You Probably Missed This 'Gilmore Girls' Cameo In 'The Princess Diaries'
While our favorite 2000s movies and TV shows aren't necessarily connected, they do come together to create an insane viewing experience (it honestly feels like a parallel universe's version of the MCU). At the time, we could choose anything from an empowering feel-good film, like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, to an emotional, high-stakes drama like The OC. Even though they had similar aesthetics and trends, they all feel like separate entities, which makes any kind of crossover absolutely mind-bending. So when I realized that Anne Hathaway's The Princess Diaries had a cameo from a Gilmore Girls castmember, I had to do a double take.
Buena Vista Pictures/Disney
In The Princess Diaries, which premiered in August 2001, Anne Hathaway's Mia accompanies her crush Josh to Grove High School's beach party. Unbeknownst to her, he's only interested because of her royal status, while she's daydreaming about a kiss that's so life-changing the only option is to pop her foot in the air.
The beach party is full of sailing, a buffet, and music from Lana (Mandy Moore), but things take a turn for the romantic later in the evening when the students begin a slow dance. Any Princess Diaries fan will remember the dance is interrupted by paparazzi, but before Mia runs away from the party, you can actually see a Gilmore Girls actor in the background!
Buena Vista Pictures/Disney
Todd Lowe, who played Zack on Gilmore Girls from 2002-2007, makes an appearance as another student dancing with Lana. Lowe's only in the movie for a few moments (and is credited as Eric), but I've already planned a whole backstory for Zack based on this one scene.
Now I'm imagining that Zack lived out in California for a while, exploring the music scene and surfing. Who knows — maybe the chaos surrounding Mia made him think about living the small town life. This could mean that, when Dave left Stars Hollow for college in The Golden State (after Adam Brody left the series to film The OC), Zack could have helped prepare him with a list of coffee shops, restaurants, and the best beach spots. Even though this is something from my own imagination, it's still so fun to think about!
Did you catch this The Princess Diaries x Gilmore Girls cameo? Check out why Gilmore Girls Season 3 Is Simply The Best, And No TV Show Has Matched It Since.
Lead image via Buena Vista Pictures/Disney