Lauren Graham has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Female Actor in a Drama Series for her sarcastic yet sensitive portrayal of Lorelai Gilmore. The role also earned Graham a Best Actress nod from Viewers for Quality Television, as well as an award as Best Actress in a Drama from the Family Friendly Forum.

On the big screen, Graham has been seen co-starring with Vin Diesel in The Pacifier and opposite Jeff Bridges in The Moguls. She also completed production on the independent film Seeing Other People, with Jay Mohr, Josh Charles and Andy Richter. Graham co-starred opposite Billy Bob Thornton in Miramax's hit film,Bad Santa, a black comedy about a man who masquerades as Santa to rob shopping malls. In 2002, she appeared on stage at The Williamstown Theatre Festival starring in the comedy Once in a Lifetime. This 1929 comedy about the advent of the talking picture marked the first collaboration between famed playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, Graham quickly landed a recurring role as Richard's (Malcolm Gets) relentlessly sunny girlfriend, Shelly, in the first season of Caroline in the City. Recurring roles followed as Graham played an efficiency expert hoping to downsize the staff of NewsRadio and a Los Angeles studio executive who pursued Benjamin Bratt when his marriage was on the rocks on Law & Order. In addition, Graham guest-starred on Seinfeld and 3rd Rock From the Sun. She was a regular on the comedy series Conrad Bloom and Townies and then starred as a high school administrator dealing with her disruptive niece on M.Y.O.B. prior to landing the role of Lorelai on Gilmore Girls.

Showing her versatility in both comedic and dramatic roles, Graham appeared on the big screen opposite Keanu Reeves in the Warner Bros. feature film Sweet November. She starred in the independent film Dill Scallion on VH-1, which was a mockumentary on the world of country music in which Graham had very big hair. Graham's first feature film was the thriller Nightwatch, starring Patricia Arquette and Ewan McGregor. She also played Renee Zellweger's best friend and confidante in the Meryl Streep drama One True Thing.

Growing up an avid equestrian in Northern Virginia, she attended Barnard College in New York, where she majored in English. She then earned an M.F.A. in acting from Southern Methodist University.