Michel Gerard won’t just be writing on Post-its at the Dragonfly Inn in the Gilmore Girls revival. Yanic Truesdale tells Us Weekly exclusively that more of the French concierge’s personal life will be revealed on the Netflix series Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
“We kind of haven’t seen Michel outside of work, really,” Truesdale, 46, says. “I think very rarely he was outside of the inn. And we didn’t know much about his personal life. So this time is different. We know much more.”
“That is nice for me as an actor because it gives me a backstory,” he adds. “But it gives me meat for the character because he, you know, I definitely have an arc and stuff going on in my personal life that affect the character. So the fans can expect to discover more about Michel.”
Does that mean Michel will have a romantic story line? “That I can’t answer,” Truesdale replies, keeping mum. “But you will definitely find out more about him.”
Truesdale starred on the beloved series from 2000 to 2007 opposite leading ladies Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). He had a front-row seat to the mother-daughter duo’s many boy troubles, but still isn’t sure who Rory should end up with — Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki), Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia) or Logan Huntzberger (Matt Czuchry).
“It’s a running joke [on set]. … I really have bad memory and I kind of don’t remember the dudes’ relationships,” Truesdale jokes to Us. “I know Jess was a bad guy. I know that Logan was kind of rich. But I think in my memory he was kind of nice? It’s kind of vague. And the one that I remember the most — because I started the show with him — was Jared, who is f–king adorable. He was such an adorable kid and still is an adorable guy. So I’m very fond of him as a friend and all of that, so in my head, when people always ask me [what team I’m on], I’m like, ‘Oh! It’s Jared!'”
Truesdale sometimes gets called out for his favorite, but he’s sticking with it. “I’m completely biased. But then when I mention Jared, people say, ‘But how! But he cheated on [his wife]!’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, he did? Oh s–t. I completely forgot about that,’” he adds. “I like Dean! Sorry. He cheated, but he made a mistake. Does that make him a bad guy? I like Dean.”
For more with Truesdale, read his Q&A in our Now and Then series:
US WEEKLY: What was one of your favorite bonding moments with the cast?
YANIC TRUESDALE: Most of my scenes are always with Lauren, so the person I hang out with is always Lauren. I always go to her trailer and we eat together. Her trailer is like our home. … She’s been a friend for 15 years now.
US: How would you describe Michel and Lorelai’s relationship?
TY: I’ve always seen her, Lorelai, [as] Michel’s little sister. You have that kind of love relationship sometimes with your siblings. You know better, you would like them to not make the same mistakes that you’ve made, so it comes from a place of love but also a place where you critique. You try to educate them from what you’ve learned.
US: What are some of your favorite episodes?
YT: There was an episode where Michel went to L.A. and he won at The Price Is Right and he had veneers done. He went to a cafe on Sunset and everyone had an accent and he came back to the inn so excited! … And there’s an episode in the last season where one of my dogs dies. Paw-Paw died and we planned a funeral.
US: What’s one of your favorite one-liners that Michel has said?
YT: It’s hard to pick! But I mean, to this day, the president of Warner Bros., Peter Roth, every time he sees me, quotes my line in the pilot where Michel is not answering the phone and he says, “People are particularly stupid today. I can’t talk to any more of them.” That one I’ve heard so many times from the fans.
US: Did you keep any memorabilia after Gilmore Girls ended?
YT: We have our [actor] chairs and it has our name on it. So I left with that, and that’s pretty much it. Oh, and I think I left with Michel’s suit.
US: Are you ever reminded of the theme song?
YT: I’m so bad! Someone asked me to sing that song on a radio interview … they knew it by heart and I didn’t. And I was embarrassed! They tried to make me sing the song and I was completely off-key.
Netflix has yet to announce a premiere date for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
