Gilmore Girls star Keiko Agena says she ‘should have made more of an effort’ with onscreen best friend Alexis Bledel

Keiko Agena, who played Lane Kim, says Bledel is an ‘intelligent, special individual’

Gilmore Girls star Keiko Agena has reflected on filming the show with Alexis Bledel, saying she wishes they had more of a friendship.

Agena played Lane Kim, the best friend of Rory Gilmore (Bledel), in the beloved series about a mother and daughter’s bond, which ran from 2000 to 2007.

In a new interview on Gilmore Girls star Scott Patterson’s podcast I Am All In, Agena said she didn’t make “as much of an effort as [she] should’ve” to be friends with Bledel off-camera.

“I wish we had more of a friendship,” Agena said. “That was probably a lot to do with me not making as much of an effort as I should’ve.”

Speaking about Bledel and Lauren Graham, who played Rory’s mother Lorelai Gilmore, she added: “They worked so many hours that their off-set time, I thought, was so precious to them, and I didn’t want to insert myself into that time of their lives.”

Agena called Bledel an “intelligent, special individual”, revealing that she felt “protective of her right away”. She said this sentiment showed in their characters’ chemistry.

Since Gilmore Girls, Agena has gone on to star in 13 Reasons Why, Better Call Saul, Prodigal Son and Central Park.

Bledel, meanwhile, has been seen in Mad Men and Us & Them, and she won an Emmy for playing Emily in The Handmaid’s Tale.