On Saturday evening, the lovely and quirky residents of Stars Hollow came together once more in Austin’s ATX Television Festival to talk about the show that became a classic and has garnered fans both old and new since it premiered in 2000.
For those of you who haven’t been introduced, Gilmore Girls isn’t just a show—it’s a lifestyle. Set in a small town near Hartford, Connecticut, it chronicles the lives of arguably the greatest mother/daughter duo in the entire universe (Lorelai and Rory Gilmore) and their epic adventures of life and love in a weird, wonderful little town.
This past weekend, the stars of the hit WB show all came together to discuss the show, their favorite moments, and of course the late Edward Herrmann, who passed away just last year. Here are some highlights from the panel.
Where are their characters now?
This was an important question, and surprisingly enough, all of the cast members had great answers. Rory would be a journalist, Lorelai and Luke would “100 percent” still be together, Jess would still be “being Jess” (which we don’t mind, of course!) and Lane would be trying to figure out what kind of mom she wants to be. Michel would either own his own inn or be in Paris, while Paris and Doyle would probably still be together, and Logan would “not be working.” Miss Patty would probably run for mayor (and win!) and Dean would continue to work at Doose’s Market and eventually become manager. All in all, pretty happy endings!
Dean is actually “Team Jess,” Logan is “Team Jess,” and even Jess is “Team Jess”
When asked which of Rory’s love interests they liked the most, Jared Padalecki (who played first boyfriend Dean Forrester) admited that he was “always Team Jess.” On the other hand Milo Ventimiglia (who played bad boy Jess Mariano) said that while he was Team Jess, he also loves Dean and thinks “Logan is a d***.” As for Matt Czuchry (who played Logan Huntzberger), he was also a Jess supporter, but echoed show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino’s sentiment that each boyfriend was perfect for a certain time in Rory’s life.
It was by far Scott Patterson (Luke) who had the best response: “None of you were good enough for Rory!”
A Gilmore Girls movie won’t be happening any time soon
Sorry fans, despite rumors that a film to follow the series might be in the works, Amy Sherman-Palladino shut down the speculation by asserting that it was not going to happen—at least, for now. But she left it open-ended by saying that it was great that the cast members were all still very close, which is a promising thing, and that in the future it might be a possibility—but it would have to be at the right place and time. Well don’t worry, Amy, we’d wait as long as it took to see a Gilmore Girls movie!
The creators had to fight to get Melissa McCarthy cast
Gilmore Girls wouldn’t have been what it was without every singly zany character on board, and Sookie St. James was no exception. But according to Amy Sherman-Palladino, there was originally some resistance from the show executives about casting McCarthy, who at the time was relatively new to acting. Eventually, they came around, but not without some convincing. Interestingly enough, McCarthy went on to find huge success post-Gilmore Girls, and she was also the only main cast member not present at the reunion.
Edward Herrmann was remembered
An illustrious actor and a pillar of the show, Edward Herrmann was a noticeable absence at the event but the cast members did not neglect to pay homage to the late Richard Gilmore. As Sherman-Palladino eloquently put it, “F*** you for dying.” An empty chair was also placed on stage in remembrance.
And last but not least, Michel is a glorious creature
Yanic Truesdale played the ever sarcastic and sassy Michel, a role he unabashedly enjoyed during the seven seasons of the show. He expressed his glee at getting to fire off some of the best one liners of the show, and admitted to some of his favorites, including this gem.
We were all so happy to see the cast all back together, and let’s keep our fingers crossed about that film! And if you haven’t yet delved into the glorious world of “Gilmore Girls” you can now catch all seven seasons on Netflix—well, there goes your free time.