Kelly Bishop’s The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir is an irresistible journey through five decades of show business told by one of television’s most beloved matriarchs. With warmth, humor, and sharp insight, Bishop invites readers behind the scenes of a career that has spanned Broadway stages, Hollywood sets, and the hearts of countless fans.
Known for her iconic role as Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, Bishop uses this memoir to peel back the layers of her life long before Stars Hollow ever existed. She traces her beginnings as a young dancer at Radio City Music Hall in the 1960s, her dreams of becoming a ballerina dashed but her love for performance undimmed. With resilience and grit, she took any job she could find, from chorus lines to smoky Las Vegas shows, navigating heartbreak and hardship while carving her own path in an unforgiving industry.
The book shines brightest when Bishop reflects on her time in A Chorus Line, the groundbreaking Broadway musical that won her a Tony Award. She writes candidly about the creative process, the grueling rehearsals, and the joy of building a role from the ground up. But she never glamorizes her journey. Her honesty about failed relationships, financial struggles, and the relentless uncertainty of an actor’s life gives the memoir an emotional depth that’s both moving and relatable.
Of course, fans will delight in the chapters about Gilmore Girls. Bishop’s anecdotes about her on-screen family Ed Herrmann as her husband and Lauren Graham as her daughter are as heartfelt as they are entertaining. She speaks with admiration for Amy Sherman-Palladino, the show’s creator and the author of the memoir’s foreword, whose friendship and creative collaboration continued through Bunheads and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. These stories radiate genuine affection and mutual respect.
What sets The Third Gilmore Girl apart from typical Hollywood memoirs is Bishop’s balance of charm and candor. She is unapologetically herself: politically outspoken, fiercely compassionate about animal welfare, and refreshingly honest about aging and grief. Her resilience, even after losing her husband of 37 years and enduring multiple personal challenges, serves as a quiet testament to her strength and optimism.
Bishop’s writing style, with the help of collaborator Lindsay Harrison, feels conversational and full of personality. It’s as if Emily Gilmore herself were sitting across the table, telling stories with a twinkle in her eye only this time, it’s Kelly’s real voice shining through.
For fans of Gilmore Girls, theater lovers, or anyone fascinated by the evolution of a performer who’s seen it all, The Third Gilmore Girl is a gem. It’s not only a reflection of an extraordinary career but also a celebration of perseverance, creativity, and self-discovery. Kelly Bishop proves that it’s never too late to tell your story and she tells hers beautifully.
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