Lorelai Gilmore
 | This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. (October 2009) |
| Lorelai Victoria Gilmore | |||||||||||||
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| Gilmore Girls character | |||||||||||||
| File:Lorelai Gilmore.jpg Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore | |||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Lauren Graham Chelsea Brummet (Young Lorelai) | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | Pilot | ||||||||||||
| Last appearance | Bon Voyage | ||||||||||||
| Created by | Amy Sherman-Palladino | ||||||||||||
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Lorelai Victoria Gilmore is a fictional character in the comedy-drama television series Gilmore Girls, portrayed by Lauren Graham. She is the main protagonist for the length of the series seven year run from October, 2000 until May, 2007.
Lorelai is a single mother of a teenage daughter, Rory. The problems of single parenthood and the tension between Lorelai and her wealthy parents, especially her controlling mother, Emily, form the main theme of the series story line. Subplots involve various financial difficulties, love interests and other domestic entanglements for both Lorelai and her daughter Rory.
Character history
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2010) |
Lauren Graham played the character lead of Lorelai in the long-running WB/CW series Gilmore Girls, for the length of its entire seven year run.
Lorelai Victoria Gilmore was born to Richard and Emily Gilmore on April 25, 1968. Raised in Hartford, Connecticut, Lorelai is a highly witty, quirky, free-spirited woman. Her wealthy parents attempted to raise her to be a proper young lady of society, go to an Ivy league college, marry a man with wealth and good-breeding and even arranged for her to be presented to society. However, Lorelai knew that wasn't the life she wanted.
As a teenager (portrayed in flashbacks by Chelsea Brummet), Lorelai dated Christopher Hayden, the son of Straub and Francine. She discovered she was pregnant at the age of 16, before finishing high school. This greatly embarrassed and disappointed her parents. Straub initially suggested Lorelai have an abortion, however Emily flat out refused, and Richard suggested that Lorelai and Chistopher should marry instead. Christopher agreed, but Lorelai refused, convinced that marrying so young simply wouldn't work out. When Lorelai realized she was in labor, she left a note for her parents which read "Dear Mom and Dad, I'm in labor, see you later, Lorelai" and drove to the hospital without her license.[1]
After her daughter, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, aka Rory, was born, Lorelai lived with her parents for a year before running away to Stars Hollow, a small town near Hartford, to find her own life. The owner of the Independence Inn, Mia, took her in, gave her a job as a maid, and let her and Rory live in the back in a renovated potting shed. The Independence Inn is where she met her best friend, Sookie Saint James. Lorelai worked her way up over the years, and was eventually promoted to manager. Later, Lorelai, Sookie, and their friend Michel opened their own inn, called The Dragonfly Inn.
For many years after, Lorelai had almost no contact with her parents, except for visits during major holidays. When Rory got accepted into Chilton Preparatory School, a private and expensive high school, Lorelai needed a loan to pay Rory's attendance fees. As a last choice, Lorelai went to Emily and Richard. Emily and Richard agreed to loan the money but in return, Rory and Lorelai had to instate mandatory "Friday Night Dinners" to which Lorelai reluctantly agreed.[2] A large part of the series is dedicated toward Lorelai's relationship with her parents through the ups and downs of dealing with the past and forging a more realistic relationship. Even after Rory gets her first job as a journalist and will be moving away for awhile, Lorelai tells her mother that she will still continue their Friday night dinners.
Besides an on-again, off-again relationship with Christopher Hayden, Lorelai's had a few romantic relationships that included Alex Lesman (Billy Burke), an outdoorsy coffee house entrepreneur; Max Medina (Scott Cohen), a teacher at Chilton to whom she was engaged; Jason "Digger" Stiles, a childhood friend, and Luke Danes, the owner of Luke's Diner in Stars Hollow, with whom she always had a strong connection. When the show ended it was implied that Lorelai was in a relationship with Luke Danes, as she kisses him at Rory's farewell party and she wears the necklace Luke gave to her.
Trivia
- She is a coffee addict as seen frequently throughout the series
- Her best friend is Sookie St. James
- She is a Democrat
- She is fond of vintage movie stars and 80s music
- She is said to bear a strong resemblance to Natalie Wood, according to her family's stylist
- She never went to college, but did graduate from a small community business school
- She has a strong affinity for boots
- She and Rory often frequent Luke's diner, eating breakfast there every day before Rory went off to Yale.
- She has a tendency to talk extremely fast, especially when excited or upset about something
- Out of desperation she once borrowed $30,000 from Luke
- She and her daughter share the same name though her middle name is Victoria and Rory's is Leigh
- She is 5 ft. 8.75 inches tall
Casting
Before landing the role of Lorelai in Gilmore Girls, Lauren Graham starred in many short-lived TV shows and guest appeared in a number of top 10 prime-time comedies.[3] She once lived for two years on the money she made from a TV commercial for Cascade. She finally landed the role in Gilmore Girls because she had all the characteristics producer Amy Sherman-Palladino was looking for. "She had to have everything," said Sherman-Palladino in describing the Lorelai she created. "The role required someone who could act, who could make you cry, who could break your heart, who was funny and gorgeous and tough and sexy and vulnerable. We looked and looked and couldn't find that actress. Just about the time I was saying, 'Let's just find somebody who's pretty and put her in the corner,' in walks Lauren. She gave us everything we wanted - a lovely little gift combo." [4]
Reception
In 2005, in honor of Mother's Day, Inside TV, a newly published weekly magazine for television fans, chose its picks for Top 10 All-Time Greatest TV Moms. Gilmore Girls Lorelai Gilmore ranked 5th ahead of classic television mothers Marion Cunningham, Caroline Ingalls and Carol Brady.[5]
On 11 May 2008, Tivo released the results of a survey conducted by eRewards Market Research on Television's Top Moms. Lorelai ranked 14th, with 20 percent of respondents selecting her among their top 20 TV moms.[6] Lauren Graham was selected twice for her portrayal of Lorelai by the Teen Choice Awards,[7] winning "Choice TV Parental Unit" in 2005 and 2006.[8]
In the 1000th issue of Entertainment Weekly, Lorelai Gilmore was selected as the Mom for The Perfect TV Family.[9]
References
- ^ ""Dear Emily and Richard"". Gilmore Girls. Season 3. Episode 13. 2003-02-07.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ ""Pilot"". Gilmore Girls. Season 1. Episode 1. 2000-10-05.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ Blackman, Lori (January 10, 2001). "'Gilmore Girl' Lauren Graham". CNN. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ Bonko, Larry (February 14, 2002). "Teen Hollywood.com : Lauren Graham". Teen Hollywood.com Network. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
- ^ Farin, Julie (May 5, 2005). "Countdown to Mother's Day..." New Age Media Concepts (press release). Retrieved 2008-05-12.
- ^ Storey, Michael (May 11, 2008). "THE TV COLUMN : ABC's ax chops Men in Trees". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ Philpot, Robert (May 15, 2007). "Let's hear it for this Gilmore Girl". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ Hall, Sarah (15 August 2005). "Teens Choose "The Notebook"". E! Online. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ "TV: Breaking Down the List, Entertainment Weekly, #999/1000 June 27 & July 4, 2008, 56".