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Gilmore Girls has become a classic comfort watch over the years as devoted fans repeatedly tune in to rewatch the series each fall thanks to its cozy vibes and quirky New England small town charm. However, the amount that the actors get paid from residuals, even with an increase in popularity thanks to streaming services, may come as a surprise.
Lauren Graham, who starred as eccentric mom Lorelai Gilmore opposite Alexis Bledel as brainy daughter Rory Gilmore, revealed during a March 19 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live that she doesn't receive a big paycheck from streaming giants like Netflix that house the show, per E! News.
"There really are no residuals on Netflix," she said. "But I've been paid in love and appreciation."
The Parenthood actress noted that the show has expanded further than ever before into new audiences than what was seen during its original 2000 to 2007 run and subsequent 2016 A Year in the Life revival on Netflix.
"And now it's trickled into younger people, older people, men whose kids or wives probably have forced them to watch it," she said, adding that she is often recognized in public. "Yeah, I get stopped a lot. It surprises me every time though."
During an appearance on The Tonight Show in February, Graham told host Jimmy Fallon that the reception to the classic series and her role in particular has continued to be heartwarming, despite some strange comments she occasionally receives.
"It's the best part I ever had," she said. "I love doing it, and I think it was really wonderful. It's just that thing where it was the perfect material and the perfect time with the perfect writer — and it just means so much to me."