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It seems like everyone who was even on one episode of Gilmore Girls has a story. Alan Blumenfeld was in four episodes as Rabbi David Barans, friend of Reverend Skinner (Jim Jansen). In his first appearance in season 3 of Gilmore Girls, Rabbi Barans’ left arm is in a cast, due to a real life injury Blumenfeld incurred. If you ever wondered why, Blumenfeld is still telling the story.
Blumenfeld was a guest on Scott Patterson’s I Am All In podcast on Jan. 11 to discuss his role on Gilmore Girls. Blumenfeld explained his cast and how nobody from the casting directors to the costume department noticed his arm was in a cast.
Alan Blumefeld tore his bicep tendon before he auditioned for Rabbi David Barans on ‘Gilmore Girls’
Blumenfeld didn’t break his arm. He had a much more specific injury that required him to wear a cast. The cast worried Blumenfeld during his Gilmore Girls audition, but shouldn’t have.
“Everything is an audition,” Blumenfeld said on I Am All In. “I was wearing a cast because I had a torn bicep tendon and I was very concerned about what am I going to wear because I couldn’t move my arm. So I had a sweater vest so I was so concerned about that.”
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‘Gilmore Girls’ wanted Rabbi David Barans to wear a suit
Blumenfeld’s cast did change the Rabbi’s introduction. Gilmore Girls was going to put him in a formal suit, but his arm couldn’t get in one. The fact that the wardrobe department planned his costume without acknowledging his injury reassured Blumenfeld that he got the part regardless.
“So I was very concerned about this cast on my arm,” Blumenfeld said. “I got cast in the role, I showed up and they said, ‘Okay, we have a suit we want you to try on.’ I said, ‘I can’t wear a suit because I have my arm in a….’ No one noticed that my arm was in a cast. That was the last time I ever worried about what I’m going to wear to an audition because people don’t pay attention.”
The casting director was preoccupied with other things
Blumenfeld did describe the audition over which he fretted so. The casting director for Gilmore Girls was more concerned with coaching prospective Stars Hollow residents to speak at the pace creator Amy Sherman-Palladino required. Blumenfeld clearly kept up, but the casting director was too preoccupied with dialogue speed to notice his arm was in a cast.
“The audition was great,” Blumenfeld said. “The casting director was wonderful and I think Amy Sherman-Palladino was a brilliant writer. The casting director came out and said, ‘It’s very fast. It’s fast talking.’ What they say to actors is don’t make a meal out of it. Just move through it.”
