MEDIA

ARTICLES

The Many Loves of Rory Gilmore
By Amy Amatangelo

We know Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) has a thing for the bad boys. Last spring, she locked lips with moody, but super-cute Tristan (Chad Michael Murray). This season she's drawn to Stars Hollow's newest rebel sans cause Jess (Milo Ventimiglia). All the while, she remains devoted to the ever-dreamy Dean (Jared Padalecki). Is Chilton's smartest girl a tad fickle? We thought it might be a nice time to take a look at The Many Loves of Rory Gilmore.

Rory's steady beau has become a core character on Gilmore Girls. The first thing you notice is the boy's got a Texas twang. Padalecki has returned to his hometown of San Antonio, Texas for Thanksgiving. A warm Southern accent drips in his every word.

The interview begins with the most important question. Why is Dean the right guy for Rory? "Dean cares about Rory for who she is," Padalecki said. "He's not interested in the facades of people or being a rebel by painting a chalk outline outside a grocery store. He's just into her for who she is. They just work for each other."

Yes, but how exactly is Dean going to handle the attention Jess gives Rory? "As with any relationship, Rory and Dean are going to have their ups and downs. There will be competition and all sorts of trouble," he said. He then revealed an upcoming plot development, "Things may be getting physical between Jess and Dean and it's not on Dean's account." A rumble in Stars Hollow! Now that will be something to see.

The night before the interview he and his parents had watched his performance on "Gilmore Girls." "They're so excited, we just watched it last night," he said. Of course, his parents weren't always this thrilled. "My mom is a teacher. My dad is an accountant. Both had very practical sides to them, school was important, studying was important. So when their son told them he was going to LA to become a famous actor, they were concerned."

His parents' worry was unnecessary, Padalecki's foray into Hollywood was easy. "It was the summer after I graduated from high school and I was still planning on going to college at University of Texas, Austin.

"I was in LA for the summer and my manager told me that they were recasting one of the roles in this new series called 'Gilmore Girls.' I tried out for them and they really liked me. I had to go out and try again because it wasn't on tape. I ended up auditioning four or five times." Last spring, he was bumped up to series regular.

His parents aren't the only ones who get a kick out of their famous son. "My friends love it. They are always asking for new funny stories. When we're out, they'll pretend like they don't know me and they'll start whispering 'Hey, he's on TV.' We always have a good laugh."

Padalecki is adjusting to his newfound fame. "I'll be in the grocery store and notice someone buying milk when I'm buying milk. Then I'll be buying oatmeal and notice that same person buying oatmeal. Then I'll be in line and they'll be in line and then they'll say, 'Are you on that show Gilmore Girls?' I think it's real fun. Being a Texan, I wouldn't mind if they came up to me and said, 'Hey what's up.'

He's also getting used to life outside of Texas. "The pace of lifestyle is very different in L.A. In Texas when you're in the grocery store people say 'Hey.' In LA everyone is on his or her cell phone. I say 'please' and 'thank you.' People always say, "You're not from around here, are you?"

His onscreen girlfriend, Bledel, has helped with the transition to fame and the Hollywood life. "She's also from Texas actually. She's from Houston. It's real fun to talk to a person going through the same stuff. We go to each other and trust each other. We talk about our similar experiences and share funny stories."

Of course, Padalecki has the great fortune of being on a show chock-full of seasoned actors. "They are well-established actors and I am grateful to feed off them," he said about the cast. "I can learn so much just by watching them and how they are on set. We break and they are polishing their lines. I feed off them."


Earlier this season, Padalecki had a pivotal scene with Edward Herrmann when Rory takes Dean to meet her grandfather for the first time. The results were disastrous. "He's such a great actor that it really feels like he's yelling at you," he said. During breaks, Herrmann would give Padalecki encouragement and told him, "You're doing great."

Padalecki also knows how lucky he is to be on a show where everyone gets along. "I've heard horror stories from other actors about what it's like on the sets of other shows. Everybody on the set of 'Gilmore Girls' keeps spirits light. It's like a little Stars Hollow. It's fun to be part of the show. There's never a day when I don't laugh."

He may be laughing, but something tells me that Dean may be in for some heartbreak... deep in the heart of Stars Hollow.

taken from a wonderful site

Just Jared