About the Book

Title: The Third Gilmore Girl

Author: Kelly Bishop

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 256

Edition Read: Hardcover

Dates Read: April 3-4, 2025

Blurb: Beloved award-winning actress Kelly Bishop, famous for playing the iconic Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls , finally tells the whole story of her six decades in show business.

Kelly Bishop’s 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 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, sharing 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, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and powerful memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades.

Review

I was a big fan of Gilmore Girls, to the point where I could probably say that it’s one of my favorite television shows of all time. So when I saw that Kelly Bishop had written her memoir, I knew I wanted to read it, but wasn’t sure when. I don’t really read a lot of memoirs or biographies, but since I wanted to read the GoodReads Award winners from last year, and this won for Best Memoir, I jumped into it. I’m so glad I did, because this book was wonderful!

Bishop’s career has run the gambit of show business. She was a professional dancer, both in classical ballet and on Broadway. She has appeared in movies and television shows, done musicals and plays, both in starring and supporting roles. I had forgotten that she was in the Broadway show A Chorus Line – and won a Tony Award for it! She is an absolutely brilliant actress and performer in every way, instantly making her roles iconic.

But having a career like that means that she has STORIES. You don’t get to where she is without going through a lot. Lots of sacrifices and a whole lot of hard work. Bishop never gave up and always found a way to further her career, no matter which path it took to get there, but she did so while still being a lovely person. Not that she is without faults – she definitely talks about mistakes that she made throughout her life. But she always found a way to learn, course correct, and find her way back to the top. Amy Sherman-Palladino, the writer and producer for Gilmore Girls, wrote the forward for this and said that no matter what project she works on, she wants Bishop to be a part of it. I can’t blame her. I would feel the same way.

This is a quick read, but well worth it, especially if you are familiar with Bishop and her work. Totally recommend it.

GoodReads rating: 5 stars

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