‘étoile’ Sets ‘Gilmore Girls’ Reunion As Yanic Truesdale Joins Amy Sherman-Palladino & Daniel Palladino’s Amazon Series

Nellie Andreeva
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Gilmore Girls fans will be doing internal — and external — cartwheels over this news: Yanic Truesdale, who played the scene-stealing sarcastic concierge Michel Gerard on the beloved WB/CW series, has joined Gilmore Girls executive producers’ next series, étoile.

Truesdale has been tapped for a recurring role on Prime Video’s ballet drama, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, who will write, direct, and executive produce. He joins cast that includes the Emmy-winning Marvelous Mrs. Maisel alum Luke Kirby, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gideon Glick, Simon Callow, Lou de Laage and David Alvarez.

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Set in New York City and Paris, the eight-episode first season of étoile follows the dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies, as they embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars.

Truesdale plays Raphael, the right-hand to Genevieve (Gainsbourg) who heads the Parisian ballet company.

From Amazon MGM Studios, étoile, which has a two-season order, is executive produced by Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino, and Dhana Rivera Gilbert. Scott Ellis will serve as co-executive producer.

Truesdale is best known for his role as the snobbish and prickly Michel Gerard on Gilmore Girls, which was created and executive produced by Sherman-Palladino and executive produced by Palladino. He was a series regular for Gilmore Girls’ seven-season run and reprised his role in the A Year In The Life sequel miniseries for Netflix. Michel’s many memorable one-liners, like “I’m doing internal cartwheels,” have become part of pop culture, often receiving the meme treatment.

Born and raised in Montreal, Truesdale has been nominated twice for Gemini Award – the Canadian equivalent of an Emmy. He most recently starred in the Canadian comedy series Les Mecs and reunited with Gilmore Girls alumna Melissa McCarthy on Netflix’s God’ Favorite Idiot. Truesdale is repped by Defining Artists, Zero Gravity and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

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