Beloved Gilmore Girls cast member reveals they were only supposed to be in one episode

It has been 25 years since beloved autumn show Gilmore Girls aired - and it has gone from strength to strength ever since - and one actor who played a beloved character has shared a heartfelt message with fans

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It's 25 years since Gilmore Girls aired and it has now become a tradition for many fans to re-watch the show every year when the leaves start to fall on the ground and Halloween decorations go up. The series, made in the early '00s and set in the fictional New England town of Stars Hollow, is famous for its autumn festivals, pumpkin patches, and coffee shop culture. As this year marks a huge milestone for the beloved show, featuring popular characters Rory, Lorelai, Emily, Richard and Sookie, many of the cast members are celebrating its success.

At this year's Emmy Awards Lauren Graham (Lorelai) and Alexis Bladel (Rory) appeared on stage together, on a recreated set of Lorelai's house, to speak about the show and announce the nominations for an award. Meanwhile, others have been celebrating on social media; Emily Kuroda, recently appeared in a clip on Hulu's Instagram page joking that her character Mrs Kim's go-to drink would be lemon with hot water - and admitted that she is team Jess.

Plus, Sean Gunn who plays eccentric character Kirk, has shared a heartful message with fans - and revealed that he was only supposed to appear in one episode of the show. The 51-year-old actor shared a snap of him on the show in a post on Instagram, a quarter of a century on from when he first auditioned.

Sean admitted: "I auditioned to play the 'DSL Installer' as a day player on a show I had never heard of. My agent at the time recommended I pass on the audition but I said 'let me read the scene and if the writing's good I'll go'. Spoiler alert: the writing was very good and I got the job. Amy, the creator, liked what I did and kept asking me back to fill in small roles as the town’s jack-of-all-trades. That first year I thought the joke would wear thin and every show would be my last. But I stuck around."

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He said he had visited Guatemala City and people came up to him talking about Gilmore Girls. Sean added: "Hundreds came up to meet me, to cheer and take pictures, and tell me how much that little show has meant to them and their families.

"It's humbling to have people still enjoy my work, that it's still alive, that young people who weren’t even alive when the reboot came out claim it as their favourite show."

Sean confessed how grateful he is to have played the character. He said: "It always kind of felt like a side-gig when I was young and had my whole career ahead of me; I figured soon something bigger and better would replace it. But now I understand what a gift it is to have walked side-by-side with Kirk all these years. I can no more turn my back on him than I can on myself. It was great fun to play him and I miss him."

He added that his time with his cast mates and being on set was wonderful and he was "so honoured".

He further commented: "I have to single out Amy (and her Girl Friday Dan) who steered the ship with such a sure hand. The kind of guts and immense talent it took to be a young female creator muscling her unique vision to the screen is awe-inspiring. Her fierce dedication to her art is the reason the show has lasted and will continue to last for so long."

"Thanks to all who love the show. We love you back," he added.

Film superstar Melissa McCarthy, who played Sookie in the show, commented: "For what it’s worth, Sean was always so funny and original and really really kind. No big surprise but he’s a peach!! And that little show gave us all a lovely start."

A fan wrote: "Kirk is so important to the DNA of Gilmore Girls, it's wild to me that he was just 'DSL Installer Guy' in the beginning. Thank you for adding so much to Stars Hollow."

"The show would NOT be the same without Kirk," insisted another Kirk fan. "Best character on the show," added another.

"I love Kirk. He's weird and has a heart of gold," said one other. "Aww you and your character were such an integral part of the show," added another.