The Gilded Age

Synopsis

Set in the 1880s, The Gilded Age is a period drama that depicts the cultural and technological changes that took place in the late-19th century United States. The show "highlights the tension between New York City's old and new monied elite," with the van Rhijn family representing the former and the Russell family representing the latter. The Gilded Age focuses on the efforts made by the character Bertha Russell (the wife of robber baron George Russell) to ascend to the top of Manhattan's social ladder. Brian Phillips of The Ringer describes the show this way: "The new-money Russells, fresh from robber-baroning their way to untold piles of lucre, move in across the street from the old-money Mrs. van Rhijn. Mrs. Russell, played by the brilliant Carrie Coon, is determined to gate-crash the opera boxes of the elite; Mrs. van Rhijn, played by the brilliant Christine Baranski, is determined to look down her nose at anyone whose family fortune is younger than the Declaration of Independence".

Cast and characters

Main

Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell, the matriarch of the Russell family.

Morgan Spector as George Russell, Bertha's husband, and a classic robber baron.

Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook, the orphaned niece of Agnes van Rhijn and Ada (Brook) Forte, who comes to live with her estranged aunts at East 61st Street following the death of her father.

Taissa Farmiga as Gladys Vere, Duchess of Buckingham (née Russell), the younger child and only daughter of the Russell family.

Harry Richardson as Larry Russell, son of Bertha and George Russell.

Thomas Cocquerel as Tom Raikes (season 1), a young attorney.

Jack Gilpin as Mr. Church, the Russell family's butler.

Christine Baranski as Agnes van Rhijn (née Brook), is the widowed matriarch of the van Rhijn Family.

Cynthia Nixon as Ada Forte (née Brook), the younger sister of Agnes van Rhijn.

Blake Ritson as Oscar van Rhijn, son of Agnes van Rhijn.

Denée Benton as Peggy Scott, an African American woman who works as Agnes van Rhijn's secretary.

Simon Jones as Mr. Alfred Bannister, the van Rhijns' English butler.

Ben Ahlers as John "Jack" Trotter (seasons 2–present; recurring: season 1), a footman and a jack-of-all trades in the van Rhijn household.

Recurring

Audra McDonald as Dorothy Scott, Peggy Scott's mother and a skilled pianist.

Jeanne Tripplehorn as Sylvia Chamberlain (season 1), a woman with a scandalous past.

Ashlie Atkinson as Mamie Fish, American socialite.

Claybourne Elder as John Adams (seasons 1–3), a descendant of President John Adams and Oscar van Rhijn's former lover.

Katie Finneran as Anne Morris (season 1), a socialite who makes herself an enemy to the Russells.

Amy Forsyth as Carrie Astor (seasons 1 and 3; guest: season 2), the fourth daughter of Mrs. Astor, who befriends Gladys.

John Sanders as Stanford White (season 1), an architect.

Zuzanna Szadkowski as Mabel Ainsley (season 1), George Russell's stenographer.

Linda Emond as Clara Barton (season 1), founder of the American Red Cross.

Ward Horton as Charles Fane (seasons 1–2; guest: season 3), husband of Aurora Fane and one of the city's aldermen.

Rebecca Haden as Flora McNeil (season 1; guest: season 2), a wealthy socialite.

Nathan Lane as Ward McAllister.

Robert Sean Leonard as Luke Forte (season 2), an unmarried clergyman from Massachusetts.

Christopher Denham as Robert McNeil (season 2), a wealthy banker.

Guest

Michel Gill as Patrick Morris (season 1), Anne Morris' husband and one of the city's aldermen.

Bill Irwin as Cornelius Eckhard (season 1), Ada Forte's childhood acquaintance.

Sandra Caldwell as Ellen (seasons 1 and 3), the Scotts’ maid.

Tom Blyth as Archie Baldwin (season 1), a young investment banker.

Stephen Spinella as Julius Cuyper (season 1), a banker.

Jordan Waller as Oscar Wilde (season 2).

Michael Braugher as Booker T. Washington (season 2).

Amber Gray as Bea Sturt (season 2), a restaurant owner in Alabama.

Liz Wisan as Emily Warren Roebling (season 2).

Melanie Nicholls-King as Sarah J. Garnet (season 2).

Matt Walker as Billy Carlton (seasons 2–3), a young man from a wealthy family.

Victoria Clark as Joan Carlton (season 3), Billy's Carlton's mother.

Bobby Steggert as John Singer Sargent (season 3).

Merritt Wever as Monica O'Brien (season 3), Bertha Russell's estranged sister.

Michael Cumpsty as Lord Mildmay (season 3), a British nobleman.

LisaGay Hamilton as Frances Watkins Harper (season 3).

Episodes

Production

Development

In September 2012, The Daily Telegraph reported Julian Fellowes as saying that he was working on a spin-off prequel of Downton Abbey. Initially conceived as a book, it was then planned for pick-up by ITV. At the time, Fellowes planned to focus the show around Lord Grantham and Cora's romance and eventual marriage as the Earl and Countess of Grantham.

Production and writing for The Gilded Age was updated in January 2016. Asked whether he'd written the script yet, Fellowes said, 'No I haven't, no. I'm doing that this year', before adding: 'And then hopefully shooting at the end of the year.'"

On June 4, 2016, Fellowes was asked by the Los Angeles Times, "Where does The Gilded Age stand?" Fellowes replied, "It stands really with me up to my neck in research, and I'm clearing the decks, so that when I start Gilded Age, I'm only doing Gilded Age. These people were extraordinary. You can see why they frightened the old guard, because they saw no boundaries. They wanted to build a palace, they built a palace. They wanted to buy a yacht, they bought a yacht. And the old guard in New York weren't like that at all, and suddenly this whirlwind of couture descended on their heads. They redesigned being rich. They created a rich culture that we still have—people who are rich are rich in a way that was established in America in the 1880s, '90s, 1900s. It was different from Europe. Something like Newport would never have happened in any other country, where you have huge palaces, and then about 20 yards away, another huge palace, and 20 yards beyond that another huge palace. In England right up to the 1930s, when people made good money, they would buy an estate of 5,000 acres and they'd have to look after Nanny. The Americans of the 1880s and '90s didn't want too much of that."

The final confirmation the show would be produced was announced by NBC in January 2018. NBC originally announced that the show would consist of ten episodes and premiere in 2019. About the show, Fellowes stated: "To write The Gilded Age is the fulfillment of a personal dream, I have been fascinated by this period of American history for many years and now NBC has given me the chance to bring it to a modern audience. I could not be more excited and thrilled. The truth is, America is a wonderful country with a rich and varied history, and nothing could give me more pleasure than be the person to bring that compelling history to the screen."

In May 2019, the series moved from NBC to HBO, with a straight to series order. The series premiered on January 24, 2022, and consists of nine episodes.

Casting

In September 2019, the production announced an initial cast consisting of Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Amanda Peet, and Morgan Spector.

In November 2019, it was announced that Denée Benton, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Blake Ritson, and Simon Jones would be joining the show. In January 2020, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, and Jack Gilpin were cast as series regulars, with Jeanne Tripplehorn cast in a recurring role.

In April 2020, Carrie Coon was cast as Bertha Russell to replace Peet because of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This caused the costuming team to change their approach, using the way Coon presents herself as inspiration for more metallic-colored dresses intended to evoke the burgeoning machine age.

In January 2021, Nathan Lane joined the cast in a recurring role.

In April 2022, it was announced several members of the recurring cast had been upgraded to series regular status for the second season while Cocquerel will exit the series.

In August 2024, Bill Camp, Merritt Wever, Leslie Uggams, LisaGay Hamilton, Jessica Frances Dukes, Andrea Martin, Hattie Morahan and Paul Alexander Nolan were cast to join the third season.

In November 2024, Dylan Baker, Kate Baldwin, Michael Cumpsty, John Ellison Conlee, Bobby Steggert, and Hannah Shealy were cast to join the third season.

In February 2026, Jordan Donica was promoted from his recurring role in season three to series regular status for season four. James Scully and Bonnie Milligan also joined the cast.

Filming

Following the move to HBO, the series was expected to begin filming in March 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed production.

Filming of the series began in Newport, Rhode Island in February 2021, at the mansions Chateau-sur-Mer, The Elms, and The Breakers. A casting call for Rhode Islanders to work as extras on the series was made in December 2020 prior to the production setting up in the city.

In April 2021, filming continued at the Lyndhurst mansion in Tarrytown, New York and the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York. In May 2021, filming continued in Troy, New York in its Central Troy Historic District, where multiple city blocks were transformed to resemble a Victorian-era street.

During filming, a horse died on set and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked for an investigation. HBO subsequently issued a statement confirming the death in late June, saying, "a horse collapsed and died, likely of natural causes, according to a veterinarian's preliminary findings."

Filming for season two began in August 2022 at various locations around White Plains, New York, including Manhattanville College's Reid Hall, which was used for various locations, including offices, a home parlor and an art gallery/museum. Reid Hall was designed by Stanford White and built in 1892 for the family of newspaper publisher and diplomat, Whitelaw Reid.

Other New York locations included Albany, New York; Cohoes, New York; Troy, New York; Long Island; and Philadelphia. Scenes set at Susan Blane's home were filmed at Kingscote in Newport. The street backlot is near to Old Bethpage, New York on Long Island.

The third season started filming in July 2024.

Season 4 wrapped up shooting in early August, 2026.

Legal issue

On May 21, 2021, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) filed a charge for unfair labor practices against HBO and its Gilded Age production. The union claimed musicians were fired after asking they be represented by AFM. Two days later HBO agreed to cover the members "on an AFM basis".

Real-life events

Although The Gilded Age is a work of fiction, Julian Fellowes worked to accurately represent certain realities of the time period.

Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, also known as "The" Mrs. Astor, ruled New York society in the late nineteenth century. Descended from Dutch settlers, Astor married William Backhouse Astor Jr, whose family wealth was relatively new. At the time the series took place, Astor (Donna Murphy) and her husband were largely estranged. Dismayed by the chaos caused by the end of the Civil War and the rise of new money, and armed with her own distinguished lineage and her husband's fortune, she became the gatekeeper to high society.

Two characters, Bertha and George Russell (Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector), appear to be at least partly based on the formidable Alva and William K. Vanderbilt. Alva Erskine Vanderbilt (later Alva Belmont) came from a wealthy Mobile, Alabama, family that lost its money after the Civil War. Determined to regain her social status, she married a scion of the immensely wealthy Vanderbilt family in 1875, but the Vanderbilts were considered too "new money" by Caroline Astor and were largely ignored. In order to ascend to the upper echelons of society, Alva Vanderbilt set out to impress Caroline Astor. She hired society architect Richard Morris Hunt to build a luxurious mansion on Fifth Avenue and then hosted an enormous, extravagant ball for 1,000 as a "house-warming". The details of the festivities were leaked in advance to the press, and young society waited breathlessly for the upcoming ball—including Caroline Astor's daughter, Carrie. Caroline Astor called on Alva Vanderbilt to ensure that her daughter received an invitation. The ball was a success and the family was accepted into New York high society.

Other historical figures who appear in the series include President Chester A. Arthur (Randall Passman); Clara Barton (Linda Emond), founder of the American Red Cross; John Singer Sargent; and T. Thomas Fortune (Sullivan Jones), a man born into slavery who would become one of the leading Black journalists of his day. In his editorials, he wrote passionately about civil rights and denounced racial segregation and discrimination. He also helped found a predecessor to the NAACP, the Afro-American League.

Release

The series premiered on January 24, 2022, on HBO and HBO Max. In Australia, Paramount+ acquired the series as a "Paramount+ Exclusive", premiering on January 26, 2022. This also marks the first time a recent HBO series has skipped Foxtel in Australia, premiering on a non-Foxtel service as Foxtel has an output deal for HBO shows.

Home media

The first season was released on DVD, on July 26, 2022.

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of The Gilded Age holds an approval rating of 79% based on 76 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Julian Fellowes' brand of upstairs, downstairs intrigue makes a seamless transatlantic transition in The Gilded Age, with an outstanding cast making the travails of the rich a compelling watch." Metacritic assigned the season a score of 68 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Linda Holmes of NPR praised the series as "sharp and well-cast", noting that while it shares similarities with Downton Abbey, it distinguishes itself by focusing on the dynamics between old and new money in 1882 New York City.

Conversely, Lucy Mangan of The Guardian criticized the show, describing it as "sheer agony" and questioning the quality of its dialogue and character development.

The second season received a higher approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, standing at 94% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus states: "More topical than before while also owning its frivolous appeal with unapologetic splendor, Julian Fellowes' operatic soap enters its own halcyon age." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 73 out of 100, based on 21 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Kaiya Shunyata of RogerEbert.com commended the season for allowing its sprawling cast to shine, particularly highlighting Carrie Coon's performance as Bertha Russell. Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly described the season as "opulent, over-the-top escapism", appreciating its lavish production and melodramatic storytelling.

However, Chitra Ramaswamy of The Guardian offered a more critical view, noting that while the show is visually impressive, it lacks the sharpness and wit expected from such a period drama.

For the third season, Rotten Tomatoes reported an 95% approval rating based on 34 reviews. The site's critical consensus is: "Providing its gleaming ensemble with some of their juiciest material yet, The Gilded Age's tongue is still firmly in cheek but finds itself with plenty new to say." Metacritic assigned the season a score of 73 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".