Lauren Graham

Lauren Graham is an American actress and author born on March 16, 1967. She is best known for her starring role as Lorelai Gilmore on the television series Gilmore Girls, which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. She is also well known for her portrayal of Sarah Braverman on the NBC drama series Parenthood, which aired from 2010 to 2015.

Graham was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Donna Grant, a fashion buyer, and Lawrence Graham, a candy industry lobbyist. Raised in her father's Catholic faith and of Irish descent, she lived for a few years in Japan and spent time in Southampton, New York, before moving to the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. She attended Langley High School, graduating in 1984, and earned her Equity Card in 1988. Graham received a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Barnard College in 1988 and later earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting Performance from Southern Methodist University.

After moving back to New York City, Graham worked as a waitress, an SAT test prep tutor, and a promotional mascot before relocating to Hollywood in 1995. She appeared in various commercial campaigns and landed recurring guest roles on shows such as 3rd Rock from the Sun, Caroline in the City, Seinfeld, Law & Order, and NewsRadio. She also starred in several early sitcoms, including Townies, Good Company, Conrad Bloom, and M.Y.O.B., and appeared in the 1998 feature film One True Thing.

In 2000, Graham landed her breakthrough role on Gilmore Girls, playing a witty mother in small-town Connecticut. She also served as a producer during the show's seventh season. Alongside her television work, Graham starred in feature films such as Sweet November, Bad Santa, The Pacifier, Because I Said So, and Evan Almighty. In 2009, she made her Broadway debut playing Miss Adelaide in a revival of Guys and Dolls, and voiced a character in the animated feature film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Graham joined the cast of Parenthood in 2009, playing single mother Sarah Braverman for six seasons. She later appeared in films including Max, Joshy, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, Twinless, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. In 2016, she reprised her signature role in the Netflix miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Her subsequent television credits include recurring and main roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Vampirina, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and The Z-Suite. In October 2025, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Beyond her acting career, Graham is a published writer. She released her debut novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe, in 2013, which became a New York Times best seller. She has since published multiple essay collections, including Talking as Fast as I Can and Have I Told You This Already?, as well as the reflection book Don't Worry About It, while also writing screenplays. In her personal life, Graham owned a home in Los Angeles and was in an eleven-year relationship with her Parenthood co-star Peter Krause from 2010 until 2021.