Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham | |
|---|---|
 Lauren Graham, 2007 | |
| Born | Lauren Helen Graham |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, producer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
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.
Early life
Graham, an Irish American, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of Donna Grant, a fashion buyer, and Lawrence Graham, a candy industry lobbyist[1] who was the former President for the chocolate and confection industry association. Her parents divorced when she was five, prompting Graham and her father to move to the Washington, D.C. area, where he became a congressional staffer. Graham 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.[2] 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.
Career
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.[3] 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 Third 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 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 through out 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.[4][5]
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.
Her motion picture 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.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
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.[9][10]
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.[11][12]
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.[13]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Nightwatch | Marie | |
| 1998 | Confessions of a Sexist Pig | Tracy | Alternative title: Taste of Love |
| One True Thing | Jules | ||
| 1999 | Dill Scallion | Kristie Sue | |
| 2001 | Sweet November | Angelica | |
| 2002 | The Third Wheel | Woman at party | Uncredited |
| 2003 | Bad Santa | Sue | |
| Something More | Executive producer | ||
| 2004 | Seeing Other People | Claire | |
| 2005 | Lucky 13 | Abbey | |
| The Life Coach | Dr. Sue Pegasus | ||
| The Amateurs | Peggy | Alternative title: The Moguls | |
| The Pacifier | Principal Claire Fletcher | ||
| Gnome | Amanda | ||
| 2007 | Because I Said So | Maggie | |
| Evan Almighty | Joan Baxter | ||
| 2008 | Birds of America | Betty Tanager | |
| Flash of Genius | Phyllis Kearns | ||
| 2009 | The Answer Man | Elizabeth | Alternative title: Arlen Faber |
| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | Fran Lockwood | Voice | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995-1996 | Caroline in the City | Shelly | 5 episodes |
| 1996 | Good Company | Liz Gibson | Unknown episodes |
| Townies | Denise Garibaldi Callahan | Unknown episodes | |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | Laurie Ives | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Law & Order | Lisa Lundquist | 3 episodes |
| Seinfeld | Valerie | 1 episode | |
| NewsRadio | Andrea | 5 episodes | |
| 1998 | Conrad Bloom | Molly Davenport | 1 episode |
| 2000 | M.Y.O.B. | Opal Marie Brown | 2 episodes |
| 2000-2007 | Gilmore Girls | Lorelai Gilmore | 154 episodes |
| 2001 | Chasing Destiny | Jessy James | Television movie |
| 2002 | Family Guy | Mother Maggie (Voice) | 1 episode |
| 2006 | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Studio 60 Host | 2 episodes Uncredited |
| 2010 | Parenthood | Sarah Braverman | Replacing Maura Tierney |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Family Television Awards | Won | Actress | Gilmore Girls (Tied with Jane Kaczmarek for Malcolm in the Middle) |
| 2002 | Golden Globe Award | Nominated | Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama | Gilmore Girls |
| 2005 | People's Choice Awards | Nominated | Favorite Female Television Star | |
| 2002 | Satellite Award | Nominated | Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Gilmore Girls |
| 2003 | Nominated | Gilmore Girls | ||
| 2004 | Nominated | Gilmore Girls | ||
| 2005 | Nominated | Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Gilmore Girls | |
| Outstanding Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical | ||||
| 2001 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Nominated | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Gilmore Girls |
| 2002 | Nominated | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Gilmore Girls | |
| 2005 | Teen Choice Award | Won | Choice TV Parental Units | Gilmore Girls |
| 2006 | Won | Choice TV Parental Units | Gilmore Girls | |
| 2002 | Television Critics Association Award | Nominated | Individual Achievement in Drama | Gilmore Girls |
| 2006 | Nominated | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Comedy | Gilmore Girls |
References
- ^ Lauren Graham Biography (1967-)
- ^ Lee, Luaine. Graham's 'Gilmore Girls' success took a while to build, Scripps Howard News Service, February 1, 2005. Accessed July 13, 2008.
- ^ GilmoreGirls.org : Recent News
- ^ "Graham's Gilmore Role Expands!". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
- ^ ""Huzzah to 'Producer Lauren Graham'"". Zap2it.com. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
- ^ O'Neil, Tom. Transcript: Our Emmy chat with 'Gilmore Girls' star Lauren Graham, LA Times, June 13, 2007. Accessed July 13, 2008.
- ^ Adalian, Josef. Lauren Graham inks NBC deal, Variety, September 17, 2007. Accessed July 13, 2008.
- ^ Elliott, Stuart. Q & A with Stuart Elliott, The New York Times, June 2, 2008. Accessed July 13, 2008.
- ^ "Gilmore Girls" Star Graham Cast in Guys and Dolls Revival
- ^ Adelaide's New Lament: Broadway's Guys and Dolls to Close June 14
- ^ "Pilot News: Lauren Graham's New Show Is a Go!". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 30, 2009). ""Let It Go" gets go-ahead at ABC". Retrieved 2009-02-14.
- ^ Natalie Abrams. "Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham Takes Starring Role in Parenthood". TVGuide.com.
External links
