Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore, played by Alexis Bledel, is the only child of Lorelai Gilmore and Christopher Hayden, born on October 8, 1984, at 4:03 a.m. It is evident in the show that Rory and Lorelai share a special bond, and may even be considered best friends. Rory shares her mother's taste in junk food, coffee, movies, music, and much more. They both exhibit a talent for witty, fast-paced, pop-culture-laden dialogue. Rory spent her childhood in the Independence Inn in Stars Hollow where her mother originally worked as a maid. Lorelai was later able to buy a house in town when Rory was 11, and they remain there throughout the end of the show. The series pilot indicates that Rory harbors a long-held dream to study at Harvard University, and it is, for this reason, she transfers from Stars Hollow public high school to the prestigious Chilton Academy. She attends Chilton for her sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school. Lorelai is forced to ask her parents for help to pay Chilton's tuition fees, ending their relative-estrangement since Lorelai moved out when Rory was a baby. Rory grows close to her wealthy grandparents, Emily and Richard, although she also comes into conflict with them periodically. The developing relationship between grandparents and granddaughter is also a source of contention between Rory and Lorelai. Rory has little contact with her father Christopher Hayden and his family.
