It was the moment every Gilmore Girls superfan dreamed about for seven seasons. Stars Hollow came to life over the weekend. Where? In the place that inspired the eccentric small town: Washington Depot, Connecticut.
At the Gilmore Girls Fan Festival, we got the inside scoop about all things Gilmore. During our rainy but unforgettable weekend, we met some of the 1,500 fans in attendance. Many came from across the U.S. while a few fans flew in from other countries, such as England, to take part in the celebration.
At the Saturday night cast panel, moderated by the Gilmore Guys, the two-hour discussion featured juicy tidbits and fun facts about the series. Here are 10 things we learned that not even the most faithful Gilmore Girls fan knows.
1. Town hall meeting scenes took forever to film
Liz Torres (Miss Patty) and Rose Abdoo (Gypsy) explained that the town hall meetings were the most difficult to get through during filming. The cast would be on set from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sean Gunn (Kirk) added, “Town hall meetings that would be like 18 characters and coverage on every single character were brutal sometimes, but fun.”
2. Ted Rooney and Sally Struthers went to the same high school
Ted Rooney (Morey) and Sally Struthers (Babette) went to the same high school in Portland. Ted’s dad taught at the high school and was one of Sally’s favorite teachers. So, when Sally met Ted she asked, “Are you Ed Rooney’s son?” The on-screen husband and wife duo are still really good friends. Another fun fact: Sally always tried to get Ted to take Morey’s sunglasses off, but the production crew would immediately notice.
3. Jackson Douglas directed a few episodes
Jackson Douglas, who played Jackson Belleville, was originally cast only for a few episodes but had instant chemistry with Melissa McCarthy. Later in the series, he got the opportunity to become a director. When describing the transition, he joked, “You know when a steam train would go by and pick up the mail that’s just hanging on the hook…and just grabs them and takes them along…it was pretty much like that. If you’re gonna get hit by a train, that’s how you want to do it, with your friends all standing around.”
4. Caesar from Luke’s attended Chilton with Rory
If you watch the “Rory’s Dance” episode, a young Aris Alvarado (Caesar) can be seen at Chilton. He is an onlooker during the Tristan and Dean confrontation. Aris confirmed that Caesar and Rory were indeed both Chilton alums. He said, “Three years later, you see me working at Luke’s, so I’m like 20 years old, 21 at the time.” We have SO MANY questions.
5. April was the youngest recurring character on the show
As every Gilmore fan knows, April was not one of the most popular characters on the show. Why? Well, she was the cause of Luke and Lorelai's breakup. Vanessa Marano, who played April, was torn when deciding to take the role. “I was tormented because I [didn’t] want them to break up. But, at the same time, I [wanted] to be on Gilmore Girls.”
6. Sean Gunn’s favorite odd job was being a sports announcer
Fans know the character of Kirk as quirky yet beloved. He had 62 jobs around the town of Stars Hollow. From DSL installer to Knit-A-Thon organizer, Sean Gunn’s favorite job was being the announcer at a hockey game. “That’s something in my personal life that I’d like to believe I’d be a good sports announcer. I don’t know if that’s true.” Further proving he's got a knack for public speaking, Sean officiated John Cabrera’s (Brian) wedding. Pretty cool, huh?
7. Hep Alien is an anagram for Helen Pai
Hep Alien is an anagram of Helen Pai’s name. She was a co-producer and music producer for Gilmore Girls. Lane’s high school boyfriend Dave Rygalski is loosely based on and named after Pai’s real-life husband. Todd Lowe (Zack) jested, “Thank god Adam Brody got hired on another show," referring to Brody leaving Gilmore Girls to join a little show called The O.C.
8. We still do not know if Mr. Kim ever existed
Lane’s father, Mr. Kim, is never once seen on the show. Will we get this question answered in the revival? Kevin Porter of Gilmore Guys asked Keiko Agena (Lane), “Seriously, where is Mr. Kim?” She didn’t give us an in-depth answer during the panel, but she did reveal her thought-provoking theory not too long ago.
9. Liz Torres thought that she was cursed when it came to children
Liz Torres (Miss Patty) was handed Sookie’s baby (Davey) on the show in between scenes. Amy Sherman-Palladino thought it was hilarious because the baby would cry every single time. Liz said, “This happened 13 times and I thought, ‘I’m cursed.’ And, I thought, ‘There’s no way we’re going to get through this.’”
10. Team Dean, Team Jess, Team Logan (or Team Rory)
When the cast was asked about their favorite guy for Rory, Andrew’s response was our favorite. Here’s what everyone said:
- Vanessa Marano – “Team Jess”
- Sean Gunn – “Team Logan”
- Aris Alvarado – “Team Jess”
- Keiko Agena – “Team Jess”
- John Cabrera – “Team Kirk (then, Team Jess)”
- Todd Lowe – “Logan seemed like the smartest.”
- Bill Yeager (Tom) – “Team Dean”
- Mike Gandolfi (Andrew) – “She’s a powerful woman who doesn’t need a man to define her.”
- Jackson Douglas – “No one’s good enough for her.”
- Ted Rooney – “Got to go for the underdog: the little man. Everyone is little to me.”
- Liz Torres – “Team Dean”
- Rose Abdoo – “Team Rory all the way”
- Rini Bell (Lulu) – “Me too”
For a full recap of the cast panel, watch the video on the Gilmore Girls Fan Festival page on Facebook.
