'Gilmore Girls' Star Kelly Bishop Reveals the Magic that Still Draws New Fans to the Show (Exclusive)

For stage and screen star Kelly Bishop, writing her memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl was a pure labor of love. 

Bishop is, of course, best known for portraying Emily Gilmore, the Gilmore Girls matriarch in seven seasons of the fast-talking series. (Hence the title of her book). But in addition to ruminating on the feel good, small town series, Bishop takes readers through her storied career and delves into her personal life, explaining, for example, how she modeled Emily after her maternal grandmother, Louise. 

When Gilmore Girls initially aired on The WB and later on The CW, it built a substantial following, yet its move to Netflix 17 years after the series finale sparked a resurgence.

“I love the fact that young people are seeing Gilmore Girls because I think there’s so many lessons and ideas that you can get from it,” the 80-year-old Bishop exclusively told Parade. “I also think the adults like it because it’s comfortable. There is no domestic violence. There are no murders. There are no car chases. There’s no swearing. It’s kind of what we’d like America to be.”

The Third Gilmore, hit bookshelves Sept. 17, right on time for the show’s 24th anniversary. The memoir offers an inside look at life on the Gilmore Girls set and how all that magic was created. 

Bishop writes about her cherished friendships with creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and fellow actresses Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. The women worked together shooting 154 episodes airing from 2000-2007.

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TV viewers will also remember the 2016 four-part Netflix miniseries, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life that brought Bishop, Graham, Bledel and the rest of the quirky Stars Hollow townsfolk back together for a joyous family reunion. 

“I think this is the place we like to go back to and hold on to every once in a while; it just makes us feel safe,” Bishop said. “Plus, it’s very amusing and very intelligent. The smarter you are, the more you get out of the show.”

Read on for our full interview with Kelly Bishop.

Debra Wallace: Your Gilmore Girls co-star, Lauren Graham, has said your book feels like a satisfying conversation with a treasured friend. What did that mean to you?

Kelly Bishop: That is a great compliment to me. That’s exactly what I wanted it to be. When I was doing the audiobook, I told my producer, “I just want it to feel like I’m talking to you across the table, that we’re having a cup of tea or a drink together, and I’m telling you a story.” And she said, “That’s what it’s feeling like.”

Why did you decide to write this memoir now? 

It was right around COVID-19, and there was no work and not a lot happening. Plus, I finally became an octogenarian. Who knew I was going to live that long? So, I thought, I’m still here, and in case you’re interested, this is how I lived my life. It just seemed that everything kind of jelled at the same time. 

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Let’s talk about Emily Gilmore. A lot of people found her abrasive, harsh, and not very nurturing. How did you see her? Was there someone in your life that you based her on?

I agree with all your descriptions of her. And my maternal grandmother, Louise, was just so uncompromising when it came to my mother. She adored my older brother and she tolerated me. She was one tough lady.

My grandmother didn’t have a lot of money, but she had great taste in clothes and wore only the best. I remember she had a pair of alligator slingback pumps and a matching alligator bag. There’s a lot of Louise traits in Emily. As soon as I read the pilot script, I went, “Bam, I know who this woman is! I got it.”

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When you were making Gilmore Girls could you tell that you were making something special?

It was very special, because I loved the writing. I loved the words, and the story went with the words, and then the characters went with the story that went with the words. It was funny, and it was fast. 

I’d been told on more than one occasion that I was talking too fast. And here I was in an environment where fast talking was the best thing you could do. I felt like “This is my place, this is where I belong. I love this character. I love these scenes.” We just all had come together for this quality show.

Why do you think Gilmore Girls is such a big hit on Netflix 17 years after the show ended? 

People are smarter than we give them credit for. The show’s intelligent, it’s funny, it’s quality in the acting, and the writing, and the production values. It was a quality show, and so people are drawn to it because that is good stuff.

Your on-screen husband Edward Herrmann, who played Richard Gilmore, died in December 2014. How difficult was it to say goodbye to him? 

When I walked into his room, it was only his immediate family and me. His wife knew he was very fond of me, so I think she was doing that for him too, even though he was in a coma. It was such a generous thing to do for me. I called Lauren and Amy to ask if they wanted me to pass messages to Ed from them. So, I talked to them before, and then I called them afterward and told them what the experience had been like.

None of us knew before his wife called me that he was dying and on life support, and I wanted to say goodbye to him. It was just so, so shocking. We truly loved Ed. It was really important having him in that cast. He just loved being an actor, being able to do the work, and he was awfully good. 

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You’ve been in three series with Amy Sherman-Palladino—Gilmore Girls, Bunheads and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Amy also wrote the forward for your book. Why do you think you two work so well together?

I love her work. It doesn’t matter what she writes. If she thinks that I should do it and that I’m right for it, tell me where and when. I’ll be there.

Do you have any news on Étoile (Amy Sherman-Palladino’s upcoming ballet series)? 

I recently went to the table read for Étoile. I was doing a guest spot. There was this huge table with a lot of actors, the scripts, the notepads with pens. Then there was a full-catered meal like somebody’s bar mitzvah. Apparently, the art department puts it together like that, and it has a whole other vibe.

How many episodes of Étoile are you in?

Three. I’ve done two of them now in New York, and the exciting part is the third one. They’re returning to Paris. They’re shooting the series in both places. And it looks to me like unless they change their minds, that I’m going to shoot my third episode in Paris. I’ve never been to Paris, so that’s extremely exciting. 

[Since this interview, Sherman-Palladino has said there will be eight episodes of the new Amazon series, which has already been picked up for two seasons. Bishop recently posted on Instagram that she is enjoying her first trip to Paris and spending time with Etoile star Yanic Truesdale, who also starred on Gilmore Girls.]

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You covered a lot of ground writing the book. What lessons did you take away from writing about your life?

It doesn’t hurt to be honest. You have to be true to yourself. You have to follow your dreams as best you can. If you want to be an opera singer, and you can’t sing then certainly find another dream. But there are dreams out there. Just go find it, embrace it, and do it if you are lucky enough to be able to.

Why do you think you’ve been able to have such a rich, long career?

I am lucky. I know that I’m easy to work with and I’m very professional. I always know my lines, and I’m always very supportive of my castmates and give them whatever they need.

I just feel lucky to be working at my age. It’s astonishing to me, especially in this business. In Hollywood, it’s sort of like you turn 40, and you say goodbye. Yet, I keep getting it, and I will keep taking it as long as they want me. I’m here!

Kelly Bishop’s new memoir The Third Gilmore Girl, from Gallery Books, was released on Sept. 17.

Gilmore Girls Seasons 1-7 and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life are streaming on Netflix.

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