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Ed was always listed as making a "special appearance" on Gilmore Girls. Usually, the three most important actor names in the opening credits are first credit, second and last. It's based on the size of the actor's part and/or the actor themselves. These actors may or may not be the most recognized names in the credits list but are the ones most likely to be remembered by viewers. The first and second credits are always used for the two main stars of the show, even if nobody knows who they are when the show first starts out. Ed was probably the most known actor working on the show when it first started, but Richard Gilmore wasn't a title character, so he didn't get first or second credit. The show wouldn't have been able to pay Ed what he was actually worth for doing the show since it was merely a WB production, and since he did them a favour by being on the show, they replaced the high paycheck with the last credit slot. Furthermore, it's also known to have the fourth important actor listed second to last. Therefore you have Lauren Graham (most important with first credit), Alexis Bledel (second most important with second credit), Edward Herrmann (third most important with last credit) and Kelly Bishop (fourth most important with second to last credit). The extra credit text with Ed's name can be whatever is seen fit and doesn't necessarily mean anything in regards to the actor or credit status.