Happy 82nd Birthday, Kelly Bishop! See the “Gilmore Girls” Star's Life and Career in Photos

Carly Tagen-Dye, Brendan LeSat, February 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC

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Kelly BishopCredit: Andrew Eccles/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Kelly Bishop has given us plenty of performances worth talking about.

The acclaimed actress, who turns 82 on Feb. 28, 2026, has a wide-ranging career that spans stage, TV and film. In 1975, she originated the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She also played opposite Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in 1987's Dirty Dancing. But perhaps her most famous role is matriarch Emily Gilmore in the popular aughts series Gilmore Girls.

To celebrate Bishop’s birthday, look back at her life and some of her most iconic roles over the years.

01 of 08

Kelly Bishop's Childhood

Kelly BishopCredit: Fred Watkins /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Carole Bishop was born on Feb. 28, 1944, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and grew up in Denver, where she trained to become a professional ballet dancer. Her dreams came true at age 18, when she landed her first dancing job with a ballet company that performs at Radio City Music Hall.

She made her Broadway debut in a 1968 production of the musical Golden Rainbow, kicking off her foray into acting.

02 of 08

Kelly Bishop in 'A Chorus Line'

Kelly Bishop and Sammy Williams in 1976Credit: Lynn Karlin/WWD/Penske Media via Getty

Bishop went on to perform in shows like Promises, Promises and On the Town. Her theater breakthrough, however, came with the 1975 musical A Chorus Line.Bishop, then credited as Carole Bishop, originated the role of longtime dancer Sheila Bryant — a character that was largely based upon Bishop’s own life, as explored in the song "At The Ballet." The role would also earn Bishop the 1975 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

03 of 08

Kelly Bishop's Marriage to Lee Leonard

Lee Leonard and Kelly Bishop in the mid '80sCredit: Courtesy Kelly Bishop

Bishop, who was previously married to stagehand Peter Miller from 1970 to 1975, tied the knot with ESPN and CNN host Lee Leonard in 1981. After 37 years of marriage, Leonard died in 2018 from cancer, but Bishop has found ways to keep his spirit present in her life.

She told PEOPLE in 2024 that she has used a psychic medium to feel connected to Leonard, even though she has "no idea" whether an afterlife exists.

"But I want it to be," she said. “It gives me hope. It gives me hope for the soul, and it gives me hope to reconnect with people who've been so deeply important to me."

04 of 08

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Kelly Bishop in 'Dirty Dancing'

Kelly Bishop in 'Dirty Dancing'Credit: Lionsgate

In one of her most recognized film roles, Bishop played Marjorie Housman, the mother of Baby (Jennifer Grey), in the beloved 1987 movie Dirty Dancing.Bishop’s Marjorie, however, almost didn’t make it to the silver screen. According to E! News, the role was originally supposed to be played by Lynne Lipton, but the actress fell ill early on during shooting. Bishop, who was slated for a smaller part as a resort guest, stepped in and the rest is silver screen history.

05 of 08

Kelly Bishop in 'Gilmore Girls'

Kelly Bishop and Lauren Graham as Emily and Lorelai Gilmore in 'Gilmore Girls'Credit: Warner Bros.

In perhaps Bishop’s most well-known TV role, viewers of all ages have grown to love her as Emily Gilmore, matriarch on the beloved 2000-2007 show Gilmore Girls. Emily’s old-money ways often led her to clash with her high-spirited daughter Lorelai (Lauren Graham), who preferred a humble life in small town Stars Hollow with her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel).

Though Emily did have her comedic moments — who can forget when she tried frozen pizza for the first time? — Bishop admitted in a SAG-AFTRA panel on the show that the character did have her faults.“She is funny… if you don’t have to live with her," Bishop joked.

06 of 08

Kelly Bishop in 'Bunheads'

Emma Dumont, Kaitlyn Jenkins, Kelly Bishop, Sutton Foster, Bailey Buntain and Julia Goldani in 'Bunheads'Credit: ABC

Bishop returned to her dancer roots in this short-lived ABC series about a former ballerina who teaches at a coastal town’s dance studio. Bunheads saw Bishop in the recurring role of Fanny Flowers, the mother-in-law to protagonist Michelle (Sutton Foster). The show, which ran from 2012 to 2013, was also created by Gilmore Girls’ Amy Sherman-Palladino.

07 of 08

Kelly Bishop in 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life'

Kelly Bishop in 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life'Credit: ABC

Bishop reprised her role as Emily Gilmore in the 2016 Netflix reboot of Gilmore Girls. In the revival, Emily is figuring out what life looks like after the death of her husband, Richard, played by the late Ed Herrmann.Though Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life brought surprises for many characters, Emily delivered one of the biggest when she shockingly donned a pair of jeans instead of her usual dress clothes and jewelry.

“I thought, 'this was great ... I’m going to be really comfortable’ because I live in jeans all the time and this is a really familiar place for me,” Bishop told PEOPLE at the time.

08 of 08

Kelly Bishop in 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'

Kelly Bishop in 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Bishop continued her collaboration with Sherman-Palladino when she took the role of Benedetta, a matchmaker, on the Emmy Award-winning series. Bishop appeared as a guest star in 2022 before being promoted to series regular for Maisel’s final season.

In an interview with TVLine, the show’s executive producer Daniel Palladino described Bishop’s character, who originally was an antagonist to Midge (Rachel Brosnahan), as Emily Gilmore “on steroids.”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”