The Third Gilmore Girl

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Manufacturer: Kelly Bishop
Brand: Memoir
Brew: Audiobook
Steeping Time: 6 hours 48 minutes
Tea Service: Personal Choice
Strength:

Synopsis: Kelly Bishop’s long, storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing. But it is probably her iconic role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.

Now, Bishop reflects on her remarkable life and looks towards the future with The Third Gilmore Girl. She shares some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she’s learned on her journey. From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced—among them marching for women’s rights and losing her second husband to cancer—Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.

Full of witty insights and featuring a special collection of personal and professional photographs, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and spirited memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades and has no plans on slowing down.

I don’t even know where to begin.

Never in my life have I connected with another person through a memoir in such a way as I have with Kelly Bishop through The Third Gilmore Girl. I thought I’d only just met her with Gilmore Girls when I binged it for the first time during the tail end of 2024, but I was wrong. Kelly has been with me my entire life.

A Chorus Line is one of the first musicals I ever remember seeing. I’m not sure if I saw it before Cats, but I know they were in the same era of my childhood. We had both musicals on VHS, recorded off of PBS, more than likely. I was obviously more drawn to Cats, being a cat person even at the ripe old age of five, and let’s be honest, my dramatic soul was drawn to Memory like no other song on the planet. But one character and one song stayed with me from A Chorus Line.

Sheila Bryant and her song At the Ballet are the ONLY thing I remember from that entire show. For whatever reason, she stuck with me, as did that burst of love for the ballet that blossomed within my own heart. It was the spark that made me want to be a ballet dancer when I grew up. And all this time, I had no idea that it was Kelly Bishop who walked beside me in those early performer dreams, before I knew that acting was even a job someone could have.

Kelly’s memoir is one of the most relatable and touching memoirs I’ve ever read.

I know much of that connection comes from my dreams of being a performer and my experience in the industry, but there were so many little connections to my own life that it felt like Kelly was talking directly to me. I mean, I know that in a way she was, since I listened to her narrate the audiobook, but it was so much deeper than that. It was like she knew my soul.

When she spoke about her ‘Gee I wish’ moments, I had a spark of epiphany because I just had one of my own not two weeks ago. 2025 has been a great year as far as my acting career is concerned. I’ve had a lot of work, gotten some great paychecks, and I’ve worked on some wonderful projects that brought me joy and new friends. It’s not the acting career I dreamed I’d have by now, but it’s the one I’ve got and I’m loving every second of it.

A month or so ago, in passing conversation, I said to my husband, ‘I’ve gotten to do some amazing things with this career, and I’m glad I won’t be eighty saying I wonder what would have happened if…. But there’s still one thing I’d like to check off my bucket list, and that’s getting to travel out of state for a film. Just once, I’d like to say I got to travel for work.’

And then, poof.

A dream project came across my screen. I sent in an audition, and held my breath. Then I got a callback. I filmed it, sent it, and went back to holding my breath. It was a 1940s period piece, an era I love for fashion and design. The director’s cinematography reel was stunning, so I just knew this project would be beautiful. The script was really well written. The character looked fun. I wanted this role. Desperately. And the kicker? It shot out of state.

Oh gee, I wish.

And then a week or so later, the offer was in my inbox. Kelly, I’ll start watching for those signs from the universe a little closer now. And I’ll start asking a little louder, just in case it helps.

Another fun and wild connection came in the Gilmore Girls chapters. Kelly talks about A Year in the Life and how a reunion of sorts was held at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX, during the ATX TV Festival in 2015. It is currently 2025. I finished the book and listened to that chapter today, 29 May 2025. The ATX TV Festival this year was yesterday. I had a TV pilot project premiere there. Yesterday. At the Paramount. A decade later, almost to the day. Insane.

I, devastatingly, couldn’t attend because I came down with Covid, and I’ll be forever disappointed that I wasn’t there in person for this odd little coincidence, but I’m still happy that the coincidence exists. That’s enough for me.

I practically cried through the last two hours of the book.

It was so beautiful and heartbreaking and inspiring in so many ways. Kelly’s career is a dream career, and one I’d kill to have. I dreamed of Broadway when I was just a high school theatre kid, even though I knew I’d never have the talent that it took. Even though I knew that my heart was meant for the screen. I wanted to dance in those bright lights, sing from the stage. I wanted to make the audience feel something. And who knows. It just might happen. As Kelly has taught me, nothing is impossible. Put in the work. Be open. Let the universe in. And just for good measure, give it a little, ‘Gee, I wish.’

Have you read The Third Gilmore Girl? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own.
Cheers,
Lydia