Almost twenty-five years since the show premiered,Gilmore Girlsremains an enduring TV classic. The dramedy, centered on the titular mother and daughter Lorelai and Rory, expanded beyond their emotional arcs to focus on all the citizens of Star’s Hollow. One of the most popular fixtures of the town was Luke, the gruff but lovable diner owner who steadily grew fromLorelai’s confidant to main love interest. Played by Scott Patterson, Luke became an iconic element of the show, and Patterson still celebrates Luke’s impact in formal sequels, Wal-Mart commercials, and his podcastI Am All In with Scott Patterson.
Stars Hollow has now been recreated as part of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood’s “Holidays Made Here” event. The opening for the set recreation was elevated by the presence of multiple cast members, including Patterson. Screen Rant got the chance to sit down with Scott Patterson at the event to discuss the enduring fanbase andlegacy ofGilmore Girls, his favorite aspect of working with Lauren Graham, and who he thinks is the right guy for Rory.
The Magic Of Holidays Made Here At Warner Bros. Studio
“It’s quite amazing, the job that [Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood] has done, the detail that they’ve brought to bear. It’s real craftsmanship.”
Screen Rant: I’ve got to admit, as aGilmore Girlsfan, getting to actually walk around Stars Hollow for “Holidays Made Here” is pretty exciting.
Scott Patterson: Yeah, it’s amazing, isn’t it? Well, this is what happens when you you partner with people like Warner Brothers and I Heart Radio and Hulu. This is such a great fan celebration, and they’re all so happy and pleased. We’re in the happiness business, you know? Warner Brothers pulled out all the stops. These sets are maybe even better than the real thing when they filmed it [Laughter].
I mean, they are just so much more colorful, and there is tons of merch. you’re able to go into every location and it has a merch store with really varied and interesting merch. There’s very clever stuff that you would really want to save and take home and give as gifts. It’s quite amazing, the job that they’ve done, the detail that they’ve brought to bear. It’s real craftsmanship.
The reception has been fantastic too. As we have this interview, there’s literally hundreds of people waiting in line just to get their picture taken in Luke’s Diner. As a performer, what does it mean to you to see the impactGilmore Girlsstill has on fans?
Scott Patterson: I just think it’s a compliment to everybody that was involved in making this show. All the efforts of the writers, the actors, the producers, the crew, Warner Brothers, top to bottom, all supporting the show. You have to understand something. Warner Brothers was operating in the red for four or five years before they made a return on their investment.
They believed in this show, and they let it stay on the air. Now one of their top nostalgia plays on a continual basis and for the foreseeable future. It’s become a really valuable asset it is for the studio, and I’m sure they’re thrilled. They asked me to help them out [with Holidays Made Here], and I’m more than happy to. I mean, it’s a real compliment to be asked by so great partners.
Luke & Lerelai Vs. Scott & Lauren Explained By Patterson
“I always thought the rehearsal process is where everything lived and died.”
It’s rare that a performer gets to revisit a role after so many years, but you’ve gotten to do it twice — first withGilmore Girls: A Year In The Lifeand then more recently with a. What’s it like to put the hat back on and revisit Luke?
Scott Patterson: I think when a company like Wal-Mart makes an offer like that, it really solidifies that this show has grown into some kind of grand status on a global basis, or at least on a national basis. It definitely a global fan base. What can I say? It’s a fun ride. I got really lucky. I’m a part of something that’s really big, and it’s getting bigger every day. And now it’s on Hulu, so people are going to be able to stream it on Netflix and Hulu at the same time. So take your pick. You know, it’s just amazing.
You got a lot of time to develop this rapport andrelationship between Luke and Lorelaion the show, and it really is one of the best elements ofGilmore Girls. What was it like to have that opportunity to really develop that connection with Lauren Graham?
Scott Patterson: Well, she’s a very skilled and well-trained actress, and we have similar processes. Why I loved working with her so much is because she understands that the character and the show and the scene develops in rehearsal. It’s a process. I always thought the rehearsal process is where everything lived and died. That was where you would dig in your heels and fight for your choices and only cede ground if you heard a better idea coming from somebody that was more logical, that was more illuminating to the narrative at hand.
That’s our job. And she was so good. I don’t want to use this word lightly, but she was just an amazing partner. She was a terrific partner in crime, because we both saw the rehearsal process as something where it was our individual responsibilities and our responsibilities as partners to make this scene as good as it could possibly be. In any given moment on any given scene, on any given day. That in and of itself is going to guarantee that there’s going to be a level of consistency and quality in the work.
That is really the only reason I do this, the acting job. That’s why I do it. That’s what attracts me to it, getting into the rehearsal process and just carving it the statue out of marble. That’s the fascinating part for me. That’s what gets me out of the bed in the morning. It’s not the actual shooting of it, which it can be great for the first couple of takes. It’s the rehearsal process. It’s the discovery of it.
Who Is The Right Guy For Rory? Scott Patterson Has A Theory
“I don’t think she’s met him yet.”
I’ve got to ask — who do you think is the right guy for Rory?
Scott Patterson: I don’t think she’s met him yet. I will say, if Jess really got his act together, and it seems that he did, he probably would be it. I think really all of them, if they get their acts together, could be good enough for her… if Logan grew up a little bit, it could be him. Dean could get there. Even the Wookie could get there [Laughter].
Scott Patterson Offers His Reaction To April & Luke’s Future
“These are very serious fans. I mean, it really isn’t just a TV show for them.”
We really did get to see Luke grow as a father figure, first with Jess and then with April. We also got to see how those relationships have evolved in the years since, thanks to stuff likeA Year In The Life. What do you think Luke’s relationship with Jess and April would be like now that they’re both adults?
Scott Patterson: Well, I just did a podcast with [April’s actress] Vanessa Marano, and so I got to see her as an adult. I have over the years gotten to watch her grow up. She’s very much the same. She’s just even more so than when she was… first on the show. She was so precocious and so on it, and so smart. She was so impressive. I never got [anger directed towards her]. I understand the fans didn’t like the writers throwing a monkey wrench into the Luke and Lorelai thing, but it had to happen.
Sometimes you’ve got to piss off the fans. It’s a risk you take, but the payoff is so great. It doesn’t ruin anything. It just sort of deepens the sort of comeback that’s required. I always loved her. I wish the backlash wasn’t so instant and vitriolic… These are very serious fans. I mean, it really isn’t just a TV show for them. It’s a religion. And man, I tell you, you veer off a little bit and you’re gonna get smacked down. They’re playing for keeps. These fans are amazing, just so passionate.
If given the chance, would you want to return to the character again down the line?And do you think there’s a chance we’ll get to see that happen?
Scott Patterson: I’d be very excited. You know, I’ve shifted from a mode of hope into a mode of expectation. I think it’s really just a trick of the mind. If you hope for it enough, it’ll manifest.
Stars Hollowis now open to explore as part of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood’sHolidays Made Here, and will be available to the public until August 09, 2025.
Gilmore Girls
Cast
In the fictional town of Star’s Hollow, single mother Lorelai Gilmore raises her high-achieving teenage daughter Rory. Mother and daughter rely on each other throughout their own life changes, romantic entanglements, and friendships.
