Kelly Bishop Talks 25 Years of ‘Gilmore Girls’ and Her Self-Care Routine (Exclusive)

Kelly Bishop will always be Emily Gilmore at heart.

The actress, 81, played the character for all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls, as well as in the revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Twenty-five years after the show first aired in 2000, Bishop is as grateful as ever for the role — and loves Emily and the show as much now as she did back then. It’s why she was more than happy to partner with Bliss for the brand’s new Gilmore Girls-themed skincare launch, celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary.

“They approached me and explained that they had this Gilmore Girls x Bliss [collection], and [asked] did I want to do it? And I’m thinking, ‘Why would they ask me? Why wouldn’t they ask the younger people?'” Bishop tells PEOPLE with a laugh.

But the brand did want her for the launch, which includes four products for fans of the show (and skincare fanatics). Bishop and the team even went to Connecticut (the home of the fictional Stars Hollow, where the show takes place) to shoot the campaign.

And now Bishop can’t stop raving about the new products in her arsenal. She admits she has “sensitive skin” that she wants to be “very good” to, but she hasn’t had to worry about anything with this assortment.

Included in the launch are the Gilmore Girls x Bliss Pumpkin Powerhouse Resurfacing & Exfoliating Mask + Spa Headband ($24); Gilmore Girls x Bliss Bright Idea Brightening Serum + Moisturizer Duo ($36); Gilmore Girls x Bliss Lemon & Sage Body Butter ($18); and Gilmore Girls x Bliss Pumpkin Powerhouse Soothing & Exfoliating Lip Mask ($15).

As for Bishop’s skincare routine, she’s long been dedicated to keeping her skin in tip-top shape. She follows a diligent post-shower routine that’s centered on hydration. Bishop admits her skin feels like it’s going to “crack” if she doesn’t apply some sort of moisturizer head to toe right after she steps out of the shower.

“I’ve always thought it’s so funny: The shower doesn’t take that long — it’s all the stuff you do after,” she says with a laugh. “The powder, the deodorant, and, of course, the moisturizer. I put serum and moisturizer on my face, and while that’s sinking in, I do the rest of my body from the feet up. Then I do another layer of moisturizer on my face.”

She’ll never sacrifice a moisturization step in her process, because, she jokes, it’s “locked” into her brain that she has to do it no matter what. “It feels uncomfortable [without hydration], and even if it weren’t uncomfortable, I’d think I was uncomfortable.”

Bliss’ new collection comes just in time for Gilmore Girls fans to celebrate the show and indulge in some self-care along the way. Whether you want to have a girls’ night in with a pumpkin face mask or treat your skin with the serum before a night out with mom à la Lorelai and Rory, the collection has what you need.

Bishop’s favorite forms of self-care include exercise and a night of sound sleep.

“I used to be a dancer many years ago, so I’ve always danced,” she says of how she stays active. “I stayed with ballet for a long, long time, until I hit my 50s. Pretty soon, I realized I was having to let go of this step or that step, just for a practical reason. Now it’s basically Pilates for me, which I really enjoy.”

Her “favorite” healthy habit that she considers self-care, though, is simply getting a good night’s sleep. She admits she’s long been a good sleeper, which helps her get at least eight hours a night — 10 if she’s got the time.

“Going to bed at night, it’s like a present,” she says.

Premiering on Oct. 5, 2000, Gilmore Girls wasn’t an instant hit, but it was instantly one of Bishop’s favorite projects. As the third Gilmore girl — her character is Rory’s (Alexis Bledel) grandmother and Lorelai’s (Lauren Graham) mother — Emily liked the finer things in life and was very particular about, well, everything. She and Lorelai didn’t always see eye to eye, but it was their dynamic contrasting with Lorelai and Rory’s that made the show sing. It felt relatable.

“I’ve always thought the show was a good show. I thought it was not only well-written, well-cast, but that it had a good heart,” she says. “It was also very funny and quite intelligent.”

Bishop is thrilled to see that the show has had a resurgence lately — largely due to its availability on streaming platforms — which has resulted in it picking up a whole new group of fans.

While it’s long been appealing to young people, Bishop says she’s now she’s meeting new fans who are in their “60s and 70s.” “They’ll say to me, ‘I never watched the show before but we watched the other night, and it’s such a good show,'” she tells PEOPLE.

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“It’s been really wonderful,” she says, adding that the show “hasn’t aged” over the decades. People have been able to connect with the characters and storylines — whether it’s Rory’s dilemma over which guy to date, Lorelai dancing around whether or not she should end up with Luke (Scott Patterson) or the overall family dynamic having its ups and downs.

It also created lifelong friendships for the cast. Bishop gushes over Graham, calling her her “dream girl” while reminiscing about Graham moderating her event when her book, The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir, was released. Graham was also on hand earlier this year to introduce Bishop for the 50th anniversary celebration of A Chorus Line on Broadway, in which Bishop originally starred. The actress returned the favor just days ago when Graham was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“This has all been very pleasing to me,” Bishop says of Gilmore Girls and its continued legacy. “I’m delighted.”

The Gilmore Girls x Bliss collection is available now at Bliss, Laura Geller and Amazon.