With the GILMORE GIRLS revival GILMORE GIRLS: A YEAR IN THE LIFE still fresh on everyone’s Netflix cue, we caught up with Stars Hollow’s Michel played brilliantly by Yanic Truesdale to gab all about the revival! So, if you’re one of the few (I can’t include myself in this) people who has some self control and is savoring the four perfect installments of the revival this SPOILER FREE interview will definitely take you back to Stars Hollow and get you even more excited for the revival!
When the show ended in 2007 did you ever think you would get to go back to Stars Hollow again?
Yanic Truesdale: No, I did not when the show ended. Although years went by and I did realize that the show kind of never went away. As an actor you feel the pulse of a show that you’re in on the streets, by people talking about it and all of that and it never really went away. When it started on Netflix it was, for me as an actor, it felt as if the show started again, as if it was a brand new show because you had a whole new generation discovering it. It wasn’t surprising when it came back.
When you first read for Michel and first read for the show what stood out to you about him back then?
The first time around, it was very instinctive my take on him. For some reason I connected with him, Michel is very sarcastic and has dry humor and has an opinion on a lot of things and I can relate to it on that part and that was my way in. Also, I had gotten more scripts and discovered more of his personality I kind of molded who he was once we went along. Emotionally I understood the feeling of an outcast, I was living in LA and I’m French-Canadian, also I am a black kid in a white family. My mother is white and I was raised by her, I don’t know the black side of my family. So that feeling of feeling like an outcast that Michel very much had was my way into the character.
Going back and doing the revival did you pick up right where you left off with him?
The character felt very much like it would to be meeting an old friend again. The connection with him was very quick, he has grown like all of the characters have grown in the revival. There is much more going on in his life, at least we will know much more that is going on in his life. To me as an actor its very rewarding because there is more meat to him, there is more storyline and there is more going on with him that is actually shared with the fans. It was very rewarding this time around.
Can you tell us anything new that we will get to learn about Michel in the revival?
Well you will get to see his love life, which we’ve never seen. You will get to know what is going on with him personally and all of that kind of stuff. That to me is huge because we have never seen anything with him outside of the inn.
Aside from Michel, whose storyline are you most excited for the fans to see in the revival? Are there any characters that have a funny storyline throughout the revival?
I don’t know about funniest, just because we lost Ed (Herrmann) and he was so beloved by the fans and so beloved by us. He was such an awesome guy and the fact that he is not there is a big part of the story. Emily’s (Kelly Bishop) storyline because of what she’s going through with the loss of her husband has many layers to it for us. It’s very touching and there is a lot going on there with what it does to her relationship with her daughter and that’s very rich and that’s very moving to me.
Are you happy with how the revival ended?
Yeah! The ending is very surprising but makes a lot of sense. It will leave many with their mouths open. It is a very full circle kind of ending. This is the thing I am most curious about, to see how fans will react to the ending.
People were obviously SO excited when the revival was announced (myself included) what are some shows that you would love to see brought back?
Well I was a huge fan, and the irony of it is that they did bring it back – THE COMEBACK, with Lisa Kudrow because that is very much my sense of humor. Her humor is very dry and sarcastic and they brought it back for a season and I could take fifteen seasons of THE COMEBACK and it still wouldn’t be enough for me. Another show that I loved and was so upset that it went away last year was GETTING ON on HBO, which again was very dry and sarcastic humor and I thought they were all so good in it.
You can watch GILMORE GIRLS: A YEAR IN THE LIFE on Netflix.