A moment of panic. Jared Padalecki recalled a “nightmare” experience had filming a scene for Gilmore Girls that he wasn’t prepared for.
“I didn’t shoot every day on Gilmore Girls, and on this particular week, I wasn’t needed on set until Friday,” the Walker star, 39, who played Rory’s (Alexis Bledel) first love, Dean, recalled to the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday, March 9, adding that he stayed out with his friends until “three or four in the morning” because he thought he had the following day off.
“I think what happened was, Lauren Graham got sick and the scene that she was supposed to film on Tuesday had to be moved,” he recounted. “So they had to film something else — let’s shoot the scene where Dean and Lindsay (Arielle Kebbel) get married and come out of the chapel there in Stars Hollow.”
Unfortunately, Padalecki was still asleep when the crew called him to set, which resulted in his manager calling his friend to wake him up. “I had 20 missed calls and text messages. … I shot out of bed, had a cup of coffee and a water, jumped in the shower and then drove over to Warner Bros,” the Supernatural alum explained. “I was probably two hours later than they were hoping and I didn’t have the scene prepared, but I knew the basics of what was going on.”
He continued: “Luckily I didn’t really have many lines at first, it was just us coming out of the chapel. But I ended up having other scenes later that did have dialogue, so at least I had time in the morning where I was in hair and makeup to learn those.”
Though the New York Minute actor was able to film his scenes eventually, the moment still looms large in Padalecki’s mind. “It was basically the feeling of that nightmare where you’re naked at school,” he said. “Except unlike being naked at school, this was naked at school and there are cameras everywhere and it will be on film for all time. So now, these days, I’m known for my over-preparation. If there’s any scene in the episode we’re shooting, I know it backward and forward, because I don’t want to have that feeling again.”
Despite his traumatizing experience on set, Padalecki still has a lot of love for Gilmore Girls — and his former costars. In April 2021, the House of Wax star weighed in on the ongoing debate about Rory’s boyfriends on social media after Milo Ventimiglia declared his loyalty to Team Dean. “Jared and I are really good friends,” the This Is Us star, 44, said during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon when an “I Heart Dean” sign was spotted in his office.
He continued: “I made the sign for some photograph that someone was looking for online or something. And after I made it, I just said, ‘Well, let me just hang on to this ’cause this is cool.'”
In response, Padalecki posted a photo on Instagram holding up his own sign — this one declaring that he “hearts” Ventimiglia’s character Jess. “Ohmigod @miloanthonyventimiglia our offices are SO SIMILAR!!” the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life alum wrote at the time. “TWINSIES! (Well, I don’t have an Emmy nomination, but I DO have a ‘Best Body’ trophy that was worth every dollar @genpadalecki paid for it on Hollywood & Vine). Miss ya brother. Couldn’t be more proud of ya.”
Ventimiglia responded to his former coworker’s post with the comment, “I f—kin love you bro.”
