It wasn’t until recently that I realized I’d forgotten two massive stars from Gilmore Girls also appeared in Seinfeld, too. From 1989 to 1997, all nine seasons of Seinfeld kept audiences in fits of laughter. The sitcom was groundbreaking for the time and delved into all manner of interesting topics and taboos that other TV shows back then weren’t ready to tackle. The cast of Seinfeld, which included Jerry Seinfeld as a fictional version of himself, Jason Alexander as George Costanza, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes, and Michael Richards as Cosmo Kramer, became comedy legends after headlining the show.
There were also plenty of exciting guest appearances throughout the sitcom, other than Seinfeld‘s New York Yankees cameos. Many talented performers in the world of TV comedy made their start in Seinfeld, figures who became massive stars in their own titles, and two of them later ended up working together on Gilmore Girls. While Lauren Graham’s Lorelai Gilmore and Scott Patterson’s Luke Danes will forever be their most notable characters, years before Gilmore Girls, they both starred in Seinfeld.
Lauren Graham Played Jerry’s Speed Dial-Ranking Girlfriend On Seinfeld
Graham Proved Herself Worthy Of Playing A Hilarious Character Like Lorelai
Lauren Graham’s role in Seinfeld is unexpected for those who are familiar with Gilmore Girls, but not so much the iconic sitcom. Graham portrays Valerie, Jerry’s girlfriend, in the Seinfeld season 8 episode “The Millenium.” She has a strange relationship with her stepmother, and Valerie’s romance with Jerry makes Seinfeld‘s main character compete for her affection in a rather odd way, but she is ultimately a good person with some very funny moments.
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Graham demonstrated her comedic abilities with this character, something that helped her in her performance of Lorelai Gilmore in Gilmore Girls. Valerie is rather comical, and it is hilarious when she moves Jerry on her speed dial after their date goes awry. It was wild that Valerie ranked the importance of those in her life using this method, but by Seinfeld‘s standards, it was pretty tame. Out of all of Jerry’s girlfriends in Seinfeld, Valerie was a standout, which was impressive, considering Graham only starred in this singular episode.
Elaine Deemed Scott Patterson “Sponge-Worthy”
Patterson’s Character Passed Elaine’s Wild Test
The other major Gilmore Girls star who appeared in the hit sitcom was Scott Paterson, who played Billy, one of Elaine’s exes in Seinfeld. Billy is featured in the season 7 episode “The Sponge,” which focuses on Elaine’s hunt for her discontinued sponges, a form of contraception. Elaine believes she lucked out with Billy, and because things are going so well between the pair, it makes the loss of her birth control that much more frustrating. Billy is caring and does all he can to convince Elaine he is a worthy partner, a quality this character shares with Luke Danes.
Even though the pair aren’t technically seen breaking up in “The Sponge,” Billy is never seen again after this episode, as in the very last scene, Elaine says she couldn’t afford to use two of her sponges on him.
Elaine hilariously puts Billy through a test to gauge whether he is “sponge-worthy“ after she finally gets her hands on some, although they are in limited supply. Billy is armed with a strong argument and is happy to prove himself to his girlfriend. Thankfully, Elaine decides he is worthy of using a sponge or two, but within reason. “The Sponge” features one of Elaine’s most hilarious storylines in Seinfeld, and it is strange to remember that Gilmore Girls‘ Luke Danes actor played such an important part in it.
What The Gilmore Girls Stars Have Said About Their Time On Seinfeld
Their Roles On Seinfeld Helped Pave The Way For Their Futures On Gilmore Girls
Despite both Gilmore Girls‘ Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson only appearing for one-episode stints on Seinfeld, they have discussed their time on the show publicly. In an interview, Patterson revealed his experience with Seinfeld was “surreal,” and praised the main cast for their support during rehearsals and shooting (via CloselyObservedFrames). Patterson realized Seinfeld would give him “a chance to do something in the business,” which he took and ran with, which eventually led him to portray Luke in Gilmore Girls.
In an interview with Patterson, the actor revealed his experience on Seinfeld was “surreal.”
Graham hasn’t spoken about her Seinfeld experience in as much detail as her Gilmore Girls co-star, but there have been some mentions of the sitcom from her before. In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2021, Graham recounted a comical story about a conversation with her uncle who mispronounced Seinfeld, and the fact that he forgot she was on the show. However, it was clear that Graham’s time on Seinfeld was good, seeing as it helped launch her career and played a part in her eventual casting as Lorelai in Gilmore Girls.
Source: CloselyObservedFrames, Jimmy Kimmel Live
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
