If you go searching the internet for info on Alexis Bledel, you're not going to find a whole lot. Despite her status as an entertainment industry veteran, Alexis has managed to do a great job of keeping her life outside of work out of the press. In fact, when you think about it, the only time Alexis' face appears on social media is really just when she's hanging out with her equally awesome Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars. Besides that, Alexis is rarely seen on TV out of character.
In a time when so many public figures rely on social media to build their following, it is a pretty bold move for Alexis to be so removed. Despite all this, she has played some very iconic characters, especially Rory on The Gilmore Girls. Truthfully, Alexis' portfolio and fame seem to be ever-growing, so it may be harder for her to maintain this veil over her private life in the long term, but it seems to be working for now. You'll be surprised at just how much Alexis has been able to keep from the public; everything about her new life as a married woman to her secret hobbies. Like her famous character Rory Gilmore, Alexis is definitely more than a pretty face.
20 She's Latina
Considering her pale skin and vividly blue eyes, it comes as a surprise to many that Alexis is actually Latina! However, the young star actually has a Mexican mother and an Argentinian father according to Entity Mag. Not only is the star fluent in Spanish, it's actually her primary language! It turns out she didn't actually learn English until she started school. It's no wonder Alexis was so good at playing a brainiac! She went into detail about her unexpected heritage in an interview with Latina magazine, saying,
"It's the only culture my mom knows from life, and my father as well. They made the decision to raise their children within the context they had been raised in, so we speak Spanish in my parents' house and my mom cooks amazing Mexican food."
Clearly, Alexis is full of surprises! It's too bad she hasn't gotten to play any roles that have really allowed her to use her Spanish skills, though it's probably because many people don't think of her as Latina. Hopefully, we'll get to see Alexis planning a Latina in a project soon, but until then we'll simply applaud her for staying true to her heritage and discussing her upbringing.
19 She Started Out As A Model
Alexis certainly has the looks to be a model, but don't worry if you didn't know this about her background! Alexis is definitely best known as an actress, but she may have never gotten her start on television if it wasn't for her start in the fashion industry. Nevertheless, it's evident she would have been perfectly successful if she'd chosen to continue modeling; according to Grazia her first modeling job was actually in Seventeen Magazine. Just imagine that being your first job! It definitely shows promise! Alexis' career began when she was scouted at a local shopping mall (she is obviously one very lucky girl) and she spent much of her teenage years traveling for various modeling jobs. We admit we're pretty jealous. The opportunity to see the world and make lots of money at such a young age is one that most of us don't get. Alexis is also very lucky that her parents were open to supporting her career path because it certainly would have been halted for at least a few years otherwise. Overall, it seems that the stars truly aligned to give us Alexis, "the actor," there's a good chance we would have had a different Rory if it hadn't been for her success as a model. Pretty hard to imagine!
18 ...But She Wanted To Be An Architect
As much as we love Alexis as an actress, we almost wish she'd gotten to accomplish her dream of being an architect, because how cool would that have been?! According to Popsugar, Alexis only took acting classes when she was younger as a way to help her overcome her shyness. She wasn't really interested in acting until much later on. She told Seventeen Magazine,
"I went through a phase where I wanted to be an architect. Then I realized there was a lot of math involved in it so I ruled it out completely."
We're sure a lot of people can relate to that realization, many of us dream about careers as astronauts or food scientists until we realize how much math and science is involved. To be fair we know that Alexis is intelligent, so she probably could have gotten through all of the math, but we suppose it just wasn't meant to be. Regardless, it's fun to imagine an alternate universe where actresses actually pursued their backup plans. We're pretty confident that Alexis would be successful in that world too. It seems like there isn't anything she can't do! For now, we can just hope that someone will cast Alexis as an architect.
17 She's A College Dropout
It's been pointed out that Alexis and Rory have their intelligence in common. Art imitates life we suppose! It's apparent that Alexis had an interest in the Entertainment Industry from pretty early on. After spending her high school years modeling, she went on to attend New York University, where she studied film at the famous Tisch School of Arts according to Entity Mag. Alexis only attended the school for one year, but she apparently came to some revelations about filmmaking. She told IGN, "I think every film student goes into film school thinking they want to write and direct their own movies. They don't realize how much goes into it, and what a process it is." This very well could be the reason that Alexis has focused on acting rather than directing or writing, but she certainly still has time to do both! Alexis is among the long list of actors and public figures that dropped out of college and ultimately went on to find great success in their chosen field. Ultimately, Alexis wasn't taking a huge risk by dropping out however, she'd already landed her role on Gilmore Girls! Thank goodness she didn't pass that up for another grueling three years at film school.
16 Her First Name Isn't Alexis
Many actors have stage names, whether it's because another actor already has a similar name or because they want to separate their personal and professional lives, there are endless reasons. You may not know that Alexis' first name is actually Kimberly (Alexis is her middle name). Entity Mag revealed this fun fact about Alexis a few years ago, and it's not hard to guess why the star altered her name professionally. Obviously, Alexis is much more of a distinct name than Kimberly. Though it's not confirmed that that's the reason Alexis choose to use her middle name, we already know of quite a few Kims' in Hollywood, so Alexis did a great job avoiding that confusion. It also makes sense to consider Alexis' commitment to keeping her private life hidden to explain the name change.
Though she still used part of her name, using her middle name professionally and maintaining her legal name socially definitely makes her a little harder to track down.
The practice of name changes is so common among actors that Alexis has her name adjustment in common with another one of her Gilmore Girls co-stars. According to IMDB, Keiko Agena, who played Lane on the show, also uses her middle name professionally. Her full name is actually Christine Keiko Agena. Alexis and Keiko do play best friends, after all, figures they'd have random things in common!
15 She's Very Shy
Some people assume that actors are very outgoing and attention-craving because their chosen career requires them to be in the limelight. In reality, actors can actually be very reserved people. Many of them have a passion for the craft but do not desire to have the focus on them outside of work. Alexis is definitely one of those actors. It's one of the reasons she studied film instead of acting at NYU. According to Popsugar, she once told IGN; "I always thought that I would work behind the camera because it's a more comfortable place for me to be, really." Ironically, between modeling and acting, Alexis has done quite the opposite of what she expected so far. Though the actress doesn't technically describe herself as shy, many interviewers have given that as being their impression of her. She is known for being soft-spoken as well, which has fit into most of the character's she's played. Regardless of how outgoing Alexis might be outside of work, it's certainly clear that she is comfortable being outside of the limelight, especially when she isn't working. Alexis' personality is good assurance for those that enjoy acting but don't like being the center of attention that it is totally possible to do both.
14 'Gilmore Girls' Was Her First Acting Audition
It's hard to believe, but Gilmore Girls was actually Alexis' first acting job, Grazie reports. Apparently, the biggest "role" Alexis had had before the show was as a background extra in the Wes Anderson film Rushmore.
While still at NYU, Alexis saw the casting call for Gilmore Girls and simply decided to give it a try.
Many actors work their whole lives with the goal of getting a lead role in a successful and long-running show, so Alexis is clearly very lucky to have gotten that opportunity with basically no acting experience. Furthermore, Popsugar reported that Gilmore Girls was Alexis' first acting audition, which makes the whole thing even more miraculous. Lauren Graham talked to Elite Daily a bit about how she helped Alexis through Gilmore Girls' trademark fast moving scenes, but it's clear that Alexis was a pretty quick learner. The show certainly helped her fine tune her skills and led to her becoming the actress she is today. It's pretty cool that the show's creator took a leap of faith on someone that had never acted though! Also, it sounds like Lauren Graham was a great acting coach for Alexis, and it just makes us love her (and Rory and Lorelei's dynamic) even more.
13 She's An Emmy Winner
If you're a fan of The Handmaid's Tale, then you've had the privilege of watching Alexis excel at playing a role that is unlike any she's done before. Though she started as only a guest star, Alexis' presence on the show has already offered a big boost to her career. As Deadline reports, in 2017 Alexis won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series for her role on the show. Alexis' performance on the dystopian themed show was so well received that she was upgraded to a series regular for the currently airing second season of the show. Because the show is based in a world where women have lost almost all of their basic rights, Alexis used her Emmy speech to encourage people to "take action...sign up, speak up, and stay awake." Though Alexis' past projects were largely popular, her role in The Handmaid's Tale probably has had the most prestige, and therefore will most likely help her get more serious roles in the future. Alexis' win was made all the more meaningful by the acclaimed actresses that were also featured in her category, including Cicely Tyson for her role in How to Get Away With Murder and Laverne Cox in Orange Is The New Black.
12 ...With A Diverse Repertoire
Alexis' two most famous roles are arguably still her characters in Gilmore Girls and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. However, she has still had quite a number of notable roles outside of those two popular characters. Most recently, of course, is Alexis' role as Ofglen in The Handmaid's Tale. Alexis has also experimented with some daring roles. Grazia reports that the star played a spy in a noir-inspired action thriller called Sin City while still working on Gilmore Girls.
We can imagine Alexis wanted to experiment with something different from the beloved character, and she certainly accomplished that!
A few years ago, there was also some buzz around Alexis playing Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. The interest in having Alexis play the role was mostly fan driven, but we must admit that Alexis and Dakota Johnson do have their similarities. Perhaps because there was such a desire to see Alexis in the series, she was also rumored to be up for the role of Anastasia's rival Leila Williams once the role of Anastasia had been cast. It turns out that wasn't in the cards either, but there are many franchises in this day and age that prove the influence fans can have on casting decisions. There's a pretty good chance that Alexis' acting resume is going to get even more varied in the next few years.
11 She Might End Up With A Show On HGTV
By now you know that Alexis is a woman of many talents. Another thing you can add to her list is a knack for renovating homes. Considering her interest in architecture, this goal kind of fits well. We can also get a sense of what Alexis' alternative career might have been if she hadn't fallen into acting. In 2015 Alexis admitted to Nylon Magazine; "I tend to renovate properties when I'm not working. It's fun for me because it's creative and I can kind of control it. My job is very out of my control a lot of the time because I don't want to get into like producing movies..." Alexis' reasoning for enjoying renovations is understandable since actors have such little control over the final product of the projects they work in. It's wishful thinking, but we're pretty sure we're not the only ones that would love to see Rory Gilmore on HGTV. We're certainly curious to see the properties she's already renovated and who she's done them from since she presumably has a lot of famous friends. It's pretty cool that despite her successful acting career, Alexis still has her hands on a variety of different projects. Who knows what she'll do next!
10 She Dated Two Of Her 'Gilmore Girls' Co-Stars
Among the many things Alexis has managed to keep private is her dating life. However, even she wasn't able to keep her relationship with her Gilmore Girls co-stars completely out of the press. According to Grazia, Alexis dated her co-star Milo Ventimiglia (he played her boyfriend Jess on the show) for three and a half years. People even reported that they'd discussed the possibility of marriage. Alexis told the mag; "I think everybody who has been dating for more than a couple years probably talks about it at some point. It's fun for us to talk about. " Despite the split, it sounds like Milo was a better boyfriend than Jess, so at least there's that. Grazia also reports that Alexis dated Jared Padalecki, who played her adorable first boyfriend Dean on the show. This relationship didn't even come to light until the show's casting director Mara Casey ousted the two! She told Life & Style,
"We did have a joke about casting all of Alexis' [real] boyfriends. She dated Jared and Milo, and she also dated a young New York actor named Chris Heuisler, who played a guest role."
So the cat's pretty much out of the bag now! Rory and Alexis certainly have their similarities, so it's not too surprising that they'd have the same taste in men we suppose.
9 She's One Of The Godmothers Of Blake Lively's First Daughter
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants had a very star-studded cast. Though the four leading women: America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively, and Alexis Bledel were at very different points in their careers, they've all found considerable success. What's even cooler is how all four have managed to stay friends and stay in touch through career adjustments, marriages, babies, etc. The greatest proof of how tight-knit this group is, is that Blake chose to make Alexis, Amber, and America the godmothers to her first daughter, James. According to Hello Magazine, Amber was the one to confirm the news during an interview on Morning Buzz Live. The host asked, "You're still very close with your [Sisterhood] co-stars and the three of you are godmothers to Blake Lively's baby- is that a fact?" to which Amber replied, "Yes, that is a fact." Obviously, lots of celebrities claim to be friends with their co-stars, but it's evident that these four are genuinely livelong friends. We can't be sure whether Alexis returned the favor once she became a mom, but Us Weekly reported that America was expecting in January of this year, so it looks like there'll be quite a few chances for the everyone in the group to return the favor!
8 And They're Going To Be Working Together Again Very Soon
If you loved Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants then you're in for a treat, because Alexis basically confirmed that there would be a third installment in the series during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel.
She very coyly told the host, "We're working on it."
Alexis for her part, seems totally into the idea of working on another film, "I think we should absolutely do it," she said. The star is obviously no stranger to revisiting beloved series, and it certainly helps that she loves her co-stars so much! According to Entity Mag, Blake Lively has also expressed some enthusiasm regarding a sequel, she said; "The four of us are still best friends and to be able to create something together again has always been a dream of ours, but it would have to be something that really made sense. If you wait this long to do a third movie, it needs to honor the story and the legacy." We totally agree with Blake, we certainly wouldn't want the third addition to the Sisterhood series to be disappointing. Nevertheless, we trust all four of these ladies' vision. It's clear that they care very much about this story and their on-and-off screen friendships, so we're pretty confident in this next installment. Fingers crossed everything works out and we get to see Alexis and her BFFs onscreen together soon!
7 Her Co-Stars Think Very Highly Of Her
Considering the long hours actors work on sets, it's understandable that every once in a while there is tension among co-stars. This makes it all the more meaningful that Alexis is so well loved by her co-stars. In an interview with Glamour for the Gilmore Girls revival, Scott Patterson (he played Luke on the show) had a lot of nice things to say about Alexis. He told the magazine, "She's just the most likable, intelligent, and adorable human being. She hasn't changed at all. She looks the same. " Scott is clearly a big fan of Alexis, but he isn't the only one! Obviously, Alexis' Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants co-stars have a lot of great things to say about Alexis, and so does pretty much everyone she's worked with. While many fans of Gilmore Girls are saddened that Alexis and her onscreen mom Lauren Graham are not best friends in real life, they still have a pretty good relationship and think highly of each other. When Lauren spoke to Glamour, she made sure to complement Alexis' acting abilities; "I was always impressed by how much, just, natural ability she had from the beginning." Considering Lauren is probably the co-stars she's worked with most in all of her projects, that's a pretty meaningful compliment!
6 Her Husband Was An Actor On 'Mad Men'
Alexis seems to have done a great job of finding someone that understand her need for privacy. She and her husband Vincent Kartheiser have done a great job of staying out of the spotlight, but since that's what brought them together, we do know a little about their relationship. Alexis and Vincent actually met on the set of Mad Men, where Vincent played Pete Campbell while Alexis starred as Beth Dawes, Pete's mistress.
The two apparently kept things professional until Alexis' guest star role on the show was over, but it's pretty clear their chemistry was real.
Before Alexis, Vincent admitted to the Guardian that he didn't date much, "I've never been monogamous. It might happen, but it never has yet. I don't understand women, I'm off that kick." Turns out he understood women enough to score Alexis! Vincent and Alexis' story fills us with hope, perhaps romance isn't dead?! Anywho, Vincent and Alexis seem to share a lot in common. His preference for privacy is also apparent in that he doesn't like social media, according to Cosmo. He also seems to share Alexis' interest in interesting architecture, he actually owns a tiny home in Hollywood! It's still fancier than our house though...
5 They Had A Very Intimate Wedding
It should come as no surprise that Alexis and Vincent's wedding was an intimate, secret affair. According to Us Weekly, the two got engaged after a little more than a year of dating. In June 2014, after about a year of being engaged, the two got married in Ojai, California. An insider told the magazine that the wedding "was a small and intimate family affair. They wanted something relaxed and beautiful. Ojai was the perfect place. His family flew out from the East Coast." The simple wedding makes sense for the couple since neither of them seems to be into anything extravagant. Sadly the details of the wedding remain a mystery, like many things in the couple's lives, but we're sure it was beautiful. We'd presume that some of the couple's Mad Men co-stars were invited as well considering the role the show played in their union. The show's creator complemented the couple during an interview with Vulture saying "they're a really good match. They're both very down to Earth, with a sense of responsibility and strong family ties. " The pair's co-star Jon Hamm also chimed in to say, "I did know [Vincent] liked her from a very early point. I was a supporter of that union." We may never know what the wedding looked like, but at least we have a sense of what kind of couple Vincent and Alexis are!
4 They Managed To Keep Their Son A Secret For Months
Alexis and her husband Vincent Kartheiser welcomed their first child in the fall of 2015, and in the spirit of keeping their private lives out of the newspapers, they kept their son a secret from the public. As Elite Daily reported, very little is known about Alexis and Vincent's son. The mag noted, "When Alexis attended the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Jan. 2016, just months after having a baby, no one was any bit the wiser....at the time, she made no mention that she even had a baby."
In fact, Alexis and Vincent's secret baby wasn't revealed until May 2016 during co-star Scott Patterson's interview with Glamour.
In the same interview during which he complimented her character, he also said, "She's really blossomed as a woman and now she's a proud new mother and married and happy." It seems that Scott didn't get the memo about Alexis' family life being a secret. To be fair, the press was probably bound to find out sometime. Still, we're pretty impressed by the fact that Alexis and Vincent managed to keep their baby a secret for so long. There are probably more than a few celebrities that would appreciate some pointers. Especially considering Alexis and Vincent's baby still hasn't been photographed by the paparazzi, these two should look into CIA work!
3 Being A Mother Has Changed Her
Though it took Alexis a while to share news about her child with the world, she did discuss how motherhood's affected her in a May 2017 interview with ET Online. She told the site, "More than anything, I just think about what roles I take on, and I make sure that it's really something I feel passionate about if I'm going to leave home and go work. I just want to love what I'm doing." It's nice to hear that Alexis is prioritizing motherhood and enjoying this new time in her life. A lot of celebrities realize that life has to adjust after children and that they cannot do the same amount of work they previously did while remaining present as parents. Alexis seems to do a pretty good job of finding that balance. Between the Gilmore Girl revival, The Handmaid's Tale, and the upcoming Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants film, she has clearly managed to find time for important and successful projects, but not to the point that there isn't time for her to enjoy her new family life. Even though Alexis is hesitant to talk about her son with the public eye, Scott did admit that they've compared notes. He said, "...my son is about a year and a half older than her young son. I'm showing her photos and videos and what to expect." Oh to be a fly on the wall!
2 She Made A LOT Of Money On The 'Gilmore Girls' Revival
The Gilmore Girls' revival was evidently highly anticipated. The show continues to have a cult following (which includes us) despite the number of years it's been off the air. As one half of the show's essential duo, Alexis was evidently a key part of the revival. Though she may not seem like the type to negotiate for a steep salary, Alexis definitely made a great deal of money from the revival.
In Style included Alexis in a list of highest paid actors and actresses in 2016, claiming that she made $750,000 per episode of the revival (Lauren Graham made the same).
To be fair, the revival episodes were pretty long. Nevertheless, Alexis managed to rake in $3 million for only four episodes! That's a pretty impressive deal with all things considered. To put things in perspective, Emilia Clarke was reported to be making $500,000 per episode of Game of Thrones at the time, while Ellen Pompeo was reported to be making $400,000 per episode of Grey's Anatomy. Even if you don't watch those shows, you probably know that they're wildly successful and that the main actresses and actors on both those shows are highly coveted. So props to Alexis (and her agents) for managing to negotiate such a high salary even after all those years of Gilmore Girls being off the air.
1 She Used To Have A Very Fancy Apartment In NYC
Now that you know just how much Alexis made in the Gilmore Girls' revival, you probably have a better idea of just how much luxury she can afford despite her simple style. In 2016 Refinery29 reported that Alexis and her husband Vincent sold their beautiful one-bedroom, two bathroom penthouse in Brooklyn Heights for a whopping $1.32 million. Let us just say, the price of New York real estate is pretty unbelievable (but the place is also really fancy). The duplex apartment featured a modern, all-white interior, a sleek kitchen, high ceilings, a grand bookcase Rory Gilmore would have been jealous off, and a 500-foot private roof deck. Though not grand per say, this place was certainly elegant. It comes as no surprise, considering Alexis' love of renovating and architecture that she would own a place as a cool as this. Now that she's given it up, she can move on to more projects. We're certainly not worried that she's not going to have a place to stay. We're sure her husband Vincent is more than happy to share his fancy tiny house! I mean, we imagine the couple has invested in something a little bigger since having a child, but they have yet to offer up the details. For now, we'll just imagine the family holed up in a luxurious- but tiny- home.
References: Daily Mail , Elite Daily , Glamour, IMDB, Cosmopolitan , Us Weekly, Hello Magazine, Us Weekly, Popsugar, Grazia Daily, E News, Deadline, Entity Mag, Instyle, Refinery29, Dwell
