In Gilmore Girls, the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai & Rory Gilmore and their quippy, Yin and Yang, sometimes contentious but always loving relationship is the centerpiece of the much loved series that benchmarked modern family life in the early 2000s. 

While Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel can certainly be credited with making their roles forever memorable, there’s another Gilmore Girl who deserves our love and attention too. The one and only, Emily Gilmore, of course! Expertly portrayed by Kelly Bishop for the series’ seven seasons, the elitist, acerbic and keenly observant Emily has been known to steal the show on many occasions with her own brand of wit that rivals her very funny daughter Lorelai and sharp granddaughter Rory. Where do we think Lorelai learned it from, after all?

In fact, Kelly Bishop leaned into the unlikeability of Emily from the very start and doesn’t quite understand why so many fans love her. “I’ve always enjoyed playing what I call the nasty, rich women. Because I can’t stand them,” says Bishop. “So I try to make them as awful as possible.”

“She is funny . . . if you don’t have to live with her.”

To honour the iconic Gilmore matriarch, we’ve compiled 10 of Emily Gilmore’s very best moments on the show, from all the famous one-liners to impassioned speeches she’s delivered over the course of the series. 

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1. In the very first episode, when Emily is excited to welcome Lorelai and Rory for dinner…

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“Well it’s not every day I have my girls here for dinner on a day the banks are open.”

 

2. When Emily is helping Rory prepare for a golf day with her grandfather…

“You can use your mother’s old golf clubs. They’re upstairs, gathering dust, along with the rest of her potential.”

 

3. Emily on social etiquette…

“I was going to wait until you called me, but my life isn’t as long as yours.”

 

4. Emily never missing an opportunity to have some fun with Lorelai…

Emily: “Lorelai, hello.”

Lorelai: “Mom?”

Emily: “You remember. I’m so touched.”

 

5. When Emily was pulled over and the officer thought she was drunk and wanted to give her a breathalyzer…

“Young man, I don’t know where that’s been, but I can say with absolute certainty it won’t be going anywhere near my mouth.”

 

6. When Logan’s family slighted Rory and Emily couldn’t help but tell his mother what she really thought…

“Now let’s talk about your money. You were a two-bit gold digger, fresh off the bus from Hicksville when you met Mitchum at whatever bar you happened to stumble into. And what made Mitchum decide to choose you to marry amongst the pack of women he was bedding at the time, I’ll never know. But hats off to you for bagging him. He’s still a playboy, you know? Well, of course you know. That would explain why your weight goes up and down 30 pounds every other month. But that’s your cross to bear. But these are ugly realities. No one needs to talk about them. Those kids are staying together for as long as they like. You won’t stop them. Now, enjoy the event.”

 

7. When Lorelai and Christopher argue, Emily realizes he’s wronged her daughter and very sternly stands up to him…

Emily: “Christopher, I think you’d better go now… Leave now. Please.”

Lorelai: “…you know you need a mask and a horse when you do that.”

 

8. When Emily gets laser eye surgery and can’t help but be a little dramatic…

“Will you at least promise to keep your comedy set at my funeral to under five minutes?”

 

9. When Emily and Richard are separated and tensions are running high…

Richard: “Only prostitutes have two glasses of wine at lunch.”

Emily: “Well, then buy me a boa and drive me to reno because I am open for business!”

 

10. After a heated argument with Lorelai about the past, Emily wanted to make sure Rory was okay…

“Rory, I know you heard a lot of talk about various disappointments this evening, and I know you’ve heard a lot of talk about it in the past… but I want to make this very clear: you, young lady, your person and your existence, have never ever been, not even for a second, included in that list. Do you understand me?”