Lorelai Gilmore

Infobox soap character
name = Lorelai Gilmore
series = Gilmore Girls
portrayer = Lauren Graham
Chelsea Brummet
(Young Lorelai)
first = 5 October, 2000
last = 15 May, 2007
cause = Series finale
creator = Amy Sherman-Palladino

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caption1 = Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore


caption2 =


caption3 =
nickname = Lore
alias =
gender = Female
born = April 25,1968
death =
age = 40
occupation = Owner of the Dragonfly Inn
title =
residence = Stars Hollow, Connecticut
parents = Richard Gilmore
Emily Gilmore
siblings =
spouse = Christopher Hayden
(divorced)
romances = Luke Danes
Jason Stiles
Alex Lesman
Max Medina
children = Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore
grandchildren =
grandparents = Charles Gilmore
(deceased)
Trix Gilmore
(deceased)
aunts/uncles =
nieces/nephews =
cousins =
relatives =
color = #8FBC8F
color text =
species =

Lorelai Gilmore is a fictional character on the television series "Gilmore Girls", played by Lauren Graham. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore (Marion Ross) and is mother to Lorelai "Rory" Leigh Gilmore (Alexis Bledel).

Character History

Lorelai Victoria Gilmore was born to Richard and Emily Gilmore. Raised in Hartford, Connecticut, Lorelai is a highly talkative, 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 was rebellious and resentful of her structured, sheltered and silver spoon upbringing.

As a teenager (portrayed in flashbacks by Chelsea Brummet), Lorelai dated Christopher Hayden, the son of Strobe and Francine. She became pregnant right before her society debut at age 16. This greatly embarrassed and disappointed her parents. Strobe initially suggested Lorelai have an abortion, however Emily flat out refused, and Richard suggested that Lorelai and Chistopher should marry instead. Christopher was amenable, 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 and took the bus to the hospital, since she didn't yet have her license. cite episode | title = "Dear Emily and Richard"| url = http://www.tv.com/gilmore-girls/dear-emily-and-richard/episode/217932/summary.html?tag=ep_list;ep_title;12 | series = Gilmore Girls | serieslink = Gilmore Girls | airdate = 2003-02-07| season = 3| number = 13]

After her daughter, Rory, was born, she lived with her parents for a year before running away to Stars Hollow 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. Lorelai worked her way up over the years, and was eventually promoted to manager.

For many years after, Lorelai had almost no contact with her parents, except for visits during major holidays. It wasn't until her daughter's acceptance into Chilton Academy that she started having regular contact with her parents. In exchange for paying for Rory's tutition at Chilton, Emily and Richard instated mandatory "Friday Night Dinners" to which Lorelai reluctantly agreed. cite episode | title = "Pilot"| url = http://www.tv.com/gilmore-girls/pilot/episode/2800/summary.html?tag=ep_list;ep_title;0 | series = Gilmore Girls | serieslink = Gilmore Girls | airdate = 2000-10-05| season = 1| number = 1]

Besides an on-again, off-again relationship with Christopher, Lorelai's had a few romantic relationship that included Alex Lesman (Billy Burke), an outdoorsy coffee house entrepreneur; Max Medina (Scott Cohen), a teacher at Chilton whom she almost wed; Jason "Digger" Stiles, a childhood friend and Luke Danes, the owner of the Luke's Diner. Most fans believe she should stay with Luke. In the last episode she kisses him.

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. [cite web |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/10/sbtst.graham/index.html |title='Gilmore Girl' Lauren Graham |accessdate=2008-05-02 |last= Blackman |first=Lori |date=January 10, 2001 |publisher=CNN] She once lived for two years on the money she made from a TV commercial for Cascade. She finally landed the role in the series because according to producer Amy Sherman-Palladino she had a whole bunch of "S" things in one -- smart, sexy, sophisticated, silly, sharply written and a little sappy. During casting for "Gilmore Girls", Sherman-Palladino wondered where she could find an actress who possessed all those characteristics. "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." [cite web |url=http://www.teenhollywood.com/printerversion.asp?r=6230 |title=Teen Hollywood.com : Lauren Graham |accessdate=2008-05-12 |last=Bonko |first=Larry |date=February 14, 2002 |publisher=Teen Hollywood.com Network]

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. [cite web |url=http://press.namct.com/content/view/963/2/ |title=Countdown to Mother's Day... |accessdate=2008-05-12 |last=Farin |first=Julie |date=May 5, 2005 |publisher=New Age Media Concepts (press release)]

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. [cite web |url=http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Style/225463/ |title=THE TV COLUMN : ABC’s ax chops Men in Trees |accessdate=2008-05-02 |last=Storey |first=Michael |date=May 11, 2008 |publisher=Arkansas Democrat Gazette] Lauren Graham was selected twice for her portrayal of Lorelai by the Teen Choice Awards, [cite web |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1192660A556BD748&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Let's hear it for this Gilmore Girl |accessdate=2008-05-14 |last= Philpot |first=Robert |date=May 15, 2007 |publisher=Fort Worth Star-Telegram] winning "Choice TV Parental Unit" in 2005 and 2006. [cite web |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=e630bfa6-8051-4aa6-8d3b-17da60ea7371&entry=index |title=Teens Choose "The Notebook" |accessdate=2008-05-02 |last= Hall |first=Sarah |date=15 Aug 2005 |publisher=E! Online]

In the 1000th issue of "Entertainment Weekly", Lorelai Gilmore was selected as the Mom for "The Perfect TV Family." ["TV: Breaking Down the List," "Entertainment Weekly," #999/1000 June 27 & July 4, 2008, 56.]

References