Nine Unexpected, Absolute Gems from Lauren Graham's Call Her Daddy Interview

By JENNY SMITH MATTFELDT // Published April 07, 2025

Lauren Graham—maybe best known as Lorelai Gilmore—recently sat down with Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy to talk about life, love, show business, and aging. The conversation is entertaining from start to finish, thanks to Graham’s signature mix of thoughtful insight and delightfully unpolished honesty. It’s filled with absolute gems and lessons from her years in the spotlight each one delivered with her signature, quick talking charm.

The Humor in Aging

In her essay for Time Magazine, The Funny Thing About Women and Aging, Lauren faces middle age the only way she knows how: with unfiltered humor and the kind of blunt honesty that pours out like she just hit a triple espresso. She jokes that when she was closing out her twenties, she felt thirty. When she hit thirty, she understood forty. But now, nearing sixty, she just can’t comprehend it—because nothing in her life feels different. Still living the same life, doing the same things, but the idea that she’s almost sixty? She thinks it’s hilarious.

Lauren also opens up about the quiet sadness that can sneak in with age, and how she actively works to fight it. At 58, she says she feels like the same person she’s always been and believes you shouldn’t give in to that creeping sense of melancholy. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of staying self-aware and continuing to grow, no matter how old you are.

Plan for the Next Phase

One way Lauren keeps a sense of humor about aging, and doesn’t let it drag her down, is by actively looking to women a few steps ahead who are doing it right. The ones who dress fabulously, go to the theater, pursue new creative projects. She watches, takes notes, and uses their example to shape her own vision of what this next chapter could look like.

She also shared a really nuanced take on beauty and aging. It’s not necessarily that aging is harder for women than it is for men, she said—it might be harder for people whose beauty has been a big part of their identity. Her mother, for example, was the kind of stunning who turned heads on the street. But Lauren never really saw herself that way, which gave her a little more freedom as she got older. It’s not about trying to hold on—it’s about deciding who you want to become.

She Did Date a Few of Lorelai's On Screen Boyfriends

She candidly admitted to dating a few of her Gilmore Girls character’s on-screen boyfriends during the show’s run—unfortunately, Scott Patterson (aka Luke) was not one of them. Lauren explained that the long hours on set naturally led to close relationships with fellow cast members, especially since there wasn’t much time to socialize outside of work. They were filming nonstop, and the cast basically became her social circle. That said, she’s keeping the details under wraps—no names were given.

She Keeps Her Coffee Machine Next to Her Bedroom

This one could be straight from Lorelai Gilmore herself: Graham keeps her coffee maker on the same floor as her bedroom so she can brew a cup the second she wakes up. Iconic behavior. Turns out their dating habits weren’t the only thing she and Lorelai had in common—both are total coffee fiends. Lauren said it was a beautiful coincidence that wasn’t planned. As the writers got to know her, they started shaping the character more and more around her real personality.

Her morning routine? Wake up, hit the coffee maker, crawl back into bed, and do the New York Times puzzles. And when it comes to coffee, she’s not picky—whether it’s gas station drip or decked out with vanilla creamer, whipped cream, and cinnamon, she’ll take it any way it comes.

Her Theory on Rory's Baby Daddy is Hilarious *spoilers**

Of course, they had to deep dive into Gilmore Girls—and yes, Lauren addressed that cliffhanger at the end of the revival A Year in the Life. She reflected on the emotional final moments and even hinted that there might be more to come, saying the ending perfectly sets up another season (fingers crossed).

As for who Rory’s baby daddy might be? Lauren’s just as torn as the rest of us (caught between Logan and the mysterious Wookiee) but promised that either direction would make for a “juicy” storyline. She also revealed that the show’s iconic final four words—"Mom." "What?" "I’m pregnant."—were written all the way back at the beginning of the original series.

Its Normal for You and Your Friends to be in Different Phases

Lauren also shared some thoughtful advice about friendships and how they evolve. She talked about how there will be phases when you and your friends are in completely different chapters—different schedules, different lives—and that’s okay. After Gilmore Girls wrapped, she returned home to find many of her close friends had already settled down and started families, while she had been on a very different, less conventional path.

Her best advice for staying connected? Show up anyway. “You go over and play with the toddler,” she said. “You have to meet your friends where they are.” It’s a simple but powerful reminder that the effort matters more than the circumstances.

If You're Dimming Your Light It's Time to Reevaluate

If you're a woman chasing big dreams and feel like you have to dim your light to make a partner more comfortable—it’s time to take a hard look at that dynamic. She opened up about dating men who were kind and supportive in many ways, but less career-focused. When she hit big milestones, she often found herself feeling almost apologetic, worried her success might make her partner feel insecure. Sometimes, without even realizing it, she’d try to shrink herself just a little.

That quiet self-minimizing? It’s something way too many ambitious women have experienced. And Lauren made it clear: it’s a red flag, not a requirement.

You Can't Love Somebody Into Being Who You Want Them to Be

“You can’t love someone into becoming who you wish they were.” That’s a lesson Graham said she had to learn more than once. Real growth in a relationship has to happen together—and it starts with honesty.

She stressed how important it is to be upfront about what you want and what you bring to the table. If you don’t set clear expectations early on, you risk building something on shaky ground. The beginning of a relationship should feel easy, not confusing. And if you find yourself constantly contorting just to make it work? That might be your answer.

The Only Falling Behind Is In Your Head

Graham also reflected on her unconventional approach to marriage and children, explaining that deep down, she never felt the need to plan it all out or follow a strict timeline. She always believed those milestones, if they were meant to happen, would unfold naturally, in their own time.

And if you’re in a season of looking for a fresh start (particularly in your career) her advice hits especially deep: create a project that doesn’t depend on outside validation. For her, that was writing. She reminded listeners that like anything else, you get better simply by doing it. Your job is just one part of who you are—and it’s never too late to make space for something new. As she beautifully put it: “The only falling behind is in your mind.”