There’s more than one familiar face in Étoile. In fact, fans of Gilmore Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Bunheads will recognize quite a few stars.
Creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino exclusively told Us Weekly there’s a reason they turn to the same actors repeatedly. “We just need the best of the best and we’ve been very lucky to work with the best, and they spoil us because we think everybody’s going to be like that and not everybody’s like that,” Sherman-Palladino said. “So we long to work with them again.”
They created Étoile — a new dramedy about a New York and Paris ballet companies switching talent for one season — specifically for Maisel alum Luke Kirby, who plays NYC ballet director Jack McMillan.
“He’s Luke Kirby. He’s obviously easy on the eyes, but he’s not a boring dude. He’s quirky and he’s a really good actor, and you like him even when he is doing weird things or questionable things,” Sherman-Palladino gushed. “He’s just one of those people that’s infinitely watchable. Your eye just goes to him and he’s a really good actor and he’s a really good guy. It was an all-around package we wanted to craft something for him to star in and this is what it was.”
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While Kirby and Gilmore Girls alums like Kelly Bishop and Yanic Truesdale will immediately be noticed, Étoile — all episodes of which were released Thursday, April 24, on Prime Video — also has some Bunheads alums who aren’t as recognizable — because they were kids on the one-season 2012 series.
“Well, two of our New York ballet dancers were our little Bunheads,” Sherman-Palladino said. “Matisse [Love] was 11 on Bunheads, and Lyrica [Woodruff] was 16. Now, they’re both professional ballerinas and they dance in the show.”
Bunheads, which followed a California dance school, included many future professional dancers, many of whom are booked and busy in companies across the globe.
Palladino explained to Us, “A couple other alums from that show were kind of around in the background when they could, we grabbed these people when we could get.”
Check out all the actors on Étoile who were previously on Gilmore Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Bunheads below:
Luke Kirby
The difference between Étoile‘s Jack and Maisel‘s Lenny? Kirby told Us, “I would say that he wears his neurosis on his sleeve a little bit more than Lenny.”
Kelly Bishop
Bishop might be the only actor to appear in all four Sherman-Palladino shows. Prior to playing Jack’s mom, Clara McMillan, on Étoile, Bishop stole our hearts as Emily Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, Fanny Flowers on Bunheads and matchmaker Benedetta in three episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
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Gideon Glick
The Broadway alum played magician Alfie in nine episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and now plays Tobias Bell in Étoile. Keep an eye on the credits — Glick is also a story editor on the ballet show.
Yanic Truesdale
While he had a heavy French accent as Michele Gerard in Gilmore Girls, Truesdale drops the faux intonation while playing Raphael Merchant, the Paris ballet company director’s colleague, in Étoile.
Dakin Matthews
He was Headmaster Charleston at Rory’s private school on Gilmore Girls, and he’s still a power player as Harlan, a Metropolitan Ballet Company board member, on Étoile.
Lyrica Woodruff
Before she was Anna on Étoile, she played The Ringer on the Nutcracker episode of Bunheads.
Matisse Love
Love just 11 years old when she portrayed Matisse on 12 episodes of Bunheads — and now she plays L.J. on Étoile.
Ambrose Martos
He played a ventriloquist on two episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and he’s currently Dr. Speer, a psychologist for a ballerina, in Étoile.
Leslie Fray
On Étoile, Fray is at the New York company as Jack’s right-hand woman, Marie Locke-Connor, but on Maisel, she played Lillian, an American living in Paris who interprets Midge’s standup set.
