Kelly Bishop Reflects On Missing Edward Herrmann

One of the most difficult aspects of watching the Gilmore Girls revival is going to be fact that Richard Gilmore isn't in the new episodes. Actor Edward Herrmann sadly passed away in December 2014, meaning that the iconic patriarch isn't in Netflix's Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, which streams from Nov. 25, 2016. In a new interview with reporters, Kelly Bishop, who plays Emily Gilmore, has revealed what being on set without her onscreen husband was like, and it sounds heartbreaking. Bishop said, "There was a space where he was supposed to be."

Without Richard Gilmore, there's a big hole in the Gilmore Girls revival, and the cast are only too aware of that, according to Bishop. The actress told reporters,

"It was so sad because I know he would have loved doing this. There was just sort of an empty feel... He's certainly with us and he's very prevalent in the show. So, I think that'll make everyone who misses him happy, but I'm sorry he couldn't be with us."

Clearly, the revival episodes of the show are going to be incredibly emotional for viewers, especially since the characters all deal with the sad loss of Richard Gilmore. But, as Bishop pointed out to reporters, the actors felt the loss tremendously too, and the show has changed as a result.

Since the pair worked so closely together throughout the initial seven seasons of Gilmore Girls, Bishop felt Herrmann's absence greatly on set. She told reporters,

"Edward and I became friends very quickly when we started the show back in 2000. And, we maintained our friendship after the show was over, mainly through email... When we would get done working a scene, we would sit and talk. We would do crosswords puzzles together, occasionally go out and have a drink together on a long, hard day."

It makes sense that Herrmann and Bishop got on so well, since the rapport between their characters was always on point. Despite endless bickering, it was clear that Richard and Emily Gilmore were in love, and Richard often provided a much-needed balance to Emily's snobby opinions. Without that dynamic, Gilmore Girls changes immensely, and Bishop is only too aware of that; "I was lonely without him," she said.

As the trailer for Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life shows, the characters attend Richard's funeral and must deal with the loss of their father, grandfather, partner, and friend. While watching the episodes that deal with Richard's death will be upsetting, it's important that the cast and the audience get to honor Edward Herrmann in this way. Despite his absence from the revival, Herrmann was a huge part of the original run of Gilmore Girls, and his absence needs to be explained in a way that celebrated his impact on the series.

Bishop told reporters, "I considered him a dear friend and I had no idea that he was ill until we all read about it in the newspaper, which was only about two weeks before he died." We may not have had the chance to thank Herrmann before he died, but, in watching the Gilmore Girls revival, audiences everywhere will get the chance to recognize what an incredible talent the actor was, and see just how much he is missed.

Additional Reporting By Samantha Rullo

Images: Warner Bros. Television; Giphy