‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’: The Weird Way Rose Abdoo Ended up Playing 2 Parts
Rose Abdoo spent seven seasons playing the recurring character of Gypsy on Gilmore Girls. When it was time for the revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, the cast knew that Abdoo needed to return. Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed that she didn’t just return as Gypsy, though. Abdoo stepped into another role during the revival, and it was a pretty important part. She happened upon the job quite by accident, though.
Who did Rose Abdoo play in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life?
Abdoo joined the ranks of actors who played more than one part on Gilmore Girls. In most cases, showrunner, Amy Sherman-Palladino, would bring an actor back later to play another role. Abdoo, who appeared in 23 episodes of Gilmore Girls, was asked to play two roles at once. Abdoo simultaneously portrayed her original character, Gypsy, and Emily Gilmore’s maid, Berta, in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
Gypsy was the loveable but gruff mechanic in Stars Hollow. She began appearing in the show in season 2 and had scenes in each subsequent season. Berta, a character added for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, is the only staff member that lasted more than a few evenings in the Gilmore household. When fans last left Emily, she lived in Nantucket, with Berta and Berta’s family by her side.
How did Rose Abdoo end up in the role of Berta in the Netflix revival?
Abdoo didn’t show up to the table read for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life with a plan to take on a dual role. In an interview with Buzzfeed, she explained that she was asked to take on several parts that they hadn’t picked cast members for when she sat down for the table read. Abdoo recalled reading for seven or eight different characters. When she got to Berta’s lines, she said, the table lit up, and everyone laughed. She was asked to become Berta right then and there.
Abdoo accepted her new part, but she had some work to do. The goal was to make her unrecognizable as Berta. The costume department took on that feat first, then Abdoo and Sherman-Palladino worked on the accent she would use. Abdoo pulled from her own family to get a language that wasn’t quite a language. She explained to Buzzfeed that her mother, who was born in the Dominican Republic, spoke Spanish. She took the Spanish she was familiar with and added random syllables to create a unique language for the character.
Would she return for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life 2?
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life 2 isn’t exactly a done deal. While a few Instagram posts have fans hopeful that an announcement is forthcoming, nothing official has been said. If the show is picked up for a second revival on Netflix, Abdoo is on board. In 2017 she was into the idea of returning, at least.
While Abdoo has moved on to appear in several more TV shows since 2016, she seems more than willing to make time for her old pals in Stars Hollow. Abdoo, much like the other members of the Gilmore Girls cast, holds a special place in her heart for the show. She notes that it’s the role she is most often recognized for
