Who plays April in Gilmore Girls (and where is she now)?

April Nardini, played by American actress Vanessa Marano, might just be the most controversial Gilmore Girls character in the show’s entire history. Introduced in season 6, April became a serious obstacle and wedge in the romantic relationship between Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and Luke Danes (Scott Patterson).

Luke had no clue he had a biological daughter out there thanks to his ex-flame Anna Nardini (Sherilyn Fenn) keeping that fact from him. But one day Luke meets April after she conducts a DNA test as part of a science fair experiment, and the rest is history.

Her role on Gilmore Girls is one of Marano’s most famous to date, though she is also often recognized for playing Bay Kennish in the Freeform series Switched at Birth. Some of her other credits include The Comeback, Scoundrels, Dexter, The Young and the Restless, Parenthood, Without a Trace, Ghost Whisperer, Malcolm in the Middle, Finding Nemo, and Grounded for Life.

Her sister, Laura Marano, is also an actress.

Vanessa Marano’s latest movies and television shows

Marano has been a little more low-key lately, starring in a few streaming or made-for-TV movies like the Discovery+ Original holiday film, One Delicious Christmas, that released in November 2022. She co-starred opposite Alex Mallari Jr., who Netflix subscribers might recognize from The Adam Project.

And speaking of Netflix, Marano served as a producer on the 2022 Netflix romance The Royal Treatment, which starred her sister, Laura Marano, and Aladdin‘s Mena Massoud. The actress will work with her sister again on the upcoming movie When We Collided, based on Emery Lord’s novel of the same name. Laura will star and Vanessa is currently attached to produce and direct.

For Halloween 2023, Laura and Vanessa Marano went as Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hatahway) from the first Princess Diaries movie, specifically Mia’s “before” and “after” makeover looks.

Keep up with Vanessa Marano by following her on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). The actress also stars in Gilmore Girls and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, both of which are currently available to watch on Netflix.