‘Gilmore’s’ Patty Malcolm on Facebook

Hi all. Just wanted to take a minute to tell you that Patty Malcolm, who was Lauren Graham’s stand-in for most of Gilmore Girls, finally has a Facebook Page up.

Those who’ve read The Gilmore Girls Companion already will know that not only was Patty’s role in the show very involved, but also that her story is one of the more intriguing ones from behind the scenes.

It’s not often that you have the opportunity to see an actor at the start of their career; it’s rarer still that you see them making the jump from stand-in to being a more traditional actor. I believe this Facebook page offers us a window into both. (There was a great deal that was going on in Patty’s career at the time that I was finishing up the book; I remember actually having to rewrite the end because of a career decision that she made.)

For those who are interested in how Hollywood really works and how exactly an actor makes it in “the business,” I would suggest “Liking” Patty’s page and following her progress; I can’t think of a better way to really understand how it all comes together.

Patty Malcolm in ‘Criminal Minds’

One thing you can definitely say about Gilmore Girls fans — they regard the people who made it happen almost like family, which means they’re always ready to celebrate one of the fam’s achievements.

On Oct. 9, I mentioned here that Lauren’s Gilmore stand in, Patty Malcolm, had shot a very brief appearance in Criminal Minds episode 5.7, “The Performer.” Well, on Dec. 9 on CBS, you can catch her in her first Criminal Minds episode as a named character, Ann Heron. The episode, 5.10, is called “The Slave of Duty.”

All I know is she gets her butt kicked pretty badly on screen. Ah, the time-honored process of paying your dues… Good luck, Patty.

Congratulations to Patty Malcolm

The one thing you quickly learn putting together a book like The Gilmore Girls Companion is that for every story an episode of a show like Gilmore tells, there are a dozen real-life stories going on behind the scenes. And if you follow those real-life stories long enough, you can’t help but root for all the people involved.

For years, actress Patty Malcolm had the fascinating, yet in many ways thankless job of being Lauren Graham’s stand-in on Gilmore. As I’m sure you will appreciate once you read the book, that entailed so much more than most people outside of Hollywood, or indeed outside of the Gilmore Girls set, understand. (For a taste of that, check out this earlier entry.)

Patty put in her own grueling hours, learned her lines, and tackled many other tasks that most people never even think about, and did it without the accolades that come with being an on-camera actor. (“Welcome to our world,” I hear the Gilmore Girls crew shout in unison.)

Sure, she did turn up a few times on screen on Gilmore Girls for just a few seconds, but she went right back to her stand-in work. When Gilmore ended, she went on to other shows in the same capacity, waiting for that elusive break.

Which is why it was so great to hear that a few days ago she finally got the chance to shoot a co-star part on Criminal Minds. She’s quick to point out it’s only one line, but in this business, one line on screen can lead to big things later on, and represents a big step forward all on its own. For the most part, any actor you know on television today started somewhere with a single line or two.

So keep your eyes peeled for episode 5.7 of Criminal Minds, “The Performer.” You can also catch Bush frontman/Mr. Gwen Stefani Gavin Rossdale on that episode. And if you think Patty is the only Gilmore veteran on Criminal Minds, think again. Key set costumer Valerie Campbell, known to practically everybody she meets as a the female MacGyver for her ability to make anything out of anything, works tirelessly behind the scenes on that series, too.

Awesomeness alert over. Mind how you go.

Update: Yep, Patty’s definitely on a roll. News just came that she’s now booked the role of Ann Heron in episode 5.10 of Criminal Minds.  “It’s a nice role.. I get attacked,” as she put it. This really is a crazy business 😉

Unique Perspectives: Take 2

The more I learn about what went into the making of Gilmore Girls, the more I realize what a perfect storm of talent was involved in this program’s creation.

Yesterday afternoon I had the great pleasure to speak with Patty Malcolm, who not only served as Lauren Graham’s stand-in for more than 5 years, but also appeared on camera several times, too.

Like many people, I was woefully ignorant about what stand-ins do on set, let alone on the set of Gilmore Girls. I don’t think it will surprise anyone to learn that Patty had more to do than anyone in the audience ever realized. Just one example: she had to learn huge chunks of the dialogue that Lauren delivered!

Oh how I love this project — I learn something new about this series every day!