{{Short description|American television writer, director and producer}} {{Infobox person | name = Helen Pai | image = | caption = | birth_name = | occupation = Television writer, director, and producer | notable_works = ''Gilmore Girls'' and ''Bunheads'' | style = Comedy drama, screwball comedy film | boards = Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions | spouse = {{marriage|David Rygalski|2000}} }} '''Helen Pai''' is an American television writer, director, and producer.
Pai works at Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, founded by close friend Amy Sherman-Palladino, and was co-producer of the television series ''Gilmore Girls'' and ''Bunheads''. She was an associate producer on ''SMILF''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Helen Pai |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1131421/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref> Sherman-Paladino loosely modeled ''Gilmore Girls'' character Lane Kim after Pai.<ref name="spectrum">{{cite web|url=http://spectrummagazine.org/article/interviews/2007/12/20/adventism-according-gilmore-girls-prime-time-commentary|title=Adventism According to Gilmore Girls: A Prime Time Commentary|publisher=spectrummagazine.org|author=Julius Nam|date=December 20, 2007|access-date=October 29, 2014}}</ref><ref name="gg7"/>
== Life and career == Helen Pai is a Korean American and was raised in an Adventist household. She met Amy Sherman-Palladino on the set of the 1996 television series ''Love and Marriage''. They have since worked together on ''Gilmore Girls'' and ''Bunheads''.
While working on ''Married... with Children'' in the 1990s, she met David "Dave" Rygalski.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Júnior |first=Guto |date=2020-11-05 |title=Exclusive: Dave and Lane ended up together... in real life |url=https://gilmoregirls.com.br/exclusive-dave-and-lane-ended-up-together-in-real-life/ |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=Gilmore Girls Brasil |language=pt-BR}}</ref> They married in 2000,<ref name=":0" /> and Rygalski is the basis of the character of the same name on ''Gilmore Girls''.<ref name="hufftington">{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gilmore-girls-hep-alien_55de1fd5e4b0a40aa3ad4aea?zf1dcxr|title=10 Stories You've Never Heard About 'Gilmore Girls' Band Hep Alien|work=The Huffington Post|author=Todd Van Luling and Lily Karlin|date=September 4, 2015|access-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref>
Pai's mother taught Korean to Emily Kuroda who portrayed Mrs. Kim on the show. Pai often contacted her mother on sections of scripts dealing with Korean language and culture, and has quoted her mother as telling her: "Helen, you have to be very careful, because you're representing the Korean community".<ref name="ScrewballTelevision">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l41iM1ruVNsC&dq=%22Lane+Kim%22+Helen+Pai&pg=PA182|title=Screwball Television: Critical Perspectives on Gilmore Girls|author=David Lavery and David Scott Diffrient|date=May 14, 2014|publisher=Syracuse University Press |access-date=November 24, 2014|isbn=9780815650690}}</ref>
In addition to co-producing ''Gilmore Girls'' from 2001 to 2007, Pai acted as associate producer of ''Bunheads'' (2012–2013,<ref name="hollywoodreporter">{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/amy-sherman-palladino-says-goodbye-614563|title=Amy Sherman-Palladino Says Goodbye to 'Bunheads' With Ballet (Video)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 26, 2013|access-date=November 24, 2014}}</ref> 18 episodes) and ''Grimm'' (2014, 2 episodes). She co-produced the 2016 series ''Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life'' (2016).<ref name="usmagazine">{{cite web|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/gilmore-girls-revival-lane-and-zacks-married-life-will-be-explored-w452348|title='Gilmore Girls' Star Todd Lowe: Revival Will Show How 'Married Life' Has Affected Lane and Zack|publisher=usmagazine.com|author=Stephanie Webber|date=November 23, 2016|access-date=February 22, 2017}}</ref>
== Gilmore Girls == When ''Gilmore Girls'' started, Pai was one of the script coordinators: "I type like a madwoman. My typing speed is insane, and I think Amy was always impressed by that." During her time on the show, she became involved with other projects. By the end of the sixth season, Pai had become involved in set design, publicity, DVD special features, and legal clearances, sound mixing, and post-production tasks. She was also the coordinator in charge of all scenes where the band Hep Alien performed on-camera.<ref name="odetoGG">{{cite web|url=http://www.gilmorememories.com/wordpress/?p=223 |title=Ode to Gilmore Girls: Behind the Musicality of TV's Beloved Show |publisher=gilmorememories.com respectively asiaarts.ucla.edu |author=Ada Tseng |date=May 14, 2008 |access-date=October 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028040610/http://www.gilmorememories.com/wordpress/?p=223 |archive-date=October 28, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="outsmartmagazine">{{cite web|url=http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2010/01/once-in-love-with-amy-always-in-love-with-amy/|title=An Interview with Amy Sherman-Palladino|publisher=outsmartmagazine.com|author=Steven Foster|date=January 1, 2010|access-date=October 29, 2014}}</ref>
''Gilmore Girls'' creator Sherman-Palladino loosely modeled the character Lane Kim after Pai.<ref name="gg7">Keiko Agena in the 7th season DVD special "A Day on the Set with Keiko Agena".</ref><ref name="hufftington"/><ref name=keiko-agena-fb>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/118190098255600/photos/a.457727917635148.1073741825.118190098255600/1002603693147565/|title=With the Real Life #LaneKim, Helen Pai. Good #Gilmore things are coming...|work=Keiko Agena on facebook|author=Keiko Agena|date=January 21, 2016|access-date=February 4, 2016}}</ref> Pai's husband was the model for another ''Gilmore Girls'' character, Lane's love interest and ''Hep Alien'' guitarist Dave Rygalski,<ref name="spectrum"/> although the real Dave Rygalski plays bass.<ref name="hufftington"/> Additionally, the band name of "Hep Alien" is an anagram of "Helen Pai".<ref name="spectrum"/> The band's "reunion" occurred on October 4, 2014.<ref name="billboard">{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6281731/gilmore-girls-hep-alien-reunion|title='Gilmore Girls' Band Hep Alien Stages One-Night-Only Reunion|publisher=billboard.org|author=Erin Strecker|date=October 15, 2014|access-date=October 16, 2014}}</ref>
== Books == * ''Gilmore Girls: The Other Side Of Summer'' by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Helen Pai (2002, {{ISBN|0-06-050916-3}})
== Filmography ==
=== Television credits === * 1991–1995: ''Married... with Children'' – production staff (80 episodes) * 1999: ''Veronica's Closet'' – writer (1 episode) * 2001–2007: ''Gilmore Girls'' – producer (87 episodes, 2003–2007), co-producer (35 episodes, 2001–2003), script coordinator (15 episodes, 2001) * 2012–2013: ''Bunheads'' – associate producer (18 episodes) * 2014–2016: ''Grimm'' – associate producer (24 episodes, 2014–2015), co-producer (8 episodes, 2015–2016) * 2016: ''Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life'' – producer (4 episodes, 2016) * 2019: ''The Rookie'' – producer - 41 episodes, 2019 - 2021) (co-producer - 20 episodes, 2018 - 2019)
=== Film credits === * 2011: ''Cowboys & Aliens'' – post-production coordinator
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|1131421|Helen Pai}}
{{Gilmore Girls}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pai, Helen}} Category:American television directors Category:American television producers Category:American women television producers Category:American television writers Category:American women television directors Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:American women television writers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:American writers of Korean descent Category:21st-century American women