20 Things You Didn't Know About Gilmore Girls
2. Rory Gilmore Was Alexis Bledel's Debut Acting Role
At aged nineteen, Alexis Bledel landed her first on-screen acting role as Rory Gilmore. While studying at NYU, she decided to give the audition a try. She was entirely new to the industry, with only a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in Rushmore (1998) prior. Much like her introverted character, Bledel was quite shy and reserved when working on set.
You may have noticed in season one that Lorelai often has her arm around Rory. This was not just a motherly gesture but also to help guide Bledel into her next position so that filming would run smoother. The mother-daughter persona didn’t stay purely on film as Lauren took Alexis under her wing to help advise and teach her about the business of acting.