Gilmore Girls was one of Chad Michael Murray’s first acting roles. Murray played Tristin Dugray, who dated both Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and Paris Geller (Liza Weil), two Gilmore Girls regulars. Tristin would depart when Murray moved on to Dawson’s Creek, but he still remembers feeling out of his depth with Weil.
Murray was a guest on Scott Patterson’s I Am All In podcast on Dec. 14, 2021 to discuss his time on Gilmore Girls. When Patterson asked him about working with Weil, Murray admitted he felt intimidated.
Liza Weil intimidated Chad Michael Murray on ‘Gilmore Girls’
By the time she played Paris, Weil had already been acting since the mid-90s. Newbie Murray could tell he was working with someone with experience. Tristan and Paris were supposed to have known each other since childhood, but Murray felt like he was thrown in the deep end.
“Gosh, she was such an actress,” Murray said on I Am All In. “I remember always feeling slightly intimidated by her. It’s true. I don’t know why but at the time I definitely remember just feeling intimidated by her.”
Chad Michael Murray may have invented his own Liza Weil legend
Murray acknowledged that Weil herself didn’t necessarily do anything to intentionally intimidate him. But, when he worked with her, he noticed all of her experience which was new to him. Her conviction as Paris contributed to the feeling of intimidation.
“I don’t necessarily know but she kind of seemed like she came from a theater and trained background,” Murray said. “It was a total character that she was putting on. It wasn’t her playing any random version of herself. So she was really delving in to get there. And it was intimidating. Her words always landed and as an actor, especially when you’re just starting off, you feel it. I just remember always feeling it when she sent the message. That’s what I remember most.”
On again, off again on ‘Gilmore Girls’
Tristin was never a series regular, though Gilmore Girls and The WB offered him a chance to be. Murray would end up appearing on 11 episodes over two seasons of Gilmore Girls before deciding to play a different character on another show. Still, Murray looks back on his time on Gilmore Girls fondly, including with Weil.
“She was great, everyone was great,” Murray said. “The girls, everyone was so kind. I always felt like a fish out of water because I’d come in and I’d do one episode, then I’d be gone for three, then I’d come in and do two episodes and be gone for one. Everyone else was there the majority of the time in season 1. So it always felt like I had to walk on thin ice to make sure I didn’t step on any toes.”
