Gilmore Girls: The 5 Tallest (& 5 Shortest) Actors In The Cast

The characters on Gilmore Girls have their own quirks and cover a wide range of ages, from teenagers Rory and Lane to thirtysomething Lorelai and her parents Richard and Emily. They all make an impact on each other’s lives, for better or for worse (or perhaps both), and the Stars Hollow residents make up the lively and fun atmosphere that makes many viewers think of it as a flawless place to live.

Some characters got too much screen time but the gang in Stars Hollow means a lot to fans who are very attached to these loveable characters. While some of the actors on Gilmore Girls are super tall, others are much smaller.

10 Tallest: Edward Hermann is 6’5

One of the main threads on Gilmore Girls is the pain that Lorelai and her parents feel about their relationship. While they fight a lot of the time, Lorelai and Emily are sometimes sweet to each other but Lorelai has big problems with her father, Richard, too.

It turns out that the actor who played this beloved character is one of the tallest in the cast. Edward Hermann was 6’5, according to IMDb. The actor sadly passed away in December 2014 of brain cancer. In the Netflix revival A Year In The Life, Richard had passed away before the first episode’s events, and Lorelai, Rory, and Emily were all coming to terms with the tragedy.

9 Shortest: Alex Borstein Is 5′

Alex Borstein is most famous for playing Susie on the beloved Amazon drama, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which was also the brainchild of Gilmore Girl creator Amy-Sherman Palladino. She also appeared on GG as Drella, a harpist who works at the Independence Inn and yells at anyone and everyone who looks her way.

The character is hilarious and has many great quotes in season one. When Lorelai tells her to not play Black Sabbath or anything of that nature, Drella says, “What happened to make you so cold?” The actress is also among the shortest in the cast. Alex Borstein is 5 feet tall, according to IMDb.

8 Tallest: Jared Padalecki Is 6’4

Dean and Rory fall in love in season one and they have a very sweet relationship. While they have their ups and downs, from Rory being nervous at the beginning of their love story and Dean dumping her for not returning his “I love you,” they get back together in the romantic season one finale.

Many characters talk about how tall Dean is and when Richard meets him, he even asks about Dean’s height, which is awkward and hilarious. It turns out that Jared Padalecki is one of the tallest cast members on this beloved show: the actor is 6’4, according to IMDb.

7 Shortest: Keiko Agena Is 5’1

Paris and Lane are both good friends for Rory, and Lane Kim has the advantage of having known Rory all their lives. The two have shared so many things together and gone through all of the silly, awkward things that girls have to deal with while growing up. Fans love Lane and all of the effort that she puts into having a hiding spot in her room for her records, as her mom is really strict.

The actress who played Lane is one of the shortest actors in the cast on this fast-talking and funny show. Keiko Agena is 5’1, according to IMDb.

6 Tallest: Scott Patterson Is 6′

Many Gilmore Girls fans adore Luke Danes, and there are so many unique and memorable aspects of this character. From his annoyance at cell phones, love of healthy eating, and desire to always wear plaid shirts and backward baseball caps, the show wouldn’t be as funny without Luke. His love story with Lorelai also keeps fans entertained throughout all seven seasons of the show, plus the Netflix revival, as things are never easy with these two characters.

Scott Patterson is 6 feet tall, according to IMDb, making him one of the tallest cast members on this show set in Stars Hollow.

5 Shortest: Sally Struthers Is 5’1

Babette is one of the most adorable and most excitable characters on Gilmore Girls. Whether hanging with Miss Patty in the middle of town and talking about literally everyone or calling Lorelai “sugar,” Babette is always a happy sight on the series.

The actress who portrayed this great character is one of the shortest on the show. Sally Struthers is 5’1, according to IMDb. The actress has had a long and successful career. Some of her most famous roles include Marsha McMurray Shrimpton on the 1980’s TV show Nine to Five and Gloria Bunker-Stivic on the 70’s sitcom All In The Family.

4 Tallest: Lauren Graham Is 5’8

Lorelai has seen some tragedy and it’s amazing that she has such a fast wit and good attitude. There are many things in her life that never really improve, but she tries to smile and enjoy herself anyway. She is famous in Stars Hollow for being a good mother and a fun person to have at parties and other town gatherings. She is definitely the heart and soul of the show, and the actress who portrayed her is super tall.

Lauren Graham is one of the tallest actors in the cast of Gilmore Girls as the actress is 5’8, according to IMDb. Graham also starred on the TV drama Parenthood as Sarah Braverman.

3 Shortest: Melissa McCarthy Is 5’2

While not everything about Sookie St. James aged well, Sookie is a really popular character on Gilmore Girls. She and Lorelai go through the wringer when starting their business and while she can be a total emotional wreck a lot of the time, she’s a caring person who just wants to live a happy, simple life with lots of good food.

Lorelai’s business partner and best friend Sookie is 5’2, according to IMDb. After her time as Sookie, McCarthy went on to become a massive movie star and she is in tons of movies all the time.

2 Tallest: Alexis Bledel Is 5’7

Alexis Bledel is 5’7, according to IMDb, so it makes sense that Richard would make such a big deal out of Rory’s height when he starts spending time with his granddaughter more regularly.

In a hilarious scene, Richard says, “Rory. You’re tall” and she responds, “I guess,” as being the center of attention always makes her uncomfortable. Richard asks how tall she is and she says 5’7. He says, “Lorelai. Your daughter’s tall” and Lorelai responds in her typical manner: “Oh, I know, it’s freakish. We’re thinking of having her studied at M.I.T.”

1 Shortest: Danny Strong Is 5’2

Rory and Paris are supposed to be good friends and yet there are many moments on the show when they don’t seem all that sweet to each other. One of the best things about Paris is her relationship with Doyle, as this teaches her to be compassionate and think about someone else. Paris is so goal-oriented and lives in such a pressure cooker kind of mindset that it’s nice to watch her with Doyle.

The actor who plays Doyle is one of the shortest cast members. Danny Strong is 5’2, according to IMDb. He is also a successful writer and penned the political movies Recount and Game Change. He also wrote Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2. He also co-created Empire and has written many episodes.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1730 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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