Graham, an Irish American, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of Donna Grant, a fashion buyer, and Lawrence Graham (Lauren is named after him), a candy industry lobbyist who was the former President for the chocolate and confection industry association. Her parents divorced when she was five, prompting Graham and her father to move to the D.C. area, where he became a congressional staffer. Read more...

After completing her education, Graham moved to New York City where she became a cocktail waitress and aspiring actress, including her first paid work doing publicity appearances wearing the costume of Striker, the dog mascot of the US-based 1994 FIFA World Cup. In 1995, she relocated to Hollywood, California. She appeared in various commercials for products such as Dimetapp and Lean Cuisine and Read more...

Lauren Helen Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American actress best known for her starring role as Lorelai Gilmore on the long-running WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls.