Lauren Graham reveals shocking truth about her Gilmore Girls paychecks

Lauren Graham isn’t tired of talking about Gilmore Girls.

The hit TV show that catapulted her to fame is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Gilmore Girls ran for seven seasons on network television from 2000-2007. It then had a brief four-episode revival on Netflix in 2016.

Graham played Lorelai Gilmore, mom to Rory (Alexis Bledel) and daughter of Emily (Kelly Bishop) for the duration of its run. While Gilmore Girls has long since stopped filming, the Amy Sherman-Palladino-penned comedy-drama has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity among fans streaming the series on Netflix.

“We have definitely reached more people than we were reaching on The WB,” Graham told Jimmy Kimmel this week.

Even with its massive fandom, Gilmore Girls has not been a cash cow for the stars. “There really are no residuals on Netflix,” Graham said. “But I’ve been paid in love and appreciation.”

Gilmore Girls is consistently one of the most-watched shows on Netflix and has been for the decade it’s been available on the streaming platform. Netflix reportedly has Gilmore Girls licensed through 2026, and it’s likely the company will opt to renew.

Graham and Kimmel chatted about her recent birthday festivities, which included tacos and margaritas before the host quickly doubled back to Gilmore Girls.

“I still can’t believe you don’t get any residuals,” Kimmel said.

But Graham was quick to change the topic. “Let’s not talk about it anymore!” she laughed. “I’m in trouble.”

Graham appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to discuss her latest show, The Z-Suite, which was recently released on Tubi. The season’s final episode dropped on March 18. The series centers around Graham’s character, Monica, being forced out of her C-Suite job at an ad agency after a disastrous campaign. Three Gen-Z colleagues take her place, prompting Monica to fight her way back to the top.

Its renewal for a second series has not yet been confirmed.