What movie star played Sookie St. James: on "Gilmore Girls"?

Melissa McCarthy played Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls. Sookie is Lorelai Gilmore’s lively best friend, a gifted chef, and eventually her business partner at the Dragonfly Inn in Stars Hollow.

McCarthy joined the series when Gilmore Girls premiered in 2000 and played Sookie throughout its original seven-season run, which ended in 2007. The character is known for her creative cooking, comic mishaps, intense enthusiasm, and warm loyalty to Lorelai and Rory.

Sookie’s story also includes her marriage to Jackson Belleville, a vegetable farmer, and the growth of her family. She is more than comic relief: her culinary talent and professional partnership with Lorelai help drive the inn storyline. A common mix-up is confusing Sookie’s actress with Alex Borstein, who was initially considered for the role but could not take it because of scheduling conflicts. Borstein later appeared on the show as harpist Drella and stylist Miss Celine.