The third season of Amazon Prime’s hit series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” dropped last Friday, and the new episodes feature an actress who’s an old hand when it comes to starring in a female-led dramedy.
“Gilmore Girls” star Liza Weil, who played Paris Geller back in the early aughts (and in the 2016 Netflix revival), is now part of the “Marvelous” cast.
But no one could blame even the biggest “Gilmore Girls” fan if she failed to notice that. After all, Weil has really changed since her days in Stars Hollow.
Gone are the long blond locks and high school fashions she was known for when she played the enemy-turned-friend of Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), and in their place is a rockin’ retro style.
Weil plays the part of Carole Keen on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” a bass guitarist with cat-eye glasses, a bouffant do and a no-nonsense attitude.
And if fans don’t recognize Weil, well, that’s kind of the point.
The actress isn’t just playing any old character. She’s paying homage to a real-life rocker.
Carole Keen is actually based on Carol Kaye, a now 84-year-old who’s regarded as one of the most prolific bassists in rock ‘n’ roll with a career as a studio musician that’s spanned seven decades.
While her name may not be that familiar, her work with the Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Ritchie Valens and Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention is iconic.
Weil’s character is still on her way to achieving that kind of fame.
And “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” isn’t the only place to see Weil these days.
The 42-year-old has been part of the cast of “How to Get Away With Murder” since the show’s first season in 2014. The legal drama is currently in its sixth and final season.