Alexis Bledel was 19 years old when she began filming season 1 of Gilmore Girls, portraying 16-year-old Rory Gilmore. The character’s age is stated as 16 in the show's setup, while Bledel’s real age during production was about 19, with the season airing when she was around 19–20 depending on filming timelines. This is a common point of confusion due to the difference between a actor’s age and the character’s age on screen.