Lauren Graham will always be known as the clever and hilarious coffee-loving Lorelai Gilmore. Her Gilmore Girls role is the one that has given her the most attention and praise, and it’s definitely the reason why she’s a household name.
Any fans of the actress who have read her 2016 memoir, Talking As Fast As I Can, know that she’s been acting for a really long time. She also wrote about her drive to make her acting dreams come true in her 2013 novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe. Although there’s no way that people won’t associate Lauren Graham with Lorelai forever, she has definitely been in a lot of other TV shows, along with some movies along the way.
Read on to find out about 10 roles that Lauren Graham has played that you forgot about.
10. Lynn, It’s Kind Of A Funny Story
The 2010 film It’s Kind Of A Funny Story is based on the 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini. The film boats big names like Emma Roberts, Viola Davis, and Zach Galifianakis. It follows a teenage boy named Craig Gilner (Keir Gilchrist) who suffers from depression, which lands him in a hospital. It’s a sweet movie about the people that he meets along the way.
You might not remember that Lauren Graham was in this movie, too. She played another mom: this time, she was Craig’s mother, Lynn. Craig’s parents (his dad was played by Jim Gaffigan) aren’t considered super supportive, and in one scene, Lynn tells Craig that they should do what the doctors say and he should spend some time at the hospital.
9. Valerie, Seinfeld
One of the most fun things to do is watch episodes of Seinfeld and try to spot the famous guest stars. Lauren Graham had a small role on Seinfeld but it’s probably a role that many people forgot about.
She was in the season eight episode called “The Millennium” that aired in 1997. Lauren Graham played Valerie, a woman who Jerry was dating at the time. She had a truly hilarious storyline: she would put the people in her life on speed dial on her phone, and Jerry kept hoping that he would climb to the top of the list. It’s worth checking this episode out again.
8. Grace Tiverton, Web Therapy
Web Therapy is one of those shows that not everyone watches but has a following all the same. Chances are, you might have a friend who kept swearing that you would love it if you just tuned in. Any Friends fan will be thrilled to see Lisa Kudrow on another TV show.
In 2014, Lauren Graham had a role on this show’s fourth season. She played Grace Tiverton, a woman who lived near Fiona (Lisa Kudrow). This season of the show featured many famous faces, such as Calista Flockart, Allison Janney, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
7. Elizabeth, The Answer Man
The 2009 film The Answer Man starred Jeff Daniels as a well-known writer who penned Me and God. There’s just one problem: while he’s the subject of much praise and love, he’s not interested in talking to anyone.
Lauren Graham was also in this movie. She played a character named Elizabeth who is raising a kid on her own and who is also working as a chiropractor. Elizabeth and Arlen Faber (Jeff Daniels) start going out. This is one of those movies that might have slipped by a lot of people, but it’s worth watching and it’s a sweet, moving story.
6. Shelly, Caroline in the City
Caroline in the City isn’t as popular and famous as other sitcoms from the 1990s, such as Seinfeld and Friends. The show followed Caroline Duffy, an NYC artist played by Lea Thompson.
Lauren Graham had a role on this show that could also be put in the category of forgotten. She was in five episodes in 1995 and 1996. She played Shelly, the woman that Caroline’s friend (and also an artist) Richard Karinsky dated for a while.
5. Denise Garibaldi Callahan, Townies
Townies is a ’90s TV series that lasted for one short season. While it might not be a show that many people have seen, it had a fairly star-studded cast, including Ron Livingston, Bill Burr and Molly Ringwald.
Lauren Graham played Denise on this show, which was about friends in their 20s at a restaurant. The plot sounds great and there were a lot of famous people on this series, but sometimes shows just don’t work out. It was only on the air from September until December 1996.
4. Abbey, Lucky 13
Have you heard of the movie Lucky 13? Probably not. It’s also one of Lauren Graham’s roles that people might have forgotten about.
Lauren Graham was in this 2015 film as Abbey, the object of the main character’s affection, played by Brad Hunt. This movie wasn’t given very good reviews and is a fairly light romantic comedy that doesn’t have a lot of substance to it.
3. Laurie, 3rd Rock From The Sun
It’s always fun when you’re re-watching old episodes of a sitcom and you realize that one of your favorite actors or actresses was a guest star. Often, the actor in question wasn’t quite famous yet, so even if you did catch the episode back in the day, you wouldn’t have even recognized them.
Lauren Graham had a small guest starring role on 3rd Rock From The Sun, and it’s a role that many people might not remember. She was in the 1996 episode “Dick’s First Birthday.” She played a character named Laurie who meets Dick (John Lithgow) and the two hit it off. She likes that he’s older and finds him mature and interesting.
2. Jules, One True Thing
Ready to cry? Then watch the 1998 film One True Thing. This movie starred Renee Zellwegger, Meryl Streep, and William Hurt as a family coping with Kate’s cancer (Meryl Streep). The film is based on the book by Anna Quindlen.
Lauren Graham was also in this film and she played the best friend of Ellen, Renee Zellwegger’s character. Whether or not you like this movie definitely depends on your feelings about dramatic tearjerkers that can feel cheesy at times.
1. Maggie, Because I Said So
The 2007 movie Because I Said So stars Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo, and Diane Keaton as a quirky family who love to sing and who drive each other crazy (not unlike every other family). Diane Keaton gets a lot of laughs as Daphne, who tries to set up her daughter Milly (Mandy Moore) and find her the perfect person.
Lauren Graham plays Maggie, one of Daphne’s other daughters and Milly’s sister. She doesn’t have a huge role in this movie, so you could have watched it and forgotten that she was in it.
