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Lauren Helen Graham (born March 16,
1967) is an American actress and producer, best known for her starring
role as Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls.
Graham, an Irish American, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Donna Grant, a
fashion buyer, and Lawrence Graham, a candy industry lobbyist who was the
former President for the chocolate and confection industry association.
Her parents divorced when she was five, and Graham moved to Washington,
D.C., where her father became a congressional staffer. She traveled
extensively with her father while growing up.
Graham discovered acting while in elementary school and further honed her
talent at Langley High School, where she took part in the drill team.
Graham quickly took to acting in community theatre and other small
productions. She earned her actor's equity card in 1988 after two years in
summer stock at the Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan. Graham graduated
from Barnard College in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
After moving to Texas in 1992, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting
Performance from Southern Methodist University.
After completing her education, Graham moved to New York City where she
became a cocktail waitress and aspiring actress, including her first paid
work doing publicity appearances wearing the costume of Striker, the dog
mascot of the US-based 1994 FIFA World Cup. In 1995, she relocated to
Hollywood, California. She appeared in various commercials for products
such as Dimetapp and Lean Cuisine and hosted free preview weekends on The
Movie Channel.
In addition to her many guest starring and co-starring roles on prime-time
television, Graham starred in three failed sitcoms, including Townies
(with Molly Ringwald and Jenna Elfman) and the short-lived sitcom Lush
Life (with Lori Petty and Karyn Parsons). Between 1996 and 1997 Graham
became a regular guest star on several hit NBC shows. She played a
graduate student who caught the eye of Dick on 3rd Rock from the Sun,
Richard's dim-witted girlfriend on Caroline in the City, and Jerry's
speed-dial ranking girlfriend on Seinfeld. She played a Hollywood producer
who had a love interest in Rey Curtis in a three-part episode of Law &
Order, where she acted opposite Scott Cohen, who would later play one of
Graham's love interests, Max Medina, on Gilmore Girls. She also portrayed
a highly-inept efficiency expert on Newsradio.
In 2000, Graham landed her breakthrough role as Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore
Girls, the program that would finally launch her to stardom. For her work
she received a nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series (Drama)
at the 2001 Golden Globe Awards. Beginning with Season 7 episode "To Whom
It May Concern" and continuing throughout the rest of the season, Graham
served as a producer on Gilmore Girls. TV Guide reported that she received
the position in an attempt to persuade her to sign for an eighth season.
Graham returned to her guest-starring roots when she portrayed herself in
two episodes of NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Graham has also
appeared on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, co-hosted by Dave Foley of
Newsradio. After winning her preliminary match, she came in second to
another former Newsradio star, Maura Tierney, in the championship game. On
June 26, 2002, Graham was the last guest interviewed by Rosie O'Donnell on
her daytime talk show.
Graham's film roles encompass several NYU student films and multiple major
studio releases, including Sweet November, Bad Santa, The Pacifier,
Because I Said So, and Evan Almighty.
Graham has said that she enjoys playing in short films, and acting in the
Williamstown Theatre Festival. She has performed in numerous short films,
including the 15-minute long Gnome, viewable on YouTube and the iTunes
Store. In 2007, Graham signed a seven-figure development deal with NBC in
one of the year's richest TV talent pacts.
Graham has also worked as the voiceover announcer in national advertising
for Kellogg's various Special K products, and in American Express ads
introducing the Plum Card, which is targeted towards small and growing
businesses.
Graham made her Broadway debut as Miss Adelaide in the revival of Guys and
Dolls, which began preview performances at the Nederlander Theatre on
February 5, 2009 and opened on March 1, 2009. Initial reviews for this
performance have been mixed, but generally regard her fresh take on the
character as a success. The production closed June 14, playing 113 shows
and 28 previews.
It was announced in January 2009 that Graham would star in the comedy
pilot, The Bridget Show (previously Let It Go) for ABC playing a talk show
host and self-help guru who fails to follow her own advice during a
breakup. However, the pilot was not given a series order.
On October 9, 2009, it was announced that Graham will replace Maura
Tierney in the upcoming series Parenthood as single mother Sarah
Braverman. Tierney left the show to seek treatment for cancer. |
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It's Kind of a Funny Story
(2010) .... Lynn
"Parenthood" .... Sarah / ... (2 episodes, 2010)
- Man Versus Possum (2010) TV episode .... Sarah Braverman
- Pilot (2010) TV episode .... Sarah
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) (voice) .... Fran Lockwood
... aka Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: An IMAX 3D Experience
(USA: IMAX version)
Arlen Faber (2009) .... Elizabeth
... aka The Answer Man (USA: new title)
The Bridget Show (2009) (TV) .... Bridget O'Shea
Flash of Genius (2008) .... Phyllis Kearns
Birds of America (2008) .... Betty Tanager
Evan Almighty (2007) .... Joan Baxter
"Gilmore Girls" .... Lorelai Gilmore (154 episodes, 2000-2007)
... aka Gilmore Girls: Beginnings (USA: rerun title)
- Bon Voyage (2007) TV episode .... Lorelai Gilmore
- Unto the Breach (2007) TV episode .... Lorelai Gilmore
- Lorelai? Lorelai? (2007) TV episode .... Lorelai Gilmore
- It's Just Like Riding a Bike (2007) TV episode .... Lorelai
Gilmore
- Hay Bale Maze (2007) TV episode .... Lorelai Gilmore
(149 more)
Because I Said So (2007) .... Maggie
"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" .... Studio 60 Host (2 episodes,
2006)
... aka Studio 60 (USA: informal alternative title)
- The Wrap Party (2006) TV episode (uncredited) .... Studio 60 Host
- The Long Lead Story (2006) TV episode (uncredited) .... Studio 60
Host
Gnome (2005/I) .... Amanda
The Pacifier (2005) .... Principal Claire Fletcher
... aka Gnome (Philippines: English title)
... aka Le pacificateur (Canada: French title)
The Moguls (2005) .... Peggy
... aka The Amateurs (Canada: English title: DVD title) (USA: new
title)
... aka Dirty Movie (Germany)
... aka The Moguls (International: English title)
The Life Coach (2005) .... Dr. Sue Pegasus
Lucky 13 (2005/I) .... Abbey
Seeing Other People (2004) .... Claire
Bad Santa (2003) .... Sue
... aka Badder Santa (USA: longer version)
The Third Wheel (2002) (uncredited) .... Woman at Party
"Family Guy" .... Mother Maggie (1 episode, 2002)
... aka Padre de familia (USA: Spanish title)
- Road to Europe (2002) TV episode (voice) .... Mother Maggie
Chasing Destiny (2001) (TV) .... Jessy James
Sweet November (2001) .... Angelica
"M.Y.O.B." .... Opal Marie Brown (2 episodes, 2000)
- Boys in the Band (2000) TV episode .... Opal Marie Brown
- Bad Seed (2000) TV episode .... Opal Marie Brown
Dill Scallion (1999) .... Kristie Sue
"Conrad Bloom" .... Molly / ... (7 episodes, 1998)
- Gone with the Re-Wind (1998) TV episode .... Molly
- The Unsinkable Conrad Bloom (1998) TV episode .... Molly
- The Ultimatum (1998) TV episode .... Molly
- The Fixer (1998) TV episode .... Molly
- Pilot (1998) TV episode .... Molly Davenport
(2 more)
One True Thing (1998) .... Jules
Confessions of a Sexist Pig (1998) .... Tracy
... aka Taste of Love (USA: alternative title)
"NewsRadio" .... Andrea (4 episodes, 1997)
... aka The Station
- French Diplomacy (1997) TV episode .... Andrea
- Super Karate Monkey Death Car (1997) TV episode .... Andrea
- The Public Domain (1997) TV episode .... Andrea
- Planbee (1997) TV episode .... Andrea
"Seinfeld" .... Valerie (1 episode, 1997)
- The Millennium (1997) TV episode .... Valerie
"Law & Order" .... Lisa Lundquist (3 episodes, 1997)
... aka Law & Order Prime (USA: informal title)
- Showtime (1997) TV episode .... Lisa Lundquist
- Turnaround (1997) TV episode .... Lisa Lundquist
- D-Girl (1997) TV episode .... Lisa Lundquist
Nightwatch (1997) .... Marie
"Townies" .... Denise Garibaldi Callahan (1 episode, 1996)
- Townies (1996) TV episode .... Denise Garibaldi Callahan
"Caroline in the City" .... Shelly (5 episodes, 1995-1996)
... aka Caroline (USA: promotional abbreviation)
- Caroline and the Younger Man (1996) TV episode .... Shelly
- Caroline and the Christmas Break (1995) TV episode .... Shelly
- Caroline and the Balloon (1995) TV episode .... Shelly
- Caroline and the Opera (1995) TV episode .... Shelly
- Caroline and the ATM (1995) TV episode .... Shelly
"Good Company" (1996) TV series .... Liz Gibson (unknown episodes)
"3rd Rock from the Sun" .... Laurie Harris (1 episode, 1996)
... aka 3rd Rock (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka Life As We Know It
- Dick's First Birthday (1996) TV episode .... Laurie Harris |
