Anyone who ever watched the CW’s tentpole series Gilmore Girls should fondly remember Edward Herrmann’s Richard Gilmore, the stuffy but kindhearted father of Lorelei and grandfather of Rory who appeared on the CW drama for most of its run. Unfortunately, Herrmann passed away this morning at a hospital in New York City. He was 71.
Early reports indicate that Herrman had been struggling with brain cancer for quite some time. According to TMZ, Herrmann spent the last three and a half weeks in the ICU in poor condition. When it became clear that he wasn’t improving his family took him off of a respirator. He ultimately died at the hospital.
The actor was born in Washington DC, grew up in Michigan and graduated from the small liberal arts college Bucknell University in Pennsylvania—a far cry from the ivy league Yale University that Richard Gilmore was a proud alumni of. He later appeared in stage plays and on Broadway before branching out into films and movies.
On the big and small screens, Herrmann has been active in the community since the early 1970s, early on appearing in a version of The Great Gatsby and the TV movie Eleanor and Franklin, where he portrayed Franklin D. Roosevelt and was later nominated for an Emmy. He also appeared in The Lost Boys and starred opposite Macauley Culkin in Richie Rich. He later had small roles on Grey’s Anatomy, Law and Order, and The Good Wife, although he is probably most famous for his Gilmore Girls gig. He appeared as Richard Gilmore on numerous episodes between 2000 and 2007 before the CW eventually canceled the series. He was so sought after on the show that he traveled to Los Angeles when needed to shoot scenes and was given a special credit during the opening titles.
Herrmann was married twice, has three children and left behind a body of work on the screen that spans more than 40 years. Our condolences go out to Herrmann’s family and friends during this time. On the bright side, the actor will be fondly remembered and his fans can catch him on Netflix. The subscription streaming service recently added Gilmore Girls to its lineup. So, go ahead and spend your Wednesday evening watching Friday night dinners, snappy dialogue and the stuffy but loveable Richard Gilmore one last time.
