Richard Gilmore
First appearance	"Pilot"
Last appearance	"Bon Voyage"
Created by	Amy Sherman-Palladino
Portrayed by	Edward Herrmann
Information
Age	64
Date of birth	1943
Family	Lorelai Gilmore (daughter) Rory Gilmore (granddaughter)
Spouse(s)	Emily Gilmore
Relatives	Charles Abbott Gilmore (father, deceased) Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore (mother, deceased)

Richard Gilmore (born January 1943) is a fictional character on the television series Gilmore Girls, played by Edward Herrmann.

Richard is the father of Lorelai Gilmore, grandfather of Rory Gilmore, and husband of Emily Gilmore on the WB television program Gilmore Girls. His mother was named Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore (Marion Ross), which was the inspiration for his daughter's own name. His father was Charles Abbott Gilmore, who died sometime before the show picks up. Richard's mother and father were second cousins, a fact that disgusted Lorelai and Rory very much. "Trix" disliked Emily and often made fun of her in front of her family. When Emily was organizing her estate and planning her funeral, she found a carbon copy of a letter she wrote to Richard the eve of their marriage asking him to break off his relationship to Emily and consider marrying his previous girlfriend, Pennilyn Lott, instead. Richard stuck to his guns because he truly loved Emily.

Richard and Emily's relationship go through many ups and downs throughout the show. During the first season, it appeared that their relationship had hit a nice balance with Richard getting up at 5:30 am to go to the office every day and travelling extensively while Emily took care of Richard, managed the house and their social calendar. However, in the second season, their relationship began to show some cracks or became more real. For instance, Lorelai and Rory came over for Friday night dinner and saw them embroiled in an argument. Lorelai found this surprising since they never argued in front of her before. The main storyline in the second season was the effect of Richard's work stress on their relationship. Richard became very distant and moody because he was being phased out at work. He was in such a funk that he did not want to participate nor attend Rory's coming out ceremony. Something he should have enjoyed, especially since Lorelai did not have one because of her pregnancy. The stress became so palpible that Richard quit his job and did not tell Emily until they were at the Bracebridge dinner. Retirement was also straining on their relationship as Richard was always around, unable to keep himself busy and even wanted to attend Emily's DAR meetings and water aerobics class. After puttering around Star's Hollow for a day with Lorelai and making a spectacle of himself in front of Headmaster Charleston after the team that he championed for lost the school's entrepreneurship challenge, he decided retirement was really not for him. Richard started his own consulting firm "The Gilmore Group" at the end of the second season. Lorelai even helped him set up his office and find a new secretary.

The third season centered around Rory choosing a college and Richard trying everything to convince her to attend Yale rather than Harvard. However, it was in the fourth season that viewer's saw a slow deterioration in Emily and Richard's marriage. Shortly after "Trix" died, Lorelai and Rory found out that Richard and Emily were separated. The girls were shocked but there were signs. Most notably, there was a complete break down in communication and quips that were once amusing were now perceived as insults. Richard began to do things that he wanted to do, often negating Emily's feelings. Emily reacted to this by going on shopping spree and spending tens of thousands of dollars on stuff for everyone including cash strapped Lorelai and Rory. Once the separation was announced to the girls and after Emily and Rory's European trip, Richard moved into the pool house. Richard soon appeared to want to get back together with his wife and Emily was often over concerned with Richard's whereabouts. Emily went on one date with a gentleman, Simon Maclean, from the club and when Richard found out, he drove into the back of Emily's car (while she was still in it) at an event out of jealousy. They got back together that evening and had a ceremony to renew their vows with Lorelai as the Maid of Honour and Rory as the Best man. The separation seemed to draw them closer and Richard and Emily appeared to be back to the same balance that we saw at the beginning of the series with more warmth.

Rory and Richard have developed a very close relationship since the beginning of the series over a common love of books and a thirsty quest for knowledge. In the first couple of episodes, they hardly spoke. Richard felt he would have nothing in common with a girl from the MTV generation. However, they quickly bonded over a golf lesson and lunch at their posh country club. Since then, Richard became the father figure that Rory was lacking in her life. When she decided to attend Yale, Richard was ecstatic and often met Rory for lunch there. He even helped Rory get even with Logan after he humiliated her in class.

Richard works as the executive vice-president for the Gehrman-Driscoll Insurance Corporation during the first two seasons. He retires for a bit during the second season, but finds retired life to be dull and realizes that what he thrives on is working hard. He then goes out to start his own business. When he did, Lorelai helped him set up and hire a new assistant. It was one of the first times in the series that we saw the bond between them. He really enjoyed their time together and was very disappointed when she had to go back to her regular job. To some extent, Lorelai also seems to prefer Richard over Emily, however, can talk more easily to Emily.

He is a proud Yale Alumnus, and often revels in stories about his time there. He is very proud that his granddaughter attends this university as well.

Richard (after having helped Rory pull a prank on Logan to get even): All right, who's next? Paris giving you any trouble?

Rory: Not anymore than usual. [They walk down the hall together.] However, there is a girl in my modern poetry class who keeps kicking my chair.

Richard [Chuckling]: Ah, I do love this place.

Rory: Right back at you, Grandpa.

—Season 5, Episode 10, "But Not as Cute as Pushkin"

Though Richard loves being part of the Hartford Elite, he hates the events his wife drags him to, like for instance her meetings with the DAR.

Richard: Rory, please accept my profound thanks for serving food at a DAR event which is remarkable edible.

Emily: Oh, Richard, we always have good food!

Richard: Well, you have fancy good food. If I never look at another duck's liver for the rest of my life I will be a happy man.

—Season 6, Episode 05, "We've Got Magic to Do"

Like Emily, Richard disapproves of many of Lorelai's decisions, but unlike Emily, he prefers not to meddle in things, being more reactive than proactive, which may be one of the reasons why Lorelai prefers him over Emily. There's no doubt, however, that he is just as disappointed as Emily of what Lorelai did, and, like Emily, he feels that Lorelai should have married Rory's father, Christopher Hayden, so that their family could be together.

Richard: I had to tell my friends, my colleagues, that my only daughter, the brightest in her class, was pregnant and was leaving school.

Lorelai: That must have been devastating.

Richard: And then you run away and treat us like lepers. Your mother couldn’t get out of bed for a month. Did you know that? Did you?

Lorelai: No.

Richard: We did nothing to deserve that. Nothing to earn that!

—Season 1, Episode 15, "Christopher Returns"

In the seventh season, Richard is teaching an Economics class with Rory in attendance when he collapses from a heart attack. Rory rides in the ambulance with him to a local hospital, where Lorelai and Emily (and later Luke) arrive. Richard has an emergency bypass surgery and is soon recovering, though he and his wife argue about the healthy, non-alcoholic meals she has arranged. Lorelai has her friend Sookie bring Richard more delicious (but still healthy) meals.

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