The Third Gilmore Girl

by Kelly Bishop

Brought to you by Penguin.

Beloved award-winning actress Kelly Bishop, famous for playing the iconic Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls , finally tells the whole story of her six decades in show business.

Kelly Bishop’s storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing, but it is probably her role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.
Now, Bishop reflects on her remarkable life and looks towards the future, sharing some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she’s learned on her journey. From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced—among them marching for women’s rights and losing her second husband to cancer—Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.
Full of witty insights, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and powerful memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir, Autobiography, Adult

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2024

About the author

Kelly Bishop is an American actress and dancer, best known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series Gilmore Girls and as Marjorie Houseman, the mother of Jennifer Grey's Frances "Baby" Houseman in the film Dirty Dancing.

Reviews

[Carolyn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was truly such an honor and a privilege to have read this book.

Kelly Bishop is one of those people who, though she doesn’t even know I exist, feels like a great friend of mine. Her passion for dance, art, storytelling, animals, music…etc. speaks to me deeply.

Her confidence, humor, and positivity shines bright throughout this brilliantly crafted memoir.

Emily Gilmore has always been a favorite character of mine, and now she is even more so!

I will, forever and always, feel extremely proud to be an honorary Gilmore Girl.

[Millie]

broadway? nyc? abortion activism? dirty dancing? gilmore girls? icon!

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily/Kelly, I adore you.

If you’re a GG fan, you’re going to love this memoir.

[Daryan]

still a queen even though she's team logan

[Phoebe (readandwright) Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely rate memoirs but this was SO good and had me in tears at the end.

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Kelly Bishop so much 😭 This is a beautiful look at a rich life and career and it's filled with wit, wisdom, and sass. If you'd like the best experience, definitely listen to the audiobook!

This was one of my favorite nonfiction books of 2024!
Click here to hear more of my thoughts over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!

[Alwynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and Emily Gilmore is probably my favourite character, not least because of Kelly Bishop’s brilliant performances. I also love dance so the fact that Bishop started out as a dancer has always intrigued me. So, I was pleased to have an opportunity to read her memoir covering her early life and long career in show business. Bishop worked her way up from the bottom, her hopes of becoming a ballet dancer dashed after she moved to New York at 18, she took any dancing job she could get. She finally transitioned into acting in the early 1970s aged 30, undeterred by messy divorce proceedings, and desperate for cash to feed her menagerie of rescue animals – something that’s been a feature of her life ever since.

It's clear early on that Bishop is just as feisty as Emily but without the privilege or the family money. Her memoir, produced with the aid of Lindsay Harrison, is forthright and conversational. Admittedly it can be a bit breathless at times but it’s still a fascinating account of what it’s like to work in show business from the bottom up, as well as Broadway in the 1970s and 80s. Her early relationships were mostly disastrous, as was her first marriage to a man who spent all her money on gambling and alcohol. But her big break as a performer came with a central role in the premiere of a new musical, the now-iconic A Chorus Line. A role for which she won a coveted Tony award. Not that her life then became smooth sailing, she had some decent parts, some very minor ones in everything from B-movies to daytime soaps, although she memorably played Baby’s mother in Dirty Dancing. She also met second husband Lee Leonard the love of her life, and they were together for 37 years until his death from the last in a succession of cancer-related illnesses.

Bishop’s next, major break came when she auditioned for Gilmore Girls a pilot created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, kickstarting a lasting friendship and professional collaboration – Sherman-Palladino contributed the foreword for Bishop’s book. Bishop then appeared in Sherman-Palladino’s Bunheads and more recently The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. As you might expect Bishop’s politically liberal, pro-choice, vocal about animal welfare, and slightly woo in time-honoured Hollywood tradition. She’s also amazingly resilient, now close to 80, she’s overcome devastating personal loss, illness and injuries but she's still marching on. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Thanks to Netgalley UK and publisher Square Peg for an ARC

[Jan Agaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the easiest 5 star ratings I've ever given, and I am so honored to have gone to her author event & to live at the same time as this woman.

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride)]

Read along with all the winners of the Goodreads choice awards: https://youtu.be/5gC5yHaWnbY

[Janssen]

This was such a fun, quick listen. Almost made me want to go watch Gilmore Girls again.

[Laura Silvey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited for this book, and while it delivered wonderful stories of Kelly’s journey to being on Gilmore Girls, it fell a little flat to me. It felt less like a story and more like an excuse to make political, social, and spiritual stances. She only spent 1.5 chapters on Gilmore Girls, which was disappointing to me, and again, she told her life story almost as if it was a news article or history textbook and not a memoir. It’s a short book so I’m still glad I read it, but it didn’t live up to my expectations.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will now and forever love Mrs. Gilmore!! 😍❤️🥰

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful memoir. As Kelly says, ‘I liked it very much.’
A memoir which you can’t put down? Yes.

What an absolute breath of fresh air this memoir was, delightfully told by the author. Kelly Bishop has led and continues to lead an amazingly full life, approached in the most positive and half glass full manner. She’s been knocked down over the years, and with every step taken she has carried these with tenacity and drive. Fully ambitious with never once accepting financial assistance or handouts, the hard work ethic and the desire to do everything on her own terms was evident. Saying no to opportunities that may have given short term rewards, she always had her eye on what the bigger picture would blossom into.

From her earliest love of ballet as a young girl, to moving across the country to follow her dreams, her mother afforded her this without support from an unsupportive and abusive father. Kelly loves passionately, and the love for her mum was evident. The story of her life from appearing in A Chorus Line (the background of this extraordinary – it was based on the girls she danced with and their real life chat – beautiful songs were created from her own writings!) to everything in between the Gilmore Girls and beyond were covered in detail, as was her personal life.

What struck me was her keen observations of everything she was involved in. An interesting and well observed life made this memoir a lovely experience. Fans of TGG will be thrilled, she loved every moment. Her involvement was as beautiful as the show – no pretentious behaviour and true comradery. Even if the actors turned up when they were ready.. her on screen husband and Kelly would not dare to turn up late, thanks to their immaculate theatre training and experience. I loved how much she’s loved her work, and her life.

A wonderful voice in telling her story which I highly recommend. In the words of Kelly – I liked it very much.

I listened to this via the Libby app and my public library.

🩰💃👯

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Anyone who knows me knows that ‘Gilmore Girls’ is my all-time favorite show. It came out my freshman year of high school and I was around the same age as Rory, and my mom was just a bit younger than Lorelai. We had so much fun watching it together. I always had a soft spot for Emily Gilmore. I was interested to know more about her. I loved hearing her stories about Gilmore Girls, but also loved hearing about her time with ‘A Chorus Line’. I’m such a fan of that musical and I had no idea that so much of ‘At the Ballet’ was based off of her and that she was Sheila from the original cast.

Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Kelly Bishop
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Memoir/Non-Fiction
Length: 6h 49m

[Traci Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid celeb memoir. I loved the early parts but found the back half to mostly be a resume. I found her so likable and loved listening to bishop tell her own story. I barely knew anything about her and still found it overall good but not outstanding.

[BPC · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 46%. Didn’t hear a word about Gilmore Girls, but a whole chapter about her abortion. Ironic, isn’t it? Considering the premise of Gilmore Girls?

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you love your current view of Kelly… don’t pick up this book. Very disappointing to learn of her behavior. She comes across very arrogant and with a “I am owed this” attitude that I wasn’t fond of. Only a brief 20 pages (or so) of her Gilmore Girls salute. It was the only bright spot. I also have to wonder about her apt timing of this release. Her book hit quite a few political hot topics. Another disappointment. I wish I hadn’t read the book.

[Jonetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

the setup…
First of all, before she was Kelly she was Carole Bishop, a chorus line dancer working on Broadway. The story behind that name change is just one of the many anecdotes shared here. She gained national fame as Emily Gilmore on Gilmore Girls but she had a magnificent career before that iconic role. Kelly tells her story in her own words, one that spans decades and is massive.

the heart of the story…
I’ll admit that initially my interest in Bishop’s story was mostly because of the Emily Gilmore role. But after seeing such glowing reviews from friends, I knew there had to be much more and there certainly is. I had no idea that she was so deeply connected to the genesis of A Chorus Line, a play I got to see on Broadway and the one that breathed new life into theater. I found her career to be highly interesting but it’s the woman I found fascinating. Her work ethic and life views are admirable in any era but especially during the time she was a dancer. Her transition to acting is a separate story in itself. And, her recollections of her time on Gilmore Girls was everything I’d hope to hear.

the narration…
There’s nothing like hearing a memoir in that person’s voice and Kelly brought such vibrancy to her own. It’s conversational, like she was sitting across from me sharing her life. She is wonderful.

the bottom line…
Kelly Bishop has lived a life…full of love, heartaches, unbelievable success and low moments…and she doesn’t hold back on anything other than names that shouldn’t be shared. I have a completely different view of her and won’t ever see her the same way as I rewatch Gilmore Girls for the umpteenth time. Bravo, Ms. Bishop!

Posted on Blue Mood Café

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this SO much. Review to come soon!

For now--I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in only three days and it kept me engaged the entire time. As I read the book I simultaneously listened to the audiobook which is wonderfully read by the author.

The book was easy for me to read (a huge thing given my recent struggles) but I’ve found it difficult to write any kind of review for it so I’ll keep it short.

I’ve always loved musicals and so I found it really interesting that so much of her real life is in the character she plays in the original Chorus Line.

I loved the Gilmore Girls show and it is the main reason I wanted to read this book. There isn’t that much about the Gilmore Girls as this book covers her entire life and there is no dishy gossip (thankfully not her style) and not too many details but it was still fun to read the parts about the Gilmore Girls and the people involved. Yes, she was an ideal person to play Emily on the show. I now understand why that final season was a letdown but I disagree with the author about the miniseries that came out after the show. I wasn’t a huge fan of it either.

The author is an interesting person and her life is worthy of a memoir.

I most appreciated her scrupulous honesty, especially her honesty about herself. She is not shy about saying when she is great at something and she admits her flaws. I find it refreshing when women acknowledge their talents and strengths since so many do not feel comfortable touting themselves.

While she is a very different person than me (spirituality including psychics, etc.) and I certainly don’t share any of her talents, she was relatable for me anyway and her love of dogs and cats and her down to earth way of being in the world are things I could identify with and things I found appealing.

3-1/2 stars

[౨୧˚avonna ⟡.•]

no rating because i think it’s odd to rate the entertainment value of someone’s life story, but i thought this was a very quick and charming read (read it in one day) and makes me think about how much we really can do with our lives. don’t let “getting old” discourage you from pursuing your goals and loving your life.. it even has her perspective being in new york during 9 11 and of course her time on gilmore girls :) i also love that she includes her faults as well as all of her accomplishments.. it feels real and vulnerable

[Samantha | samanthakreads]

I'm not going to rate this memoir. If I did, it would likely be 3⭐️

I had high hopes for this book as a Gilmore Girls fan. I enjoyed getting to know more about Kelly Bishop and what led her to play the role of Emily Gilmore. She is as outspoken, fearless, hardworking, and feisty as similar to Emily (minus the negative qualities of being about money and riches). Kelly shared her highs and lows in life, from her successful dance career to hardships in her family life, struggles with dyslexia, losing loved ones, her first marriage to a man with a gambling problem, and her 2nd husband's fight against cancer.

My favorite parts of this book were all about Gilmore Girls, which doesn't come up until 60%+ into the book. I loved hearing her thoughts on getting the part of Emily, her memories of filming, and her close bonds with Lauren Graham and Edward Herrmann.

Her love for her husband, Lee, was beautiful, and the way she stayed strong, standing by his side through his years fighting cancer, was admirable.

There were aspects incorporated into this book I wasn't expecting, including some political aspects and topics that were hard to read at times, which did impact my overall enjoyment level.

I listened to the audiobook, which was lovely, as Kelly narrated it herself.

Content discretions: mention of an affair, abortion/planned parenthood, psych medium/talking to a loved one, 3-4 H, 10+ God's name in vain, gambling, alcoholism, brief mentions of drugs, cheating, mentions of sex (not explicit), cancer, loss of a loved one

[Maria Helen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reads more like a chronological list of Kelly’s career milestones than a traditional memoir. If you're expecting personal reflection, advice, or inspiration—qualities often found in memoirs—you won’t find them here. Instead, the narrative feels almost entirely focused on Kelly's accomplishments, with very little emotional depth or introspection. At times, it even feels as though the successes simply "happened" to her, without much effort or insight on her part. Rather than offering a genuine, relatable story, the book comes across as self-congratulatory and detached. I regret spending time on it.

[Mediaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breezy outline of a memoir, not deep storytelling, as Bishop skips through life and avoids dealing in detail about many significant situations. It's the CliffsNotes version of Carole (Kelly) Bishop's story.

Much of this (probably too much) is about her dancing and theatrical career. Barely enough is about her Gilmore work to make fans somewhat happy but still she never really goes deep. It seems like she's always putting on airs, trying to avoid stopping long enough to really focus on anything that may make her look bad or take down an emotional wall she has built up.

Her private life is a mess. She constantly picks losers to shack up with and keeps her thoughts to herself until she explodes and ends things. This pattern happens often, and despite her claims of being bluntly direct when dealing with strangers, she has some very deep inabilities to communicate in personal relationships that she doesn't seem to worry about. Like everything else in her life, she just quickly moves on and gives little thought to her selfishness or who she hurts along the way.

Then in the middle of the book this seemingly intelligent but undereducated actress, who sleeps at will with men and invites a few to live with her at various times of life, gets pregnant and indignantly spends over two pages telling us why she had zero emotional or mental guilt about her abortion. She even unnecessarily says, "I was very grateful that abortions were legal when my need for one came along in 1978, but to be perfectly honest, I'm sure I would have found an illegal way to terminate this pregnancy if it had come to that, since as far as I was concerned, it was my only responsible option." Responsible? Killing a life? Responsible to whom?? Certainly not the separate DNA that was a human being inside her. That's idiotic justification, claiming to be righteous when doing something morally wrong. She wouldn't think of killing an animal or litters inside pregnant animals, but she has no problem pretending that baby isn't a real life so she destroys it?

This may feel like I'm going off on a tangent, but her lack of logic and need to defend her bad choice sticks out in this book.

She claims, after already saying she "never felt any religious or spiritual guilt," that she did feel "sadness because I'd be ending a potential life." Um, Carole/Kelly, you weren't ending a POTENTIAL life, you were ending a LIFE. You killed a child that was housed inside you. If you had wanted the baby your perspective on what to call it would have been the opposite.

Then she flippantly adds the twist, "My body, my responsibility." She accepts the blame for failing to use birth control, calling herself stupid for letting her bed partner go ahead inside her without a condom. So she'll feel guilt and "anger at myself" for being stupid when having sex but feel no remorse about ending a life? Correct, because "It was a nonnegotiable statement of fact. I wasn't going to have this child, or any other child, ever." From childhood she hated the idea of having kids and even her wild mother had supported her anti-child stance early in life.

Doesn't that make her as evil as her famous TV character? What little respect I had for her up until that point stopped and I realized that she was as cold, mean, and distant as Emily Gilmore. I'm sure many feminist Gilmore fans will applaud Bishop for what they'd call her "brave" retelling of killing her unwanted child or failing to talk her lover about her decision, because it fits right into the truly irresponsible storyline of all three Gilmore Girls that they can make their own selfish decisions without considering how they impact others.

But at least in the fictional TV world, teen Lorelai chose to raise her unplanned baby. So next time you watch the show, ask yourself, if you're so pro-abortion, why are you so happy that Lorelai Gilmore kept her daughter's life going outside the womb instead of doing what Kelly Bishop would call the "responsible option"? And how much more happiness there could be in the world if others made that truly responsible decision in real life to raise more Rory Gilmores.

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This woman's life feels to me like a mixture of fairy tale and soap opera.
No criticism, my goodness, as if you can evaluate a person's life.
Reading this book was amusing and at times sad, and I love this woman.
There is some beautiful wisdom in here and I found the last few pages in particular very inspiring despite all their sadness.

And of course Emily Gilmore made sure I read this book in the first place.

Opinionated, rigid, hard to please, a woman I would never be friends with in real life.

And yet Emily is one of the characters that has impressed me the most in this series, even though I hated her at first 😍

[Kyleigh | alltheroseyreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nearly perfect.

[bookbestiebenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring. I love this woman so much.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Patricija || book.duo · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

Kaip patiko! Kaip ir daugelis, Bishop žinau iš Gilmore girls – na, taip turbūt jau yra, kai neaugi su amerikietiškuoju teatru. Tačiau nors ir knyga toli gražu ne tik apie GG, gal net trečdalio nesudaro pasakojimai apie šį puikų serialą, tai man nė kiek nesutrukdė mėgautis istorijomis, nes Bishop jas pasakoja gyvai, įdomiai, nevyniodama į vatą, o svarbiausia – su labai tvirtu stuburu ir aiškiu žinojimu ką nori pasakyti, kas jai svarbu ir pagal kokius moralės principus ir įsitikinimus ji nugyveno savo ilgą, spalvingą, iššūkių ir įdomybių kupiną gyvenimą. Jos meilė gyvūnams, teatrui, šokiui, savo sutuoktiniui ir tiesiog gyvenimui buvo vienos iš esminių temų, bet nuoširdžiai nė sekundei nenuobodžiavau – kad ir ką ji pasakotų.

Žinoma, kad patirčiai žavumo pridėjo ir tai, kad klausiau pačios autorės įskaitytą autobiografiją. Ji pripažįsta, kad žmonės dažniausiai ją viešumoje atpažįsta iš balso, todėl be jo knyga tikrai prarastų jei ne pusę, tai vis tiek daug charakteringumo. Ir skatinu skaityti – net jei jūs, kaip ir aš, matėt tik Gilmore girls nu ir dar Dirty dancing.

[Océane Cardoso · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful memoir. Love you Kelly-Emily🍂🍁💛