Kelly Bishop (born Carole Jane Bishop; on February 28, 1944) is an American actress and dancer, best known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series Gilmore Girls and as Marjorie Houseman, the mother of Jennifer Grey's Frances "Baby" Houseman, in the film Dirty Dancing. Bishop originated the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line for which she won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2023, she starred as Mrs. Ivey in The Watchful Eye (2023).
Early life Bishop was born on February 28, 1944, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She grew up in Denver, Colorado, where she trained to be a ballet dancer, and as a teenager, moved to California attending the San Jose Ballet School. At 18, she headed to New York City and landed her first job dancing in a year-round ballet company at Radio City Music Hall. Bishop continued to dance in Las Vegas, summer stock, and on television until she was cast in 1967 in Golden Rainbow, her first Broadway role.
Career
Bishop moved to New York City to try to become a ballet dancer. Bishop's big break came when she was cast as the sexy, hard-edged Sheila in the 1975 Broadway production of A Chorus Line, for which she won the 1976 Tony Award as "Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Musical)" as well as the 1976 Drama Desk Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Musical". Many details of the character Sheila's past were drawn from Bishop's real life, as she helped develop the character during early workshops. She was also cast in Broadway productions of Six Degrees of Separation, Neil Simon's Proposals, the Tony Award-winning The Last Night of Ballyhoo, and Bus Stop.
In film, she was cast opposite Jill Clayburgh in Paul Mazursky's big-screen drama An Unmarried Woman (1978). In the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, she was originally set for a small role, but took on the much bigger role of Mrs. Houseman when Lynne Lipton (originally cast to play the role) fell ill during the first week of shooting.
Bishop went on to play mothers to high-profile stars in features: Howard Stern's in the Betty Thomas-directed comedy Private Parts (1997), and Tobey Maguire's in Wonder Boys (2000). Additional feature credits include Ich und Er (USA: Me and Him, 1988), Queens Logic (1991), Cafe Society (1995), Miami Rhapsody (1995) and Blue Moon (2000).
Bishop debuted on television in Hawaii Five-O. She starred in the Mike Nichols series The Thorns in 1988. She played Lisa Ann Walter's mother on My Wildest Dreams in 1995. She guest-starred on, among other series, Kate & Allie, Murphy Brown, Law & Order, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
From 2000 to 2007, Bishop starred in The WB/CW series Gilmore Girls as wealthy New England matriarch Emily Gilmore. Both she and fellow series regular Edward Herrmann were Tony Award recipients in 1976.Chambers, Julia. "Gilmore Girls Power Couple Richard and Emily Gilmore Lunched on Broadway Before They Dined on Screen," Playbill (magazine), Tuesday 10 October 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2025. She reprised her role in the 2016 miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life on Netflix. She would later reunite with Amy Sherman-Palladino, who created Gilmore Girls, on Bunheads, which aired from 2012 to 2013 and was canceled after the first season. Bishop has since appeared in television shows including Army Wives, Mercy, The Good Wife, and played Benedetta in the Golden Globe-winning series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, where she was again reunited with Sherman-Palladino. Bishop starred in the TV drama series The Watchful Eye (which premiered on January 30, 2023) as Mrs. Ivey.
Following the end of Gilmore Girls, Bishop returned to theater, performing in Becky Shaw at the Second Stage Theatre in 2008 and as Evangeline Harcourt in the 2011 revival of Anything Goes alongside Sutton Foster and Joel Grey, as well as appearing in the 2011 movie Friends with Kids.
Personal life Bishop resides in South Orange, New Jersey. She was first married to stagehand and electrician Peter Miller in 1970 before divorcing in 1975. She was married to the TV talk show host Lee Leonard until his death in 2018."THEATER; Two Mature Lives on Stage and Screen, Now Playing in New Jersey", The New York Times, September 19, 1999. "She and her husband, Lee Leonard, the host of Jersey Talking on News 12 in Edison, have been living in South Orange for four years."Worth-Baker, Marcia. "Mother's Always Right: played the mother many times over" , Maplewood Matters, accessed April 22, 2007. "Ask Kelly Bishop, South Orange resident and star of Gilmore Girls, what drew her to the role of Emily Gilmore, and she recalls, 'The pilot was simply the best script I ever read.'"
Credits
Film Year Title Role Notes1966Step Out of Your MindMissy Linden1978Elaine Liebowitz1982O'Hara's WifeBeth Douglas1986SolarbabiesTutor Nover1987Dirty DancingMarjorie Houseman1988Me and HimEleanor Aramis1991Queens LogicMaria1993Six Degrees of SeparationAdele1995Miami RhapsodyZelda1995Cafe SocietyMrs. Jelke1997Private PartsRay Stern1999My X-Girlfriend's Wedding ReceptionSylvia Wienstein2000Blue MoonPeggy's MotherWonder BoysAmanda Leer2011Friends with KidsMarcy FrymanLily Sparks2014Saint JanetJanet Turner2018The Salzburg StoryThe Lady
Television Year Title Role Notes1976Hawaii Five-0CharEpisode: "Oldest Profession - Latest Price"1981Advice to the LovelornRita BordenTV film1982Hart to HartLauraEpisode: "Hart of Diamonds"1983CharityEpisode: "Murray's Hot Date"1984Kate & AlliePauletteEpisode: "Baby"1985Kaye BrennerTV film1987As the World TurnsGrace Wescott AndrewsRecurring role, summer 19871988Ginger ThornMain role1989, 1996One Life to LiveSerena Wyman1 episodeDr. Robbins1 episode1990FloraEpisode: "Claudia and the Secret Passage"1991Ruth HarperJane BirkEpisode: "Pilot"1992ABC Afterschool SpecialRoxanne HoldenEpisode: "Summer Stories: The Mall - Part 1"Law & OrderMarian BorlandEpisode: "Intolerance"Murphy BrownConnie SilverbergEpisode: "Me Thinks My Parents Doth Protest Too Much"1992, 1995All My ChildrenFreida Landau2 episodes1995My Wildest DreamsGloria JamesRecurring role (5 episodes)2000, 2008–2009Law & Order: Special Victims UnitRegistrarEpisode: "Slaves"Julia ZimmerEpisodes: "Persona" and "Zebras"2000–2007Gilmore GirlsEmily GilmoreMain role2009Army WivesJean CalhounEpisode: "Operation: Tango"2010MercyLauren Kempton4 episodesMrs. KentEpisode: "VIP Treatment" (voice)Bea Wilson2 episodes2012–2013BunheadsFanny FlowersMain role2014Dangerous LiaisonsLucille JulienTV film2015Sex & Drugs & Rock & RollElizabethEpisode: "Supercalifragilisticjuliefriggingandrews"Flesh and BoneMrs. HawthornEpisode: "F.U.B.A.R."2016Gilmore Girls: A Year in the LifeEmily GilmoreMain role (4 episodes)2019Art of Falling in LoveIrisTV film2021HalstonEleanor LambertEpisode: "Versailles"2022–2023The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselBenedetta3 episodes2023The Watchful EyeMrs. Ivey Main role2024ShrinkingSusanEpisode: "Honesty Era"2025ÉtoileClara McMillan3 episodes
Theater Year Show Role Notes1968Golden RainbowCat-Girl/DancerShubert Theatre1968Promises, PromisesClancy's Lounge Patron/Company NurseShubert Theatre1968Precious SonsBea (standby)1971On the TownDance EnsembleImperial Theatre1975A Chorus LineSheila Shubert Theatre Originated role Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a MusicalDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical1990Six Degrees of SeparationKitty/Louisa "Ouisa" KittredgeVivian Beaumont TheaterReplacement1996Bus StopGrace HoylardShort revival, 29 performances 1997The Last Night of BallyhooBoo LevyHelen Hayes Theatre ReplacementProposalsAnnie RobbinsBroadhurst Theatre2011Anything Goes Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt Stephen Sondheim TheatreAugust 9, 2011 - January 15, 2012
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.1976Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalA Chorus LineDrama Desk AwardOutstanding Actress in a Musical
References
External links
Kelly Bishop cast bio on The CW