It’s been 26 years since fans were introduced to Lauren Graham’s Lorelai Gilmore and Melissa McCarthy’s Sookie St. James on “Gilmore Girls.” Fans got to witness the beautiful friendship between Lorelai and Sookie for seven seasons of the hit drama. This week, fans got to see McCarthy and Graham reunited for the first time in years as well as hear them talk about their decades-long friendship, which they tend to keep private.
‘Gilmore Girls’ Lauren Graham Speaks Out on Melissa McCarthy Friendship
McCarthy was honored at Variety’s Power of Women event. Graham was there to introduce McCarthy. On the red carpet, Graham spoke with Entertainment Tonight about what it was like to be there for her friend.
“From the minute we met, we really connected, and we always had so much fun. I am so proud of her and happy for her,” Graham expressed.
During her speech introducing McCarthy, the “Parenthood” alum revealed a tradition of theirs that happens at Christmas time.
“Among the many festivities we shared over the years was the tradition of taking turns throwing a cowboy-themed Christmas party,” Graham said. “I don’t know why this was the theme. Neither of us was from the South, and I don’t know any cowboys, but I still have a 10-gallon hat in my closet and photos of the Christmas where we hired a band called Cousin Lovers to play in my living room,” Graham said.
The actress listed all of McCarthy’s infamous movie roles while gushing over the extraordinary human being her friend is. Graham used humor to make it clear that she’s beyond proud of her pal McCarthy and her accomplishments.
In a social media share following the event, Graham shared pictures from the night and again expressed her happiness for McCarthy. Graham reiterated how proud she was to be by her friend’s side at the event.
Melissa McCarthy Praises Her Friend Lauren Graham
In the same Entertainment Tonight interview, McCarthy gushed over her former “Gilmore Girls” co-star.
“She was a seasoned pro, and I was incredibly green, and she really like gracefully helped me kind of learn the ropes,” McCarthy shared before adding how happy being part of “Gilmore Girls” still makes her all these years later.
During her speech at Variety’s Power of Women, McCarthy shed more light on just how much Graham helped her during their time on “Gilmore Girls.”
“I could not find my mark to save my life. Lauren was, of course, the star, and she could have thrown her power and pointed out my mistakes, but instead she was incredibly kind and funny and quietly helped me learn the ropes within the scene without breaking character,” McCarthy said. “Lauren was really one of my first lessons in how to yield power with grace and give patience. So thank you for that, Lauren,” the “Bridesmaids” star expressed.
Following the event, McCarthy used Instagram to shout out to her friend for being there on her special night.
“I’ve been lucky enough to love and hug @laurengraham for almost half my life, which feels impossible because we both look exactly the same!! What a gift it’s been. She can still make me laugh and cry hard enough to ruin my mascara. Thank you for last night LG, and all the years in between ❤️,” she wrote in post that featured a Lorelai and Sookie throwback and photos from the event.
The reunion comes as Graham has confirmed she’s taking part in a “Gilmore Girls” documentary with show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino that will air on HBO Max. McCarthy hasn’t revealed whether she will be part of it.
Fans can rewatch “Gilmore Girls” on Hallmark, where it airs weekdays, or stream it on Hulu. The series is no longer on Netflix after it left the streaming service in June, a move that shocked fans. “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” is still on Netflix since it was an original series of the streaming service.
