‘Gilmore Girls’: 3 Ways Lorelai Gilmore and Anna Nardini Were the Same Character

Lorelai Gilmore and Anna Nardini didn't get along on 'Gilmore Girls' but that may have been because they were too much alike. When the character of Anna was first introduced it was like Lorelai came to face with her 'Gilmore Girls' Season 1 self.

by Mandi Kerr

Published on January 10, 2021

2 min read

Who is Anna Nardini?

Anna used to date Luke Danes (Scott Patterson). They had a daughter, April Nardini (Vanessa Marano), who Luke only found out about 12 years later.

April came to Luke’s Diner to get a DNA sample from him. She revealed the identity of her biological father at her school’s science fair. Luke showed up only to learn he was indeed April’s dad.

Sherilyn Fenn at the 2017 'Twin Peaks' UK Festival — Sherilyn Fenn at the 2017 *Twin Peaks* UK Festival | Amy T. Zielinski/Getty Images

Luke didn’t tell Lorelai about April. Meanwhile, Lorelai went on with planning their wedding. That is until she found out about April and Luke suggested they postpone their nuptials.

Anna Nardini and Lorelai Gilmore kept their dating lives private

Aside from being single parents to smart, ambitious daughters, Lorelai and Anna had similar philosophies on dating. In Gilmore Girls Season 1, Lorelai explained she kept her dating life completely separate from her life with Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel).

She wanted a stable home for her and that meant no introducing her to guys she dated. But as fans know, it all changed with Max Medina (Scott Cohen).

During a conversation with Anna after April birthday party, Lorelai found out they took the same approach. Just like Lorelai with Rory, Anna didn’t tell April anything about her dating life. The same conversation also proved Lorelai and Anna were protective of their daughters.

Lorelai Gilmore and Anna Nardini were both business owners

Lorelai may have began Gilmore Girls as the manager of the Independence Inn but by the end of seven seasons, she’d become the co-owner of the Dragonfly Inn. She and Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy) embarked on their dream to open their own place in earlier seasons before becoming successful entrepreneurs.

Anna also made a living running her own business. She ran a small, charming boutique in the neighboring town of Woodbridge. Featured in a few scenes, Anna sold candles, throw pillows, clothes, and accessories. Most notably the Pan Am bag Rory bought for Lorelai and the luggage Anna gave to Luke. Just like Lorelai, she ran her business well without being overly formal.

Anna Nardini and Lorelai Gilmore were friends with their daughters

Both women were mothers and friends to their daughters. Rory grew up being best friends with Lorelai. April spent her childhood being close to her mom. Anna joked with April about watching “something stupid” on TV and even painted a mural in nail polish.

The line between mother and best friend became blurred for Lorelai and Rory multiple times. They had movie nights and ate massive amounts of pizza and candy but still talked about important things.