Unfortunately, would-be citizens of Stars Hollow should not expect to see Melissa McCarthy in the Gilmore Girls reboot. As we’ve previously reported, last year, Netflix ordered a sort of Gilmore Girls reunion miniseries. Since everyone involved with the original show is now too busy to commit to an entire season’s worth of episodes, the streaming giant will instead release a quartet of 90-minute movies, tentatively titled Gilmore Girls: Seasons. Every single primary and secondary member of the original cast has signed on, with two notable exceptions. One is Edward Hermann, best-known for playing Richard Gilmore, who died unexpectedly at the end of 2014.
The other is Melissa McCarthy, whose turn as Sooki St. James helped launch her career. Melissa McCarthy in the Gilmore Girls reboot has always been something of a long shot, since the actress has become arguably the most popular of all the Gilmore Girls players, and churns out comedies at a great rate. According to McCarthy herself, she thinks her busy schedule is the reason she was never even asked to participate.
McCarthy told People she’s “probably” not going to join the reboot, though she will “definitely” be watching. “I don’t think I am [appearing],” she said. “I didn’t actually get asked to do it. But I think they thought I was busy, and then by the time it did come up, then I actually was.
“I’m actually thrilled that it’s happening,” she went on. “I loved that show, and I think the fans for that show are super loyal and great and I will watch every single one of [the new episodes]….That was seven years of my life and it was really great. I was proud of that show.”
Last month, Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino told TV Line that she hopes McCarthy can find any amount of free time–even a spare afternoon–and drop by the set for a quick scene. “The thing I have said [to her team] is, ‘Look, if Melissa is available and has an afternoon free, I’ll write her a scene. Melissa was one of us. If she has a spare moment to run over—even if for just a cameo—we would be totally game. And if it’s a last-minute thing, I would write her in and we would figure it out. That’s the way we left it.
“If her people called me up,” concluded Sherman-Palladino, “and said she’s free on these particular days or would love to drop by and just be in one scene, we would put her right in.”
Even though Melissa McCarthy in the Gilmore Girls reboot isn’t happening, Lauren Graham has already confirmed that Christopher will return…
BABE ALERT. https://t.co/IFdoBPhgkw — Lauren Graham (@thelaurengraham) February 11, 2016
…along with Paris, Michele, Logan, and Jess:
The girls are gonna’ have their hands full. #GilmoreGirls #CastingAlert #Theyreback pic.twitter.com/kqPEZuWr2A — Netflix US (@netflix) February 10, 2016
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(Photo credits: Melissa McCarthy in the Gilmore Girls reboot via Instagram)
