At 81, Kelly Bishop Is Still Reinventing Herself

Forbes

2 days ago

A ctress Kelly Bishop doesn't understand people who want to retire. Just this year, she guest-starred in three episodes of the Prime Video show, Étoile . Now, six decades into her career, the dancer turned Tony-award-winning stage performer—turned film and television star—is nowhere near ready to slow down.
'I'm baffled by people who reach their 60s and only think about retirement. You might like to play golf, and now there's pickleball, but then what?' Bishop says. 'No, I'm working until the day I die.'
'In 'A Chorus Line,' most of what Sheila said was my story," says Bishop. "In my mind, that was the perfect place to introduce myself as an actor, and it worked." Penske Media via Getty Images
Every decade of Bishop's early career was marked by a new milestone, a new perseverance-fueled reinvention. In her late teens, the ballet-trained Denver dancer landed her first professional dance job at Radio City Music Hall. In her twenties, she debuted on Broadway. In her 30s, Bishop stunned the theater world with a role she helped craft (one that was literally based on her own experiences as a dancer) and took home the Tony for her standout portrayal of Sheila in 'A Chorus Line.' In her 40s, she hit the silver screen as Baby's mother in Dirty Dancing, a box-office sensation that turned into an enduring classic.
Then, in her mid-50s, a script for a show called Gilmore Girls came her way—and would change her career. For seven years, Bishop played the affluent, unyielding and ever-sharp family matriarch Emily Gilmore. 'Each year, at the end of the season, we would find out if the show was being picked up, and it was, and then it was again and then it was again,' Bishop says.
'When I read the script, I was so impressed," says Bishop. "I worked like crazy to nail the audition. It was good, apparently, because I got the job.' Kevin Winter / Getty Images
In 2014, the show, which originally aired on the WB, made its way to Netflix, and suddenly, a fresh, captive audience discovered, and latched onto, the series. The fan response was so undeniable and so clearly unceasing, the streaming giant teamed up with the show's original creator and showrunner, Amy Sherman-Palladino, for a four-episode revival in 2016. Then in her 70s, Bishop stepped back into the familiar role. 'I just understood Emily so well. It was like coming home,' she says.
Both Bishop and Emily had aged since the show aired its final episode in the summer of 2007. Her character's storyline also hit remarkably close to home. Emily Gilmore was learning how to live without her husband at the same time that Bishop was watching her own spouse, talk show host Lee Leonard, grow sicker while fighting cancer for the eighth time.
'We're constantly, without advertising, building an audience. It's amazing how many people are crazy about this show—really, really crazy about it,' says Bishop. Amanda Edwards/WireImage
'I was preparing myself to one day be a widow. And so I remember thinking at some point, I'm practicing for real life, working on this role right now,' Bishop says. 'I loved my husband so much, and little by little, he was becoming diminished because of these cancers. I knew I would one day be a widow, and there was dread, but I just used it. Actors always use things right?'
In the years since Leonard's 2018 death, Bishop has continued to act—and for Gilmore Girls fans, has confirmed that she would reprise her role in the show that launched her career to new heights 'in a heartbeat.' 50 Over 50: 2025 Our fifth annual list of 200 women who are redefining what's possible in life's second half. VIEW THE FULL LISTST
In 2024, she also added author to her long list of career titles last year with her memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl . Bishop, who characterizes herself as long-winded, says she suspected those encouraging her to write just wanted to quiet her. Still, she teamed up with co-author Lindsay Harrison—Bishop considers herself a storyteller, not a writer—to bring the book to life. The story she wasn't sure anyone would care to read became an instant New York Times bestseller.
'For years, people suggested I write a book, probably because I'm very long-winded," says Bishop. "I remember thinking this person is saying shut up and write a book."Bishop was pleasantly surprised by the success of yet another career leap landing, and is thankful for all that she's managed to accomplish since she first set her sights on stardom.
'I really can't complain about how my life as an actor and as a woman has evolved up to this point. I feel very fortunate. I was smart, I was tough, I was careful with my money. I feel pretty satisfied—but I'm not stopping.'
Now an octogenarian, a word Bishop says she loves, she is busy with events marking the 50th anniversary of 'A Chorus Line' and the 25th anniversary of Gilmore Girls . She's enjoying celebrating the work she's so proud of, but as ever, is also looking ahead to find her next character. She envisions one that isn't just a sweet grandmother who pops into a scene, but has her own story worthy of being told—one that she'd herself like to tune into.
'When I'm watching television, I want to see people closer to my age. I'm not that interested in 30-somethings falling in love with each other. Been there, done that,' Bishop says, in a delivery remarkably similar to an Emily Gilmore zinger.
'At 80, I finally threw myself a birthday party, the first one in all my life," says Bishop. "I thought, I'm 80, I've got to celebrate."Bishop says she'll know the right next role when she sees it, but if it doesn't come along, she just might make it herself. These days, when she's not reading spec scripts, she's toying with her own idea for a show. It's ' Golden Girls meets Sex in the City ,' she declares. She knows the details: There are four female leads. She knows their backstories, where they'll live, down to the New York City street address, and what brings them together for the pilot. She also knows how she fits into the picture—mostly.
'One of the women is me. I would also like to be in the writing room, sitting back in the corner. I might want to be one of the producers. I don't quite know what they do,' she says, a smirk in her voice. 'I'd have to find out.'
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