‘Gilmore Girls’: Mädchen Amick Lost out on Lorelai Gilmore Role for a Surprising Reason
Mädchen Amick is known for a plethora of different roles. Most recently, she appeared in Riverdale as Alice. Before that, fans might have spotted her in Twin Peaks as Shelly or The Witches of East End as Wendy. Two decades ago, she appeared in Gilmore Girls. While Amick’s role in the popular series about a young mother and daughter was small, it was impactful. Amick recently revealed that she almost landed a much larger part in the show. She auditioned for the role of Lorelai Gilmore.
Mädchen Amick said she wasn’t cast as Lorelai Gilmore because she looked ‘too young’ to have a daughter
Amick has had a slew of impressive roles since she appeared on Gilmore Girls, but to fans of the iconic series, she’ll always be Sherry Tinsdale, Christopher Hayden’s fiancee and the mother of his second child, GiGi. She almost played a much different role in the series, though.
In an interview with TVLine, Amick revealed that she had initially auditioned for the part of Lorelai but was ultimately passed over because of her look. She told the publication, “the network said I didn’t seem old enough to be a mother, which I had thought was kind of the whole point. Either way, it was cool that Amy [Sherman-Palladino] brought me back in for this part.”
Admittedly, Amick is several years younger than Lauren Graham, the actor who ultimately won the part. Amick, now 51, was barely 30 when she auditioned for the job. Graham was 35 when the series began. Graham and Alexis Bledel, the actor who portrayed Rory Gilmore, have an age gap that is pretty close to Lorelai and Rory’s on-screen ages. Bledel, now 40, is 15 years younger than Graham. Lorelai had Rory at 16. The famed on-screen mother and daughter look strikingly similar, too.
How many episodes of ‘Gilmore Girls’ did Mädchen Amick appear in?
Amick admits that her Gilmore Girls role was relatively small but felt a lot larger. She isn’t wrong. While Sherry didn’t appear on screen often, she was mentioned regularly and factored heavily into several important storylines.
Sherry’s pregnancy was the reason Lorelai Gilmore and Christopher Hayden didn’t get together in season 3. She inadvertently played a role in their season 7 marriage, too. So, exactly how many times did Amick appear as Sherry? Believe it or not, she only portrayed the character in three episodes.
Mädchen Amick wasn’t the only actor brought back to ‘Gilmore Girls’ for a different role
Amick wasn’t the only actor who missed out on a major part in Gilmore Girls only to be brought back for a different supporting role. Liza Weil also auditioned for a major role. Weil didn’t audition to play Lorelai Gilmore, obviously, but she did attempt to land a starring role.
Weil, who famously portrayed Paris Geller, auditioned for the part of Rory Gilmore. During a press event, Weil revealed that she was told after her audition that everyone liked her but that she wasn’t exactly right for the part. According to Mashable, Weil was told they’d consider bringing her back for another part of the pilot went well. She didn’t think much of it until she was called for the role of Paris. Paris, according to several sources, was written specifically for the actor.
Alex Borstein, who famously appeared as Drella, the harpist at the Independence Inn, and Miss Celine, Emily Gilmore’s stylist, was initially supposed to portray Sookie St. James. Borstein had to be replaced due to a contractual obligation. Melissa McCarthy was later cast in the breakout role.
