The Third Gilmore Girl

A candid and captivating memoir from award-winning and beloved actress Kelly Bishop, spanning her six decades in show business from Broadway to Hollywood with A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, Gilmore Girls, and much more.

Kelly Bishop’s long, 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 iconic 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 with The Third Gilmore Girl. She shares 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 and featuring a special collection of personal and professional photographs, The Third Gilmore Girlis a warm, unapologetic, and spirited memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades and has no plans on slowing down.

Kelly Bishop is a dancer and actress best known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore in the beloved Emmy Award–winning show Gilmore Girls and as Marjorie Houseman in the hit film Dirty Dancing. Born in Colorado Springs in 1944, Bishop first moved to New York at age eighteen to pursue a career in ballet. Years later, her breakthrough performance originating the role of Sheila Bryant in the iconic musical A Chorus Line earned her a Tony as well as a Drama Desk Award. Pivoting from dancing to acting, Bishop’s onscreen credits include Six Degrees of Separation, Law & Order: SVU, The Good Wife, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and others. She lives in New Jersey.