Alexis Bledel
Alexis Bledel | |
|---|---|
| File:Alexis-BledelDSC0809.jpg | |
| Born | Kimberly Alexis Bledel |
| Occupation(s) | Fashion model (1996-1999) Actress |
| Years active | 2000 - present |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
Kimberly Alexis Bledel (born September 16, 1981) is an American actress and former fashion model. She is known for her role in the television series Gilmore Girls and for the films Tuck Everlasting, Sin City, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She goes by her first name of "Kimberly" with family and friends, but is known professionally as Alexis Bledel.
Biography
Early life
Bledel was born in Houston, Texas. Her father, Martin Bledel, is Argentinian and her mother, Nanette Blake, is Mexican.[1] She has one younger brother, Eric, born 1986. Her first language is Spanish, and she did not learn English until she began school. In fact, America Ferrera was surprised during an interview with a Spanish magazine when Bledel started speaking Spanish.[2] Bledel's mother encouraged her to try community theater when she was a child to overcome her shyness.[3] She subsequently appeared in local productions of Our Town and The Wizard of Oz before being scouted at a local mall and given work as a fashion model. She attended St. Agnes Academy in Houston and is a Roman Catholic.[4]
Career
Bledel studied at the Page Parkes Center for Modeling and Acting and majored in film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts for one year before landing the role of Rory in Gilmore Girls. In 2002, she was voted one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25".
Bledel made her debut on TV on The WB series Gilmore Girls in 2000. She played Lorelai Leigh "Rory" Gilmore, the daughter of single mother Lorelai Victoria Gilmore. Initially, Rory was a high school student living with her mother, but she has since moved on to college at Yale University, where she, among other things, has worked as the editor of the Yale Daily News. Bledel has said that she feels she can relate in some ways to Rory, both when it comes to some personal traits and her relationship to her own parents. She also sees the family structure and mother-daughter relationship on the show as something to which many people can relate.
Bledel appeared as the main character in the video for Less Than Jake's "She's Gonna Break Soon", lead single from their 2003 album Anthem. The single charted at number 39 on the UK charts. The role of Becky, a prostitute, in the movie Sin City was a shift from Bledel's previous TV and film characters. "She's a very professional prostitute. She carries a gun and she kicks ass," said Bledel of Becky.[5] Despite her tough and precocious exterior, Becky gives the impression of being the young and insecure one among the women of Old Town, because of her young appearance and her close relationship to her mother, from whom she keeps her profession a secret.
Sin City is shot almost entirely in black-and-white, with splashes of color here and there, such as a red dress, blood or an entirely yellow evil character. In Becky's case, it was her eyes that kept their color, as director Robert Rodriguez claimed that he found Bledel's eyes to be "so amazing I had to keep them blue in the picture."[citation needed]
She has also starred in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" based on the book by Ann Brashares. She played Lena Kaligaris, a talented artist on a journey with her three best friends, linked over the summer by a pair of magical jeans.Alexis wrapped filming of the sequel in the summer of 2007.
Personal life
Bledel enjoys reading, hiking, taking photographs and spending time with her family and friends. She also likes to play the piano. Between scenes on Gilmore Girls, she heads to her trailer to play her keyboard. She also works with First Book, a nonprofit organization, which gives books to the poor. After drinking so much coffee due to her character Rory's strong appreciation for it on the first season of Gilmore Girls, she became sick of it and subsequently when Rory "drinks coffee," Bledel is drinking tea or Coca-Cola instead.[6]
She was ranked #87 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2005.[7] She dated her Gilmore Girls co-star Milo Ventimiglia for three and a half years before separating in July of 2006.[8]
In a memorable appearance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Alexis Bledel revealed that she loves traveling to Europe, and that she has already been to the Tuscany region of Italy and loved it.
She also said that she likes all kinds of cuisines, from gourmet cuisine to fast food specialities. She particularly praised Wendy's, calling the Hi-C Fruit Punch sold at Wendy's restaurants the "perfect chaser" to their chicken nuggets[citation needed]. Video footage of this appearance is frequently featured on websites such as YouTube.com.[citation needed]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Gilmore Girls | Lorelai "Rory" Leigh Gilmore (2000-2007) | |
| 2002 | Tuck Everlasting | Winnifred Foster | |
| 2004 | DysEnchanted | Goldilocks | |
| Bride & Prejudice | Georgina "Georgie" Darcy | ||
| 2005 | Sin City | Becky | |
| The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | Lena Kaligaris | ||
| 2006 | I'm Reed Fish | Kate Peterson | |
| Life Is Short | Charlotte | ||
| 2008 | Forever in Blue | Lena Kaligaris |
Awards
- Nominated.
- 2002 - Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Supporting Young Actress for Gilmore Girls.
- 2003 - Golden Satellite Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for Tuck Everlasting.
- 2004 - Teen Choice Awards for Choice TV Actress - Comedy for Gilmore Girls.
- 2006 - NCLR ALMA Award.
- Won
- 2001 - Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Leading Young Actress. for Gilmore Girls.
- 2002 - Family Television Award for Actress for Gilmore Girls.
- 2005 - Teen Choice Award for Choice It Girl.
- 2005 - Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Comedy for Gilmore Girls.
- 2006 - Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Comedy for Gilmore Girls.
References
- ^ "Para Todos". Simply-Alexis.org. Retrieved 2006-05-29.
- ^ David Letterman, Alexis Bledel, Craig Ferguson, Tom Russell (2006-04-19). "April 19, 2006 episode". Late Show with David Letterman. CBS.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Interviewing Alexis Bledel". Teentelevision.com. Retrieved 2000-10-04.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Alex Bledel Web". Retrieved 2006-09-21.
- ^ "Girl Talk with Alex Bledel". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2005-04-26.
- ^ "We're Hangin' With..... ALEXIS BLEDEL". Agirlsworld.com. Retrieved 2002-10-02.
- ^ "MAXIM Magazine Unveils Their 'Hot 100' for 2005". Maximonline.com. Retrieved 2005-05-10.
- ^ "Gilmore Girls' Alexis Bledel, Boyfriend Split". People.com. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
External links
