflix, the revival consisted of four episodes. Unfortunately, fans of Lane from Gilmore Girls may have been disappointed in the revival because it showed the character never having left Stars Hollow. Instead, Lane settled down with her husband and twin boys (via Entertainment Weekly), and she worked alongside her mother, Mrs. Kim, in her family’s antique shop. Many fans expressed regret that Lane never left her hometown to become the rock star she had dreamed of being.
Gilmore Girls star Keiko Agena has been enjoying married life
Keiko Agena has been married to singer-songwriter Shin Kawasaki for over a decade. The two, who were friends before entering a relationship, became engaged after only a month of dating, and they tied the knot in December 2005. Their wedding was quite the adventure, as the ceremony was performed in a helicopter as it flew over Las Vegas, as Agena shared on Peter McGraw’s podcast.
Agena — aka Lane from Gilmore Girls, a show that boasts many fan theories — has spoken highly of her husband, saying on Reddit, “When I’m not doing improv, I’m probably with this dude.” She called him her “Life Partner/Cool Cat.”
One thing Agena has in common with her husband is their shared Japanese heritage, even though she was raised in Hawaii while her husband was raised in Japan. Speaking with The Lily, Agena said, “Shin, my husband, we say this a lot, that in some ways, we are more similar to each other than we are to Asian Americans that have grown up in California, because in Hawaii, Asian Americans are the majority. And obviously in Japan, Japanese are the majority.”
You may have seen Lane from Gilmore Girls on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why
In March 2017, Netflix premiered the show 13 Reasons Why, which follows the journey of high school student Hannah Baker (played by Katherine Langford), who takes her own life, and the fallout it has on her friends and loved ones. In the series, Keiko Agena plays Pam Bradley, a teacher at Liberty High School who teaches peer communication.
Agena’s appearance in 13 Reasons Why drew attention from Gilmore Girls fans as they were excited to see a familiar face and to watch more of Agena’s work. Bustle reported on Agena’s performance in the Netflix series and drew a connection to Gilmore Girls, stating, “[Keiko Agena’s] character is a teacher — something that Rory Gilmore would definitely be proud of.” Yes, we bet Lane from Gilmore Girls would impress her bookworm BFF Rory with her interest in academics.
The actress who played Lane from Gilmore Girls published a book
In 2018, Keiko Agena, done with playing Lane from Gilmore Girls, published a book called No Mistakes: A Perfect Workbook for Imperfect Artists. The workbook is a compilation of prompts for drawing, writing, and list-making and includes reminders to breathe deeply. The activities range from whimsical — like drawing things you’d bring with you during a zombie apocalypse — to personal and introspective, such as, making a list of “the negative things you think about yourself,” as noted by The Lily.
Agena has spoken openly about her own journey with anxiety and self-doubt, and her book is a way to connect with readers who experience the same fears she has. The book is a chance for Agena, and for all artists, to reclaim their creativity. Speaking with Bustle, Agena said, “I love books like this, that dive back into what we need to do as artists. So I asked myself ‘What do I need?” and ‘What am I scared of?’ Well, I’m constantly scared that I’m not good enough, or I’m not the right type of something, and that I’m a failure.” As a result, Agena has channeled her fears and needs into the pages of her book, through which artists can work on overcoming their mistakes so that they can continue to create with confidence.
Gilmore Girls’ Keiko Agena was a series regular on Hulu’s The First
In September 2018, Hulu premiered The First, a science-fiction show about the preparation of the first human mission to Mars. On the show, which was produced by House of Cards creator Beau Willimon, Keiko Agena plays Aiko Hakari, one of the five astronauts chosen to explore Mars. Agena starred alongside actor Sean Penn on the series.
Set in the year 2033, The First explored the possibility of life on Mars while also telling stories about the personal lives of the astronauts and their family members. No longer just Lane from Gilmore Girls, Agena’s storyline as Aiko Hakari saw her character balance the impending mission to Mars with leaving behind her husband, two children, and elderly mother on Earth, as noted by The Atlantic. The inaugural season of The First consisted of eight episodes, with the season finale showing the launch of the crew’s mission to Mars.
Unfortunately, Hulu canceled the series in January 2019, after only one season, as reported by The Verge.
The actress known as Lane from Gilmore Girls co-hosts shows and does improv
If you think that Lane from Gilmore Girls had a comedic presence, there’s a reason why: Keiko Agena is an accomplished comedian. As noted by UCB Comedy, she studied comedy at the Groundlings and received comedic training from the iO West and UCB improv programs. These days, she performs with the improv groups Ham Radio, RJP, Totally Heather, and Kilowatt.
Given her experience, it makes sense that Keiko Agena has served as host of the Asian American variety show Asian AF as part of her work to promote Asian representation in media. The variety show performs at the UCB Theater in Los Angeles, and a typical performance includes some of the best Asian American comedians, musicians, actors, storytellers, and sketch performers.
In February 2019, Agena appeared on a podcast with Peter McGraw, where she spoke about the inspiration behind Asian AF and its origins. One of the reasons why Asian AF was started was apparently due to the number of whitewashing incidents occurring in Hollywood and in the media.
After playing Lane from Gilmore Girls, Keiko Agena did voiceover work
Keiko Agena is clearly multi-talented and excels at many things, including voiceover work. Since her days playing Lane from Gilmore Girls, Agena has voiced a character on Central Park. She posted a clip of her performance on Central Park on her Instagram account, sharing a funny sketch featuring Agena’s guest role as a store clerk. In the caption, she noted she “absolutely [loves] living in this world.” She also took on a voice-acting role for Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, voicing the character of Atsuko in the 2020 finale of the show.
In addition to television voiceover work, Agena has voiced characters in video games. Two video games to which she has lent her voice are Prey and Law & Order: Justice Is Served, playing the characters Miyu Sato and Toki Yamamato, respectively. The quality of her performances across different media platforms proves just how talented she is!
Not just Lane from Gilmore Girls anymore, Keiko Agena starred in Prodigal Son
Starting in 2019, Keiko Agena starred on Fox’s crime drama Prodigal Son. On the show, she played NYPD medical examiner Dr. Edrisa Tanaka. Discussing the show, she told The Knockturnal, “As soon as I read this script I was fascinated by it.” She continued, “I mean it’s the kind of script that’s intriguing because it’s dark, it’s intense, it makes sense, it’s about family, it’s a little bit funny but in a dark humor type of way.”
Prodigal Son was filmed in New York City, and Agena admitted that she went through an adjustment moving to the Big Apple. In her interview with The Knockturnal, she described NYC and her transition by saying that New York is “a city with a strong personality, so I’m trying to find what my place in the city is.”
While Prodigal Son was renewed for a second season, as noted by Express, it was canceled in 2021, as reported by TV Line. Still, it’s clear that Lane from Gilmore Girls is doing well in the entertainment world, and we look forward to more of Keiko Agena’s work in the future!
Gilmore Girls Fan Theories That Completely Change Everything
For years, the most intriguing Gilmore Girls fan theories revolved around the mysterious “final four words” that show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino repeatedly told reporters she intended to use all along, but was ultimately unable to end the series with.
Even though those four words were finally revealed at the end of the GG Netflix revival season (SPOILER! Last chance to stop reading! Rory tells her mom she’s preggo), there’s still plenty to theorize about, from hidden character connections, to mysterious allusions, to, yes, of course, the parentage of Rory’s baby. Here are some Gilmore Girls fan theories that would, if true, completely change everything.
In the Netflix revival episodes, Lorelai is in a coma
Did you notice some elements in the Gilmore Girls Netflix revival that seemed… out of place? For example, ambitious Rory is now a terrible journalist who doesn’t prepare for her job interview, and uptight Emily has learned to embrace casual attire and relaxed seaside living?
Well, Reddit user TreeHugBookLove has a theory to explain all of this (and Glamour offers some additional analysis): Lorelai is in a coma, and the events in these episodes are her hospital hallucinations. In a detailed post, TreeHugBookLove explains, “This is why Emily and Rory are so out-of-character throughout Year in the Life, because Lorelai has a skewed perception of the world, believing that Emily is 100% irrational and Rory is immature and sex-obsessed.”
And how did Lorelai get into a coma? The theory takes that into account, too: a car accident. Per the Reddit post, “this is supported by the numerous times her shitty car was mentioned throughout the show.”
The mean letter that Emily brings up in therapy was written by Trix or a maid
In the Netflix episode “Spring,” Emily reveals in a therapy session that she believes Lorelai wrote her a nasty anonymous letter one year on her birthday. Lorelai denies this. So who was it? While Lorelai (or Emily) could be outright lying, there are other suspects.
One potential culprit is Trix, Emily’s late mother-in-law who never wanted her to marry her husband Richard in the first place. Shyla Watson at PopSugar notes that “Trix never liked Emily and made that clear on numerous occasions,” plus Trix was “clearly a fan of writing letters,” as we know from the letter she wrote Richard asking him not to marry Emily.
Another theory that got some traction on Reddit is the idea that an angry staff member of Emily’s wrote the letter. User stillnotking wrote, “I think the most likely explanation is that one of Emily’s maids wrote it. She has a rotating cast of people in her house who all have good reason to dislike her, would know some personal stuff about her, and wouldn’t be likely to hold back if they’d just been fired, or suspected they would be.” This would make sense to anyone who has watched Emily snidely mistreat her hired help over the many seasons of the show.
Rory and Logan mirror Emily and Richard
What will happen to Rory in the future? One fan theory suggests she’s on a path similar to that of her grandmother, Emily. While Rory has always seemed so much more like her mother than her grandma, viewers have realized that there are striking parallels between the relationship of Rory and her Yale boyfriend Logan and the relationship of Emily and her husband Richard.
Emily Marcus at US Weekly compiled a rundown of the similarities: Rory and Emily are both the “forbidden college sweethearts” of their guys; Richard and Logan are both involved with other women during part of their courtship with their Gilmore loves; and the pairs both can lean on each other as steady partners, in addition to their romantic connection.
Caesar went to Chilton
Caesar, the line cook at Luke’s diner, is usually strictly seen in the Star’s Hollow portion of Gilmore Girls. But sharp-eyed viewers noticed that in one episode, he appears at Rory’s prep school Chilton — in the background. In the season one episode “Rory’s Dance,” actor Aris Alvarado quietly appears in a Chilton scene as one of Rory’s classmates.
Alvarado himself confirmed that it was in fact him, and that he was playing his character Caesar in that scene. He said at the Gilmore Girls Fan Festival (via HelloGiggles), “That was Caesar. It’s funny because [the internet] just discovered that. I’ve been waiting, I never wanted to say anything [so I could] see who was going to find me one day!” He also confirmed the theory on Twitter.
Liza Weil plays the same character on Gilmore Girls and How to Get Away with Murder
Liza Weil plays the determined, studious, super-Type A Paris Gellar on Gilmore Girls. And she plays the loyal, troubled legal assistant Bonnie Winterbottom on How to Get Away with Murder. But some viewers think that these two characters might actually be the same person.
Kristen Kranz at Hypable sums up some of the reasons how this could be possible in a world where Rory never attended Chilton or came into Paris’ life. We know Paris was considering law school as an option in addition to medical school in season seven, both characters are fairly friendless, they’re both super ruthless, and without Rory’s influence, the highly neurotic Paris could have snapped. So is Bonnie an alternate-reality-Paris, or is it a stretch?
It’s a little reassuring to remember that Rory isn’t the only friend who was able to break through Paris’s shell — there’s still Doyle!
The father of Rory’s baby is Logan
Everybody wants to know the answer to the question: Who is Rory’s baby daddy? The most obvious choice is Logan, and here’s why:
He and Rory have sex the most times throughout Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life leading up to the reveal that she’s pregnant. E! News straight up asked the actor who plays Logan, Matt Czuchry, if he’s the dad. His response: “That’s a question for Amy Sherman-Palladino…. I cannot answer that question.” Not exactly a “no.” Highly suspicious.
The father of Rory’s baby is the Wookiee
Another potential suspect in the mystery we all know as “Who is Rory’s baby daddy?” doesn’t even have a name. In the Netflix revival, Rory hooks up with a guy dressed in a Star Wars Wookiee costume. Could Rory be pregnant with a little Wookiee?
This theory gained some momentum when Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham acknowledged it. She told People, “The first time I read it, I thought it was the wookie [sic].” Sounds like she doesn’t think that anymore, though. Hopefully if this theory turns out to be true, Rory will track him down and find out the dude’s name.
The father of Rory’s baby is Paul
Rory does have a boyfriend at the time that she gets pregnant, so boring old Paul could be the potential dad. But since Rory keeps literally forgetting about him during the newest episodes and seems to never see him, the logistics don’t seem to quite work out. The actor who plays Paul, who himself calls his character “very forgettable,” was asked by The Hollywood Reporter about the likelihood of Paul being the baby’s father. His response: “I guess I would doubt it, but I have no idea.”
The father of Rory’s baby is Jess
This one’s a stretch. Even if you’re on Team Jess, you’d be hard-pressed to find evidence that Jess is the father of Rory’s baby. Wanting something does not make it so. While Jess and Rory do get some screen time together in A Year In the Life, they’re not shown to have any type of romantic or sexual relationship anymore, which is, as your parents may have told you when you first learned about the birds and the bees, necessary for making a baby.
Even actor Milo Ventimiglia, who plays Jess, isn’t buying this theory. According to People, Ventimiglia told the audience at a panel in June 2017, “Just so you know, its not Jess’ kid.” That sort of takes the air out of that theory. Or is Ventimiglia trying to deflect attention for a super shocking reveal?
Rory is a surrogate
Maybe all the theorizing about which of Rory’s hookups fathered her baby is moot. One theory suggests that Rory could be pregnant with someone else’s baby — possibly her own mom’s! — as a surrogate.
In the revival episodes, Rory’s longtime sorta-bestie Paris has become a fertility doctor. The idea of the underemployed Rory becoming a surrogate for Paris’ patients is even mentioned (though briefly and not that seriously) in the show, and Rory’s mom, Lorelai, makes an appointment with Paris to find out about her own fertility options.
So, is it possible that, while not shown in any scenes, Rory did decide to become a surrogate and birth someone else’s biological child? As Twitter user Erin Marie Hoerchler posted, “calm down obviously Rory’s pregnant because she’s working for Paris as a surrogate.” Us Weekly aggregated various tweets from other fans who echoed the same idea.
Though it would be super tricky of show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino to attribute Rory’s pregnancy to an offscreen plotline, it is possible.
