Trivia: Born in Hawaii, actress Lauren Graham spent her childhood traveling with her single father. After earning her Bachelor's degree in English from Barnard College in New York City, she got her Master's in Acting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She then moved to California, where she began her professional acting career with appearances on Caroline in the City, Law & Order, and NewsRadio.Graham's big break came in 2000 with the lead role on the WB family drama Gilmore Girls. As Lorelai Gilmore, the 32-year-old single mother of a teenager (Alexis Bledel), Graham earned several awards and nominations on the massively popular series. While the show itself earned critical acclaim, Graham gained much media exposure for her strong and independent yet conventionally attractive portrayal of a single mom. She would stick with the show for its entire seven year run, becomming a fully fledged star in the process. Graham would also appear in movies like Evan Almighty, Bad Santa, and The Answer Man, in addition to other succsful TV projects, like the starring role of Sarah Braverman on the series Parenthood.

Trivia: With a distinctly natural and youthful earthy beauty that can alternate between ultra-glamour and wholesome field-frolicking nymph with the change of the breeze, former worldly model turned actress Alexis Bledel built a sturdy fan base with her role on television's Gilmore Girls before falling for a young immortal in 2002's Tuck Everlasting. A native of Houston, TX, whose native tongue was Spanish, Bledel's parents encouraged her to try community theater at the age of eight to overcome shyness. The aspiring actress would subsequently appear in local productions of Our Town and The Wizard of Oz before being scouted at a local mall and whisked into life on the catwalks. Traveling through Europe and Japan before graduating from Houston's Saint Agnes Academy, Bledel would also graduate from the Page Parkes Center for Modeling and Acting before enrolling as a film major at N.Y.U. Though it may come as no surprise to many that the ethereal young actress was voted one of People magazine's Hottest Stars Under 25 in 2002, the firmly grounded actress appeared to have a promising career in store for her whether it be on the pages of Vogue or under the bright lights of Tinseltown. Fans with a quick eye could also catch a brief glimpse of Bledel's film debut, as an uncredited extra, in Wes Anderson's Rushmore (1998).In 2005, Bledel co-starred in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, a coming-of-age drama following four teenagers who find a very special pair of blue jeans (the actress reprised this role in 2008 for the film's sequel), as well as in director Robert Rodriguez' post-noir crime thriller Sin City. Bledel continued to work in film following the cancellation of The Gilmore Girls in 2007, appearing in the films including The Good Guy (2009), Post Grad (2009), and The Conspirator (2010). The actress played a young assassin in the 2011 action comedy Violet & Daisy, and continues to be active in film and television, including a recurring role as a suburban housewife in season 5 of AMC's Mad Men.

Trivia: An award-winning stage actress, Kelly Bishop occasionally dabbles in television and feature films. Bishop's accolades, a Tony and a Drama Desk award, came from her outstanding work in the original Broadway version of A Chorus Line. Her television work includes two stints on the television soap opera One Life to Live (she played Serena Wyman in 1989, Dr. Robbins in 1996) and guest-starring roles on Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Her film credits include Six Degrees of Separation ([1993] she also appeared in the original stage version), Miami Rhapsody (1995), and Private Parts (1997), in which Bishop played the mother of shock jock Howard Stern. At the beginning of the 21ast century she enjoyed long run as Emily Gilmore on the TV series Gilmore Girls, and five years after that show ended she returned to the big screen with a part in the comedy Friends With Kids.

Trivia: Born July 21st, 1943, Tony-winning American stage and film actor Edward Herrmann used his Fulbright scholarship to study at London's Academy of Music and Dramatic Art; several years of regional theatre led to movie and TV work. In 1977 Herrmann offered the first of his many interpretations of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the TV movie Eleanor and Franklin (He'd later be a singing FDR in the theatrical feature Annie [1982]). The actor was frequently dissatisfied with his own performances, feeling that with a little more time he could do much better. Such was the case of his portrayal of baseball great Lou Gehrig in the TV drama A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story (1979), though Herrmann was proud of the fact that he learned to pitch and bat southpaw, something that a previous movie Gehrig, Gary Cooper, never quite mastered. His occasional villainous movie appearances notwithstanding, Edward Herrmann is to most viewers the very embodiment of intelligence and integrity; he was decidedly well cast as the erudite host of several historical documentaries on the A&E Network. In 2000, Herrmann joined the cast of Gilmore Girls as patriarch Richard Gilmore, and continued appearing in supporting roles in movies, including the headmaster in The Emperor's Club (2002), film censor Joseph Breen in The Aviator (2004) and an accountant in Factory Girl (2006). Once Gilmore Girls ended in 2007, Herrmann returned to episodic TV, with runs on Grey's Anatomy and a recurring gig on The Good Wife. In 2014, he returned to his familiar role of FDR one last time, voicing the president in the Ken Burns documentary The Roosevelts: An Intimate History. Herrmann died in 2014, at age 71.

Trivia: First gaining notoriety as Sookie on the hit sitcom Gilmore Girls, actress Melissa McCarthy began her onscreen career with a bit part on her cousin's The Jenny McCarthy Show. Minor film and TV roles followed before she landed the aforementioned part of Sookie St. James, a role she would play throughout Gilmore Girls seven-season run on The WB/CW. In 2007, McCarthy was cast in a supporting role alongside Christina Applegate on the ABC comedy Sam I Am.She found genuine success with the sitcom Molly and Me, playing one-half of a weight-challenged couple opposite Billy Gardel and earning an Emmy nod for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. However, it was her supporting turn in the R-rated comedy Bridesmaids that brought her a taste of mass adulation as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Trivia: Studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in New York. Gilmore Girls was his English language acting debut.

Trivia: Starred as Lane Kim in Gilmore Girls during the entirety of the show's run between 2000 and 2007, returning in 2016 for the Netflix revival. Won the Best Performance in a TV Drama Series -- Supporting Young Artist Award at the Young Artist Awards for her role in Gilmore Girls. Nominated at the Teen Choice Awards three consecutive years, for the TV Choice Sidekick Award. Won the 2013 Asians on Film Festival Best Supporting Actress in a Short Award, for her role in Lil Tokyo Reporter. Launched the Drunk Monk Podcast in September 2015.

Trivia: A reliable supporting player specializing in slightly gritty and rough-cut characterizations, Scott Patterson spent several years biding his time in forgettable cinematic ventures such as Intent to Kill (1992) and Little Big League (1994), before achieving fame in a recurring role as Luke Danes, the diner owner and eventual suitor of Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) on the popular comedy drama series Gilmore Girls. After that series eventually went off the air, he subsequently transitioning to feature roles, such as that of an agent in the gore-filled slasher outing Saw IV (2007). In 2007, Patterson also landed a regular role on the prime-time sitcom Aliens in America -- about a Midwestern family that unwittingly hosts a Pakistani Muslim exchange student in an attempt to find a friend for their unpopular son.

Trivia: Singer-actress, onscreen from the '70s.

Trivia: Born July 8th, 1977, by the time Milo Ventimiglia graduated from high school in 1994, the bright lights of Hollywood had already shone their way to his Orange County home, and within the next year, the young actor was making his first onscreen appearance with a walk-on role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The part was the first of many, as Ventimiglia proceeded to spend the late '90s and early 2000s with similar roles in movies like She's All That and on shows like CSI. In 2004, Ventimiglia nabbed what most actors would consider a big break when he landed a recurring role on the hit series American Dreams, but a much bigger break was still in store. He joined the regular cast of the WB series Gilmore Girls in 2005, playing the part of Jess Mariano and making millions of viewers familiar with his face. The boost to his star-power no doubt influenced casting directors, who cast him as the son of Sylvester Stallone in 2006's Rocky Balboa, and then as a young man who discovers he harbors superpowers on the smash-hit sci-fi series Heroes. Ventimiglia appeared in the sci-fi action thriller Gamer in 2009, and took on a supporting role in the 2012 Adam Sandler vehicle That's My Boy.

Trivia: Texas native Jared Padalecki was only 12 years old when he started studying acting. He took to the stage all throughout high school, competing on his school's speech team and appearing in school plays. In 1999, the 17-year-old won Fox's "Claim to Fame" contest and had the chance to appear at the Teen Choice Awards. The opportunity led to the young actor signing up with an agent and beginning his professional career. He began scoring appearances on shows and in TV movies, playing the victim of a car accident on an episode of ER and a wealthy suitor in Ring of Endless Light. Then in 2001, Padalecki was cast as Dean Forester, love interest of Rory Gilmore on the hit series Gilmore Girls. He stayed with the show until 2005, when he joined up with the sci-fi thriller series Supernatural. Padalecki also ventured onto the big screen, appearing in films like House of Wax and The Christmas Cottage.

Trivia: Traveled around Great Britain with her parents' comedy troupe when she was 3 years old. First television role was in Pete & Pete alongside her mother. Made her film debut in Whatever, which premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Starred in the stage play Poof at Montgomery Theater during hiatus from Gilmore Girls in 2004.

Trivia: The youngest of six children. First professional acting job was in a commercial for the Illinois lottery. A co-creator of the web series James Gunn's PG Porn with brothers James and Brian. Nicknamed "The Judge," which originated from older Matt, who jokingly accused him of being judgmental. Has previously roomed with fellow actors Judy Greer and Gilmore Girls co-star John Cabrera. Appeared in the second episode of Gilmore Girls as Mick, before being brought back later in the season to play eccentric Stars Hollow resident Kirk; he eventually became a series regular.

Trivia: Upon realizing that his parents would never accept the fact that their son wanted to pursue a career in acting, Adam Brody did exactly what any red-blooded, determined American teen would do in order to achieve his dream -- he lied to them. Thankfully for Brody, his gamble at fame was a success, and following a noteworthy feature debut in the made-for-television movie Growing Up Brady, the talented young star would go on to land roles in such high-profile releases as American Pie 2 and The Ring. Knowing that he had what it took to launch a successful film and television career -- but unable to convince his parents of his certainty -- the San Diego native eventually persuaded his mother and father to allow him to remain on the West Coast following his high-school graduation and attend college in Los Angeles. Of course, Brody's higher education was merely a guise for his true plans, and in lieu of enrolling in classes, the deceptive aspiring thespian instead opted to hire an acting coach and a personal manager in preparation for hitting the audition circuit. Soon chosen to portray Brady Bunch actor Barry Williams for the screen adaptation of his revealing memoir Growing Up Brady, Brody was on his way to stardom. The millennial turnover proved an incredibly fruitful period for the young actor's blossoming career, with a series of small-screen appearances in such popular television series as Once and Again, Grounded for Life, and Judging Amy offering notable exposure before Brody joined the cast of the hit MTV series Undressed. After a brief appearance in American Pie 2, Brody returned to the small screen and MTV for the short-lived cult series The Sausage Factory in 2001. Following a doomed appearance in The Ring, Brody once again returned to television for a lead role on the popular Fox drama The O.C. At this point, it was obvious to all who had followed his career that Brody was more than just another pretty face, with roles in the carefree skateboard comedy Grind and the affecting family drama Missing Brendan serving to highlight his remarkable versatility before the cameras. In 2005, Brody could be seen opposite Hollywood heavies Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Go director Doug Liman's action thriller Mr. and Mrs. Smith.He continued to work, often in indie comedies like The Ten and Smiley Face. In 2007 he had the lead in Jon Kasdan's In the Land of Women opposite such female heavyweights as Meg Ryan, Kirsten Stewart, and Olympia Dukakis. He appeared in the Diablo Cody-scripted horror film Jennifer's Body, and in the Kevin Smith action comedy Cop Out. He was well-used by director Whit Stillman in his college campus comedy Damsels in Distress in 2011, and the next year he played in the bittersweet comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. 2013 saw Brody cast as porn legend Harry Reems in the biopic Lovelace. That same year he had a recurring role on the TV series House of Lies, and he played the gay best friend to the main character in the romantic comedy Baggage Claim. Brody had a small role in Think Like a Man Too (2014) and had a memorable guest spot on New Girl.

Trivia: A stalwart of American television in both prime-time and daytime venues, performer Rob Estes capitalized on his devastatingly slick and suave image throughout his career. A native of Norfolk, VA, Estes attended USC after high school. The actor first turned viewers' heads in the soap opera venue, as passionate lifeguard Glenn Gallagher on NBC's seminal Days of Our Lives -- a role he held from 1986 to 1987. Thereafter, he landed a string of guest assignments on various series and roles in TV movies, but scored his next major career coup on an after-dark drama, the "guilty pleasure" series Silk Stalkings (1991-1999) -- in which he played the lead, sex crimes expert Chris Lorenzo. The program had an unusual history: NBC and the USA cable network originally co-produced it and ran it concurrently on each Thursday from November 1991-November 1993, but from 1993 on, CBS dropped it, the USA network produced new episodes in exclusive syndication, and Estes remained with the cast for two additional years.Thereafter, Estes amassed a long and extensive series of ongoing roles on prime-time series. These included restaurant proprietor Kyle McBride on the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons of Melrose Place (1996-1999); multi-episode guest turns as John Hemming and Oliver Browne in, respectively, the medical drama Providence and the Brooke Shields sitcom Suddenly Susan; and obnoxious, abusive ex-husband Nick Townsend on the blockbuster procedural series CSI: Miami. In 2007, Estes signed on to portray Lt. Tom Hogan on the short-lived ABC procedural drama Women's Murder Club. Shortly after that program's May 2008 cancellation, the CW network announced Estes' enlistment to play Mills family patriarch-cum-Beverly Hills high-school principal Harry Mills on its much anticipated series drama 90210, a spin-off of the original Beverly Hills 90210.

Trivia: Participated in community theater throughout Southern Illinois. Scored paid gigs on camera as a youth, through his father's production company, PoleStar Productions. Performed annually in a sketch-comedy show on New Year's Eve in Springfield, Illinois, with his brother and father. Wrote songs for the animated series The Looney Tunes Show. Performs with the Groundlings improv troupe, where he met wife Melissa McCarthy.