Gilmore Girls then vs now: See how the cast has changed 26 years later

Lauren Graham played the fast-talking, coffee-guzzling Lorelai Gilmore throughout the show's run. Since the show finished, Lauren has continued to act in both comedies and dramas, appearing in Parenthood – where she met her ex-boyfriend Peter Krause – and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. In 2016, she returned to her role as Lorelai in the miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. She also published her memoir, Talking as Fast as I Can, that same year.

Alexis Bledel was just 19 when she took on the role of Rory, Lorelai's young daughter. Now in her 40s, Alexis can still be seen on screens and has become known in recent years for playing Ofglen in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. 

She has also appeared in the likes of ER, Us & Them, and Mad Men, where she met her husband Vincent Kartheiser. They welcomed their first child together, a son, in 2015, but in 2022 it was announced that the two were separating. Their divorce was finalized in August 2022.

We can't think of flannels and backwards baseball caps without thinking of the grumpy but lovable Luke Danes, portrayed by Scott Patterson. Following his success on the show, Scott has had success in films such as the Saw franchise, 90210 and Aliens in America. 

He also delighted fans by joining his cast mates in returning for the Netflix Gilmore Girls miniseries in 2016. Away from his acting roles, Scott has one son, Nicholas, with his wife, Kristine, who he married in 2014. More recently, he has become known for hosting I Am All In, a podcast where he rewatches and discusses episodes of Gilmore Girls. In 2023, he became a series regular on the TV show Sullivan's Crossing.

It's sometimes strange to think that Melissa McCarthy got her start in Gilmore Girls! But it's true, the Hollywood star played Sookie St. James, the upbeat and klutzy best friend of Lorelai Gilmore. Her career really took off after the original series came to an end in 2007 and these days she's better known for her comedy roles in titles such as Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters and Tammy. 

Viewers will have seen her star alongside Nicole Kidman in Nine Perfect Strangers, or playing the villainous Ursula in Disney's 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Melissa has been married to fellow comedy actor Ben Falcone since 2005 and the couple have two daughters, Vivian, born in 2007 and Georgette, born in 2010. 

Who could forget Rory's first boyfriend? Jared Padelecki was perfectly cast as the handsome and tall Dean. After his time on the show came to an end, Jared was immediately cast as Sam Winchester in Supernatural. The series came to an end after 15 seasons last year, and Jared once again found another major role in the Walker, Texas Ranger reboot, Walker. Jared has been married to his Supernatural co-star Genevieve Cortese since 2010, and the pair share three kids.

We loved Rory's music-loving best friend Lane Kim, played by Keiko Agena – but can you believe she was actually 27 when the series started? Now 52, Keiko continues to act, and her recent TV credits include 13 Reasons Why, Dirty John and Prodigal Son.

Milo Ventimiglia played Rory's bad-boy boyfriend Jess Mariano between seasons two and three. After his time on the show came to an end, he was cast in the lead role of Peter Petrelli in the superhero series Heroes. These days, however, he is better known for playing one of television's most beloved dads in This is Us. 

In 2019 he starred alongside Amanda Seyfried in the film adaptation of the popular novel The Art of Racing in the Rain. As for his personal life, the 46-year-old actor has dated several of his co-stars over the years, including Gilmore Girls' very own Alexis and the late Hayden Panettiere. In 2023, Milo married model Jarah Mariano. The couple are parents of two children, daughter Ke'ala Coral and son Rock-Anthony Makoa.

Edward Herrman played Richard Gilmore, the patriarch of the Gilmore family, in the original series. He passed away in 2014, aged 71, and was survived by his three children: daughters Ryen and Emma and one son, Rory.

Playing Lorelai's mother, Emily Gilmore, was actress Kelly Bishop. Now 82, Kelly continues to act; such as when she starred in Netflix's 2021 fashion series Halston. She also appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, along with fellow Gilmore Girls alum Milo Ventimiglia.

Matt Czuchry played Rory's college beau Logan Huntzberger. Like Rory's other romantic interests, Matt has continued to be a familiar face to TV viewers. He had a main role in The Good Wife, which ran between 2009 and 2016, and starred as Conrad Hawkins on the Fox medical drama series The Resident until it came to an end in 2023. He was cast in a main role of 2023's American Horror Story: Delicate.

Yanic Truesdale played the crotchety Independence Inn concierge Michel Gerard across all seven seasons of the Stars Hollow-based drama. In 2011, he moved away from acting and returned to his home of Montreal to open a spin studio, Spin Energie. However, he never really left treading the boards, and most recently appeared in French comedy Les Mecs and the apocalyptic workplace comedy God's Favorite Idiot.