Alex Borstein Has More Than One Connection To ‘Gilmore Girls’
Gilmore Girls went off the air in 2007, but it manages to amass new fans every day, it seems. The series was special, argue several of the actors who took on roles in the series. A touch of kismet was needed to make that happen, though. Major casting changes helped shape the show. For example, Alex Borstein almost took on a key role in the series but was forced to pull out, making room for Melissa McCarthy. Borstein may have just missed portraying a beloved character, but she had several connections to the show.
Alex Borstein was set to portray Sookie St. James
Borstein is best known for her time on Mad TV and as the voice of Lois on Family Guy, but she also appeared in Gilmore Girls. Her role was much smaller than it was supposed to be, though. While Borstein was eventually cast as Drella, the surly harp player at The Independence Inn, she was initially set to portray Sookie St. James.
The role of Sookie, Lorelai Gilmore’s best friend, and business partner, eventually went to McCarthy, but only because Borstein was unavailable to take on the part.
Alex Borstein’s ex-husband had a substantial part on Gilmore Girls
Borstein may not have had the chance to take on a major role in Gilmore Girls, but her ex-husband did. Jackson Douglas is best known for portraying Jackson Belville on the series for all seven seasons. Jackson’s character started out as the farmer who provided the produce for The Independence Inn, but his part was later expanded into a love interest for Sookie. The pair married and had three children by the time the series ended.
Borstein and Douglas married in 1999, the year before Gilmore Girls premiered and officially ended their union in 2017. They announced their separation in 2014. In 2014, TMZ reported that Douglas was seeking half of Borstein’s royalties from Family Guy. There was no indication that the couple had a prenuptial agreement.
Lauren Graham almost didn’t get to portray Lorelai Gilmore
Borstein missed out on getting to play Sookie, but most fans agree that McCarthy was born to take on the role. Fans of the series almost had to see a different actress portray Lorelai Gilmore, too. Lauren Graham spent years portraying the show’s main character, but when she initially received the script, she wasn’t even available.
In her book, Talking As Fast as I Can, Graham explained that she was tied to an existing sitcom when the script for Gilmore Girls was sent to her. She didn’t even bother reading it the first time, but upon a second request, she finally cracked the pages. Graham fell in love with the story but feared she’d be unable to portray Lorelai due to other commitments. It all worked out, and Graham eventually got to portray the teen mom turned business owner for all seven seasons.
