Role: Tristan Dugray
Episode: Various episodes in seasons 1 and 2

Chad Michael Murray’s very first reoccurring role was that Chilton’s resident bad boy: Tristan.  For two seasons he had a love-hate relationship — okay, mostly hate with just a little bit of love — with Rory before moving on to shows like Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill.

Role: Lucy
Episode: Various episodes in season 7

Having already been on Veronica Mars, Lucy was just her second recurring role. She graduated Yale with Rory and moved on to star in Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.

Role: Waitress
Episode: Season 6’s “Bridesmaids Revisited”

This SNL star certainly had humble beginnings as a nameless waitress in the sixth season. Today, on top of her sketch comedy, she’s also been on Scream Queens and most recently New Girl.
 

Role: Peyton Sanders
Episode: Season 3’s “Eight O’Clock at the Oasis”

Jon Hamm wasn’t always as suave as Mad Men‘s Don Draper.  On season 3, he took Lorelai out but never made it to a second date because she found him way too boring.

Role: Nurse
Episode: Season 1’s “Forgiveness and Stuff”

Before the infamous Sue Sylvester, Jane Lynch played a much nicer nurse on Gilmore Girls.

Role: Jill #2
Episode: Season 4’s “The Hobbit, the Sofa, and Digger Stiles”

Victoria Justice was only 10 when she appeared in Stars Hollow as the little girl who hated Sookie’s cooking. (Rude.) Since then she’s had her own show, Victorious, on Nickelodeon, and starred in the 2016 version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
 

Role: April Nardini
Episode: Various episodes in seasons 6 and 7

Vanessa Marano definitely had the biggest role of all those on this list—she appeared on 13 episodes and will be returning in the revival! But that’s nothing compared to her current starring role on Switched at Birth.
 

Role: Jess (no, not THAT Jess)
Episode: Season 1’s “Concert Interruptus”

Brandon Routh made a very brief appearance on Gilmore Girls as a concert-goer at The Bangles show in the first season. Since then, he’s had roles in Superman Returns, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.
 

Role: Girl in Hallway
Episode: Season 1’s “Rory’s Birthday Parties”

In her early days, Nora Zehetner was just another Chilton student seen in the hallways with Francie. Now she’s got a roster of shows on her resume: Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy and Maron.
 

Role: Francie Jarvis
Episode: Various episodes in seasons 2 and 3

At the age of 26, Emily Bergl starred as mean girl Francie in a total of four episodes. She’s since gone on to other television shows like Desperate Housewives, Shameless and American Crime.
 

Role: Clara Forester
Episode: Various episodes in seasons 1, 2, 3 and 5

It may be hard to believe, but Scout Taylor-Compton once starred on Gilmore Girls as Clara Forester —yes, Dean’s sister! She went on to play roles in Nashville and The Runaways.
 

Role: Andy
Episode: Season 4’s “The Nanny and the Professor”

Before she became famous from the High School Musical franchise, Monique Coleman was just a student working at the Yale Daily News. Nowadays she’s been working on shows like The Fourth Door and Here We Go Again.