Yanic Truesdale Shares the 3 Big Differences Between Filming Gilmore Girls and New Show Étoile

There's no dancing around it: Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino's new show Étoile is not the same as Gilmore Girls — but it certainly shares some of the same delightful DNA.

Look no further than the cast list: Kelly Bishop, known for playing Emily Gilmore, plays the mother of Luke Kirby's character, and Yanic Truesdale, beloved for his role as snarky concierge Michel Gerard on Gilmore, stars as Raphael, the artistic director of the Paris Opera and right-hand man of Geneviéve Lavigne (Charlotte Gainsbourg) in the new dance drama, debuting on Prime Video on April 24.

For the actor, 55, working for the Palladinos again was a welcome return.

"For me, it's very special, because I've obviously known Amy and Dan for 26 years," Truesdale told PEOPLE on set in Paris. "To be reuniting with someone that you know so well, it's been great."

Aside from even more dance scenes with far more skilled dancers — the new series follows professional ballet companies in Paris and New York City that swap talent in an effort to give them a financial boost — there are several significant differences between to the two shows.

"We're all older," Truesdale said. "We were kids! That's a big difference, because you're not the same person. I was 28. Amy was early 30s. So, we were still trying to figure out who we were and where we were going artistically."

He adds, "They obviously created this whole beautiful career. We all have different stories, but it's nice to reunite when you have all this experience, and you're older and wiser, and you've mastered a little bit better what you do and what you want to do."

Another noticeable difference for Truesdale was the budget.

"On Gilmore, we had no money," he said with a laugh. "That was my first reaction when we got here. We're complaining all the time on Gilmore, that [Amy] had ideas, but we couldn't do them, because they were too expensive. 'No money, no money, no money,' was always the answer."

Now, the Palladinos are filming on location in Lincoln Center and in and around a breathtaking theater in Paris.

"They can actually express artistically what they have in their head, without limitations their way," he said.

And, of course, Truesdale's role is quite different. While Michel was known for his constant complaints, Raphael is the opposite, especially when it comes to his boss, Geneviéve.

"He's a yes man for her. Outside of her? Not so much," the actor said. "I like that relationship, because it's very different from the previous relationship I had in Gilmore Girls with Lauren Graham, which was always insufferable That's not the dynamic here at all."

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But one important element has remained the same throughout all of the Palladinos' hit shows (which also includes The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Bunheads): the sharp, quickly delivered dialogue.

"It's the same cadence," Truesdale said. "They believe that in life, people talk faster than on television, and they like to see that. I'm so used to it, that I don't even feel it. I remember when we ended Gilmore Girls, I did a Canadian show, and the director kept telling me, 'You can slow down. You don't have to talk that fast.' So, for me, it's second nature."

Étoile premieres on Prime Video on Thursday, April 24.