Alexis Bledel
Alexis Bledel | |
---|---|
Born | Kimberly Alexis Bledel September 16, 1981 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Actress, model |
Years active | 1996–present |
Known for | Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls Ofglen/Emily in The Handmaid's Tale |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 |
Kimberly Alexis Bledel[1] (/bləˈdɛl/ blə-DEL; born September 16, 1981) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Rory Gilmore on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000–2007), for which she received nominations for Satellite, Teen Choice and Young Artist Awards. In 2016, Bledel reprised her role on the Netflix reunion miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
Bledel made her feature film debut as Winnie Foster in Tuck Everlasting (2002), and has since appeared in Sin City (2005), Post Grad (2009), and as Lena Kaligaris in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants film series. Since 2017, she has appeared in the Hulu drama series The Handmaid's Tale. For her work on the series, she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series and an additional nomination in the Supporting Actress category.
Early life
Bledel was born in Houston, Texas, to Nanette (née Dozier), who worked as a gift processor and flight attendant, and Martín Bledel.[2][3] She has a younger brother, Eric.[1] Her father was born and raised in Argentina.[4][5] Her paternal grandfather, Enrique Einar Bledel Huus, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was of Danish and distant German descent; Enrique was Vice President of Coca-Cola Latin America and the Coca-Cola Inter-American Corporation. Bledel's paternal grandmother, Jean (née Campbell), was originally from New York and had Scottish and English ancestry.[6][7][8] Bledel's mother, Nanette, was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, at the age of eight; Nanette was raised there and in Mexico City.[9][10][11] Of her parents' upbringing in Latin America, Bledel has stated: "It's the only culture my mom knows from life, and my father as well, and they made the decision to raise their children within the context they had been raised in."[3][9] Bledel grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, and did not learn English until she began school; she considers herself a Latina.[3][12]
Bledel attended Catholic St. Agnes Academy in Houston, as well as Baptist and Lutheran schools.[13] Her mother encouraged her to try community theater to overcome her shyness.[14] As a child, Bledel appeared in local productions of Our Town and The Wizard of Oz.[15] She was scouted at a local shopping mall and given work as a fashion model.[16]
Career
Career beginnings
Bledel made her television debut in 2000 opposite Lauren Graham in The WB comedy-drama Gilmore Girls, which ran for seven seasons from October 5, 2000, to May 15, 2007.[17] She played Rory Gilmore, the daughter of Lorelai Gilmore (Graham), a single mother. Initially, Rory was a high school student at an exclusive private academy, living with her mother in a small town in Connecticut, but later moved on to college at Yale University, where she, among other things, worked as the editor of the Yale Daily News.[18] Bledel made her feature film debut opposite Jonathan Jackson in the fantasy romantic drama Tuck Everlasting (2002), based on Natalie Babbitt's novel of the same name (1975). Before her work in that film, Bledel was an uncredited extra in the 1998 comedy-drama Rushmore.[19] In 2005, she co-starred in the drama The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, opposite Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, and Blake Lively, and based on Ann Brashares' novel of the same name. She played Lena Kaligaris, an aspiring artist on a journey with her three best friends, linked over the summer by a pair of "magical" jeans.
In 2005, Bledel co-starred in the anthology neo-noir crime thriller Sin City where she played Becky, a prostitute. "She's a very professional prostitute. She carries a gun and she kicks ass," said Bledel of her character.[20] In 2006, Bledel co-starred opposite Jay Baruchel in the romantic comedy I'm Reed Fish as the fiancée of Baruchel's title character. After the end of Gilmore Girls, she reprised her role of Lena Kaligaris in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, released in August 2008. The following year, Bledel starred in the comedy Post Grad, which was released on August 21, 2009.
Dramatic roles and critical success
Bledel co-starred opposite Scott Porter and Bryan Greenberg in the romantic comedy The Good Guy, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival April 26, 2009. The film centered around Porter's character Tommy, a Wall Street investment broker whose life falls apart when he helps out Greenberg's character Daniel, a new broker. Bledel played Beth, Tommy's girlfriend. In April 2009, Bledel guest-starred in the NBC medical drama ER in the two-hour series finale titled "And in the End..." as Dr. Julia Wise, a new intern to the hospital.[21] In May 2009, Bledel signed a contract with the modeling division of IMG.[22]
Bledel co-starred opposite James McAvoy and Robin Wright in the historical drama The Conspirator directed by Robert Redford. She played the girlfriend of McAvoy's character Frederick Aiken, the lawyer who defended Mary Surratt, the first woman to be hanged by the federal government of the United States, played by Wright. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on April 15, 2011.[23] Also in 2010, Bledel starred as the title role in the Canadian drama The Kate Logan Affair. The film was presented at Montreal's Festival du Nouveau Cinéma 2010.[24][25]
Bledel performed in the theatre production Regrets by the Manhattan Theatre Club, staged at the New York City Center.[26] It was confirmed in early-March 2013 that Bledel would co-star opposite Jason Ritter in the Fox pilot Friends & Family, an adaptation of the British sitcom Gavin & Stacey as Stacey with Ritter as Gavin.[27] The pilot was picked up for a series and was retitled Us & Them.[28] However, Fox eventually decided not to air the series, which eventually aired in the fall of 2018 on Sony Crackle.[29] 2015 saw Bledel starring with Katherine Heigl as the fiancée to Heigl's character in the film Jenny's Wedding.
On January 29, 2016, Netflix announced a revival of Gilmore Girls with a series of four 90-minute films set around the four seasons, and Bledel's participation was confirmed.[30] In 2017, she appeared as Ofglen in The Handmaid's Tale for Hulu; subsequently, her role was expanded to a regular role for the second season.[31] Her critically acclaimed turn in the role earned Bledel her first Emmy Award nomination and win in the 2017 Creative Arts ceremony in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.[32]
Public image
Bledel has graced the cover of numerous fashion magazines, including Teen Vogue, Glamour, CosmoGirl, Vanity Fair, Lucky, Elle Girl, Parade, Nylon and Seventeen.[33] In 2000, she appeared in print advertisements for Bonne Bell lip balm and Naturistics lip gloss.[34]
She has been included in magazine lists of the world's most beautiful women. In 2002, she was named one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars under 25". Bledel was ranked at number 87 on Maxim magazine's "Hot 100 of 2005" list. Bledel was named one of Us Weekly's "25 Most Stylish New Yorkers" in 2010.
Personal life
Bledel and fellow former Gilmore Girls co-star Milo Ventimiglia were in a relationship from December 2002 to June 2006.[35]
In 2012, Bledel began dating Vincent Kartheiser, whose character, Pete Campbell, shared scenes with her character Beth Dawes, during her guest-starring run on Mad Men.[36] The couple announced their engagement in March 2013[37] and married in California, in June 2014.[38] In May 2016, it was revealed that Bledel gave birth to their first child, a son, in the fall of 2015.[39][40]
Bledel supported the 2012 re-election of Barack Obama and urged her fans to vote.[41][42]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Rushmore | Student | Uncredited[citation needed] |
2002 | Tuck Everlasting | Winnie Foster Jackson | |
2004 | DysEnchanted | Goldilocks | Short film |
2004 | Bride and Prejudice | Georgina "Georgie" Darcy | |
2005 | Sin City | Becky | |
2005 | The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | Lena Kaligaris | |
2006 | I'm Reed Fish | Kate Peterson | |
2006 | Zoom | Ace | Uncredited[citation needed] |
2006 | Life Is Short | Charlotte | Short film |
2008 | The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 | Lena Kaligaris | |
2009 | The Good Guy | Beth Vest | |
2009 | Post Grad | Ryden Malby | |
2009 | The Ballad of G.I. Joe | Lady Jaye | Video short |
2010 | The Conspirator | Sarah Weston | |
2010 | The Kate Logan Affair | Kate Logan | |
2010 | Girl Walks into a Bar[43] | Kim | |
2011 | Violet & Daisy[44] | Violet | |
2012 | The Brass Teapot | Payton | |
2014 | Parts per Billion | Sarah | |
2014 | Outliving Emily | Emily | Segment 2 |
2015 | Jenny's Wedding | Kitty Friedman | |
2019 | Crypto | Katie |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000–07 | Gilmore Girls | Rory Gilmore | Lead role (153 episodes) |
2009 | ER | Dr. Julia Wise | Episode: "And in the End..." |
2012 | Mad Men | Beth Dawes | 3 episodes |
2013 | Remember Sunday | Molly Branford | Hallmark Hall of Fame telefilm |
2014 | Us & Them | Stacey | Lead role[a] |
2015 | Motive | Robin | Episode: "Oblivion" |
2016 | Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life | Rory Gilmore | Lead role |
2017–present | The Handmaid's Tale | Ofglen/Emily Malek | 23 episodes |
Theatre
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (August 2017) |
Year | Title | Role | Date |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Love, Loss, and What I Wore[45] | January 12 – February 13, 2011 | |
2012 | Regrets[46] | Chrissie Myers | March 27 – April 29, 2012 |
2016 | College Republicans [citation needed] | Lee Atwater | April 23, 2016 |
Music videos
Year | Title | Artist | Director(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | "She's Gonna Break Soon" | Less Than Jake | [47] |
Awards and honors
Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series – Leading Young Actress | Gilmore Girls | Won | [48] |
Teen Choice Awards | TV – Choice Actress | Nominated | [citation needed] | ||
2002 | TV – Choice Drama Actress | Nominated | [49] | ||
Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series – Supporting Young Actress | Nominated | [50] | ||
OFTA Television Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [51] | ||
Family Television Awards | Best Actress[citation needed] | Won | |||
2003 | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor | Tuck Everlasting | Nominated | |
Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Gilmore Girls | Nominated | ||
2004 | Teen Choice Awards | TV – Choice Comedy Actress | Nominated | [citation needed] | |
2005 | TV – Choice Comedy Actress | Won | [52] | ||
Choice TV Chemistry | Nominated | ||||
Choice Movie Love Scene | The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | Nominated | |||
Movie – Choice Drama Actress | Nominated | ||||
2006 | TV – Choice Comedy Actress | Gilmore Girls | Won | [53] | |
Choice TV Chemistry | Nominated | ||||
ALMA Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Television Series | Nominated | [54] | ||
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | Sin City | Nominated | ||
2012 | Gold Derby TV Awards | Drama Guest Actress | Mad Men | Won | [citation needed] |
2017 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | The Handmaid's Tale | Won | [55] |
Gold Derby TV Awards | Drama Guest Actress | Won | [citation needed] | ||
OFTA Television Awards | Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Won | [56] | ||
2018 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | [57] |
Other recognitions
- 2002: Voted one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25"
- 2005: Ranked #87 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women[58]
- 2010: Named one of Us Magazine's "25 Most Stylish New Yorkers"[59]
Notes
- ^ This series was originally ordered by Fox for broadcast in the 2013-14 season, but was not aired due to creative differences (though it aired in international markets). The series eventually aired its seven produced episodes in the United States in October 2018 through Sony Crackle.
References
- ^ a b "Alexis Bledel Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Tucker, Cody (November 18, 2010). "Alexis Bledel to co-star in new film". Ultimate Bellaire. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Latina - Google Books". Latina. 8 (6–11). 2004. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
A native of Phoenix, Nanette moved with her family at age 8 to Guadalajara (and later to Mexico City), where she developed "a Mexican soul," she says... It's a legacy Alexis feels strongly connected to — and proud of. "In general I think Latinos know how to live and eat and sleep and spend time with their families," she says.
- ^ Brady, James (August 3, 2008). "In Step With Alexis Bledel". Parade Magazine. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
- ^ Presenter: David Letterman (May 25, 2007). "Alexis Bledel on David Letterman (05-27-07)". Late Show with David Letterman. New York, NY. CBS. Archived from the original on October 31, 2007.
- ^ "OBITUARIES: ATLANTA: Bledel, ex-counsel for Coca-Cola". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. June 3, 2003. p. B4. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Annual Report of the Director - Google Books. Annual Report of the Director. Vol. 28. New York: Institute of International Education. 1947. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Blædel, Finn H. (1954). Slægten Blædel (PDF) (in Danish). p. 60. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ a b "Latina - 006 - AlexisFan.net - Photo Gallery". AlexisFan.net. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ "Gilmore Girls' Bledel graduates to film". CNN. October 28, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Hernandez, Lee (November 16, 2012). "40 Stars You Never Knew Were Mexican". HuffPost. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
- ^ "A Chat With Alexis Bledel". DVDTown. February 19, 2003. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
- ^ Nome, Valerie (August 22, 2009). "Red Carpet Confidential: Alexis Bledel Grows Up". OK!. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Lamb, Christopher (October 4, 2000). "Interviewing Alexis Bledel". TeenTelevision.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel- Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
- ^ "Today's celebrity birthdays - Sept. 16". NJ.com. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Bradley, Laura. "How Gilmore Girls Found Its Brightest Stars". HWD. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- ^ Glamour (February 22, 2017). "10 "Gilmore Girls" Moments That Will Totally Make You Cringe Now". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- ^ Heitmueller, Karl (December 14, 2004). "Rewind: Director Wes Anderson Gets Deep Again With 'Aquatic'". MTV. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (April 26, 2005). "Girl Talk with Alexis Bledel". TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel on ER Finale". Crushable. March 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel Is An IMG Model". Lime Life. May 21, 2009. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ Grabert, Jessica (June 1, 2011). "The Conspirator Comes To Blu-Ray And DVD With A Slew Of Historical Extras". Cinema Blend. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ "Programming 2010 Édition". nouveaucinema.ca. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Anh Khoi Do (September 29, 2010). "Line-Up of Canadian Films at the Festival du nouveau cinéma". The Cultural Post. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel Joins Cast of Manhattan Theatre Club's Regrets". broadway.com. February 8, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (March 2, 2013). "Gilmore Gah! Jason Ritter Trades Lauren Graham for Alexis Bledel in Fox's Friends & Family Pilot". TVLine. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (May 8, 2013). "Fall TV Scoop: Fox Orders 5 Comedies, Including Chris Meloni's Jack and Ritter-Bledel Sitcom". TVLine. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Roots, Kimberly (October 11, 2013). "Fox (Essentially) Cancels Us & Them". TVLine. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (January 29, 2016). "Gilmore Girls Revival Officially a Go at Netflix; Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Kelly Bishop and More Returning". TVLine. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (June 22, 2017). "Alexis Bledel Returning to 'The Handmaid's Tale' in Season 2 — Regular". TVLine. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Mehta, Maitra (July 13, 2017). "Lauren Graham Congratulates Alexis Bledel On Her Emmy Nom Just Like A Proud Gilmore Mom". Bustle. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel Magazine Cover Photos - List of magazine covers featuring Alexis Bledel - FamousFix". FamousFix.com. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ^ "PHOTOS: Alexis Bledel's Blast From The Past". HuffPost. September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ^ "Gilmore Girls' Alexis Bledel, Boyfriend Split - Breakups, Alexis Bledel, Milo Ventimiglia: People.com". Archived from the original on October 5, 2007.
- ^ Gay, Verne (June 20, 2012). "Report: Alexis Bledel, Vincent Kartheiser an item". Newsday.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
- ^ Ravitz, Justin (March 20, 2013). "Alexis Bledel, Vincent Kartheiser Engaged! Mad Men Costars to Marry". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Loinaz, Alexis (August 6, 2014). "Vincent Kartheiser and Alexis Bledel Are Married!". People. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel Welcomes First Child With Husband Vincent Kartheiser". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "Surprise – Vincent Kartheiser and Alexis Bledel Have a Son!". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel Covers 2012 Election, Endorses Barack Obama On Twitter". HuffPost. November 7, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Bart, Kathleen. "Alexis Bledel: Why I Vote". Take Part. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel Completes "Girl Walks Into a Bar"". Gilmore News. Arieanna. September 25, 2010. Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ McNary, Dave (September 22, 2010). "Indie lures Bledel in for kill". Variety. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (January 12, 2011). "Nikki Blonsky, Alexis Bledel, Judy Gold Explore Love, Loss, and What I Wore Starting Jan. 12". Playbill. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel, Set for the Stage". Interview Magazine. March 22, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- ^ "10 TOTALLY UNEXPECTED CELEBRITY CAMEOS IN MUSIC VIDEOS FROM THE SCENE". altpress.com/. Alt Press. May 29, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
- ^ "22nd Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Awards. Archived from the original on March 10, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ "Teen Choice Awards - 2002". Awards and Winners. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "23rd Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Awards. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ "OFTA Television Award". ofta.cinemasight.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "Teen Choice Awards - 2005". Awards and Winners. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "Teen Choice Awards - 2006". Awards and Winners. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "2006 NCLR ALMA Awards Nominees" (PDF). AlmaAwards.com. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "Nominees/Winners". Television Academy. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "21st Annual TV Awards (2016-17)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
- ^ "Emmy Nominations 2018". Television Academy. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "2005 Hot 100". Maxim. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ "25 Most Stylish New Yorkers". US Magazine.
External links
- 1981 births
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses from Houston
- American actresses of Mexican descent
- Female models from Texas
- American film actresses
- American people of Argentine descent
- American people of Danish descent
- American television actresses
- Hispanic and Latino American actresses
- Living people
- Tisch School of the Arts alumni
- American people of German descent
- American people of Scottish descent
- American people of English descent
- People from Brooklyn Heights