Gilmore Girls’ Kelly Bishop Discussed Rory Gilmore’s Character Arc

Like many Gilmore Girls fans, Kelly Bishop was also surprised by Rory Gilmore’s character arc.

In the show’s earlier seasons, aspiring journalist and high school valedictorian Rory (played by Alexis Bledel) was an ideal daughter, granddaughter, and student. However, as the series progressed, the character took a different path than many had perhaps expected.

In Season 6, for example, Rory dropped out of the prestigious Yale University. The character also stole a yacht in the show’s fifth season, and in the 2016 Netflix reboot, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Rory had an affair with her engaged ex-boyfriend.

In a new interview with E!, Bishop, who played Rory’s grandmother, Emily Gilmore, gave her thoughts on the character’s trajectory, sharing her belief that “it would have been nicer if she [Rory] had stayed truer to herself.” She also referred to one of Rory’s idols on the show, journalist Christiane Amanpour.

“I remember early on she was a guest, I don’t know how they got all those good guests, but Christiane Amanpour — that was her idol,” Bishop said. “I would have liked to have seen her stick a little bit closer to that.”

While Bishop would’ve preferred Rory to follow a more straight-laced path, she understands why the character made some mistakes along the way.

“On the other hand, here is a very protected young woman in a small town at a private school,” the actor continued to E!. “She’s going to get out there in the newspaper world and she’s going to find a lot of other situations that might be curious for her to explore ... I think that might be how she got herself into sort of awkward situations.”

The Future Of Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls aired for seven seasons (2000-2007), centering on the lives of mother and daughter Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore in the fictional town of Stars Hollow.

In 2016, the revival miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life debuted on Netflix, and saw the show’s main cast reprise their characters over four episodes.

In her recent E! sit-down, Bishop discussed the possibility of another Gilmore Girls revival. While she “would love to see it revisited,” the actor said it “realistically” won’t happen.

“You’d have to collect together Emily, Rory, Lorelai, and Luke,” she continued, alluding to her former co-star’s busy schedules. “It could happen. But I just don’t think it’s likely, frankly.”