Lorelai Gilmore
Encyclopedia
Lorelai Victoria Gilmore is a fictional character in the WB
/CW
television series Gilmore Girls
, portrayed by Lauren Graham
. She is the main protagonist
for the length of the series's 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.
starred in many short-lived TV shows and guest appeared in a number of top 10 prime-time comedies. 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."
. She drives a Jeep Wrangler
.
by wealthy parents who attempted to bring her up 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. When there she threw ice pellets at the nurses.
After her daughter, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, Rory, was born on October 4, 1984, at 4:03am, Lorelai ran 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 executive manager, which is her job as the show opens. Later, Lorelai, Sookie, and their friend Michel opened their own inn, called The Dragonfly Inn.
For many years after running away from home, 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. But, when Christopher starts to pay for Yale, those dinners aren't so mandatory. 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 a while, Lorelai tells her mother that she will still continue their Friday night dinners.
), 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. Over the years, as she frequented Luke's Diner, they became close friends and eventually fell in love. Although Luke and Lorelai were engaged for close to a year, different complications caused them to split up temporarily. 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.
Lorelai Gilmore ranked 5th ahead of classic television mothers Marion Cunningham, Caroline Ingalls
and Carol Brady.
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. Lauren Graham was selected twice for her portrayal of Lorelai by the Teen Choice Awards
, winning "Choice TV Parental Unit" in 2005 and 2006.
In the 1000th issue of Entertainment Weekly
, Lorelai Gilmore was selected as the Mom for The Perfect TV Family.
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
/CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
television series Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
, portrayed by Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham
Lauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...
. She is the main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
for the length of the series's 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.
Casting
Before landing the role of Lorelai in Gilmore Girls, Lauren GrahamLauren Graham
Lauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...
starred in many short-lived TV shows and guest appeared in a number of top 10 prime-time comedies. She once lived for two years on the money she made from a TV commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for Cascade. She finally landed the role in Gilmore Girls because she had all the characteristics producer Amy Sherman-Palladino
Amy Sherman-Palladino
Amy Sherman-Palladino is an American television writer, director, and producer who is best known as the creator of the television series Gilmore Girls.-Life:Sherman-Palladino is married to writer and producer Daniel 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."
Personality
Lorelai is witty and quirky. A coffee addict, she spends a lot of time in Luke's diner chatting with the locals of Stars Hollow. She makes many pop culture references, many from the 80s. Lorelai speaks very fast, especially when upset. A smart business woman, she forms strong relationships with her employees making her business run smoothly. Her best friend is Sookie St. James. Much to her parents horror, she is a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. She drives a Jeep Wrangler
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a subcompact four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle and an off-road vehicle manufactured by American automaker Chrysler, under its Jeep marque – and now in its fourth generation. It is a successor to the famous World War II 'Jeep' vehicle by way of the Willys civilian...
.
Character background
Lorelai Victoria Gilmore was born to Richard and Emily Gilmore on April 25, 1968. Lorelai was raised in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
by wealthy parents who attempted to bring her up 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
Chelsea Brummet
Chelsea Jean Brummet is an American actress and singer and known for her work on Nickelodeon's All That.-Early life and career:...
), 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. When there she threw ice pellets at the nurses.
After her daughter, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, Rory, was born on October 4, 1984, at 4:03am, Lorelai ran away to Stars Hollow
Stars Hollow
Stars Hollow is a fictional small town in Connecticut featured on the television show Gilmore Girls. It is depicted as a close-knit small town with many quirky characters, located roughly thirty minutes by car from Hartford...
, 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 executive manager, which is her job as the show opens. Later, Lorelai, Sookie, and their friend Michel opened their own inn, called The Dragonfly Inn.
For many years after running away from home, 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. But, when Christopher starts to pay for Yale, those dinners aren't so mandatory. 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 a while, Lorelai tells her mother that she will still continue their Friday night dinners.
Relationships
Besides an on-again, off-again relationship with Christopher Hayden, Lorelai's had a few romantic relationships that included Alex Lesman (Billy BurkeBilly Burke (actor)
William Albert "Billy" Burke is an American actor. He is known for his role as Charlie Swan in Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon and the 2010 film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. He is also known for his role as Gary Matheson in the second season of 24.-Life and career:Burke was born in...
), 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. Over the years, as she frequented Luke's Diner, they became close friends and eventually fell in love. Although Luke and Lorelai were engaged for close to a year, different complications caused them to split up temporarily. 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.
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 GirlsGilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
Lorelai Gilmore ranked 5th ahead of classic television mothers Marion Cunningham, Caroline Ingalls
Caroline Ingalls
Caroline Ingalls, born Caroline Lake Quiner was the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House books.-Biography:...
and Carol Brady.
On 11 May 2008, Tivo
TiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by TiVo, Inc. and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose features include "Season Pass" schedules which record every new episode of a series, and "WishList"...
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. Lauren Graham was selected twice for her portrayal of Lorelai by the Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
, winning "Choice TV Parental Unit" in 2005 and 2006.
In the 1000th issue of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, Lorelai Gilmore was selected as the Mom for The Perfect TV Family.