Alexis Bledel - Early Life

Early Life

Bledel was born Kimberly Alexis Bledel in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Nanette (née Dozier), who worked as a gift processor and flight attendant, and Martin Bledel. She has a younger brother, Eric. Her father was born and raised in Argentina. Her paternal grandfather, Enrique Einar Bledel Huus, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to parents who were of Danish descent; Enrique was Vice President of Coca-Cola Latin America and the Coca-Cola Inter-American Corporation. Alexis Bledel's paternal grandmother, Jean (Campbell), was originally from New York. Alexis' mother, Nanette, was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and had moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, at the age of eight; Nanette was raised there, and in Mexico City. Of her parents' upbringing in Latin America, Bledel has stated "It's the only culture my mom knows from life, and my father as well, and they made the decision to raise their children within the context they had been raised in". Bledel grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, and did not learn English until she began school; she considers herself Latino.

Bledel attended Catholic St. Agnes Academy in Houston, as well as Baptist and Lutheran schools. Her mother encouraged her to try community theater to overcome her shyness. As a child, Bledel appeared in local productions of Our Town and The Wizard of Oz. She was scouted at a local shopping mall and given work as a fashion model. She went to Page Parkes Center for Modeling and Acting and attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts for one year.