''The Gilded Age'' is an American

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

television series created and written by

Julian Fellowes Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, (born 17 August 1949) is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, and a Conservative peer of the House of Lords. He is primarily known as the author of ...

for HBO that is set in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

during the

Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and We ...

, the boom years of the 1880s in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. Originally announced in 2018 for NBC, it was later announced in May 2019 that the show was moved to HBO. The series premiered on January 24, 2022. In February 2022, the series was renewed for a second season. It has received mostly positive reviews, with particular praise for the costumes, cast and performances of lead actors Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector and

Christine Baranski Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She is a 15-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom '' Cybill' ...

Premise

A young woman entering 1882 New York City's rigid social scene is drawn into the daily conflicts surrounding the

nouveau riche ''Nouveau riche'' (; ) is a term used, usually in a derogatory way, to describe those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than by familial inheritance. The equivalent English term is the "new rich" or "new money" ...

Russell family and the established van Rhijn-Brook family as well as those faced by the

upper Upper may refer to: * Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot * Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both * ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found fo ...

and upper middle classes, the Black upper class, and the

domestic worker A domestic worker or domestic servant is a person who works within the scope of a residence. The term "domestic service" applies to the equivalent occupational category. In traditional English contexts, such a person was said to be "in service ...

s that tend to all of their needs.

Cast and characters

Main

* Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell, determined to use her money and position to break into a polite society that resists change at every turn * Morgan Spector as George Russell, Bertha's husband and a classic robber baron representing "new money" *

Louisa Jacobson Louisa Jacobson Gummer (born June 12, 1991) is an American actress and model. She is best known for playing Marian Brook on hit HBO series '' The Gilded Age''. Early life Jacobson was born in Los Angeles, California, on June 12, 1991, to actre ...

as Marian Brook, penniless young gentlewoman whose circumstances force her to live with her estranged aunts * Denée Benton as Peggy Scott, a young ambitious African-American writer who works as Agnes' secretary * Taissa Farmiga as Gladys Russell, innocent and naïve, yet ready to be treated as an adult * Harry Richardson as Larry Russell, a recent

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

graduate eager to make his way in the world * Blake Ritson as Oscar van Rhijn, Agnes' intelligent and charismatic son who is looking for a rich heiress to guarantee him a proper

standard of living Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available, generally applied to a society or location, rather than to an individual. Standard of living is relevant because it is considered to contribute to an individual's quality ...

and act as a shield for his

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...

. * Thomas Cocquerel as Tom Raikes (season 1), a sensible young lawyer, smitten when he meets Marian, his late client's orphaned daughter * Simon Jones as Mr. Bannister, the Van Rhijns' self-aggrandizing English butler who keeps the rest of the staff in check * Jack Gilpin as Mr. Church, the Russell family's butler, a supporter of Mrs. Russell, excelling at his job *

Cynthia Nixon Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is an American actress, activist, and theater director. For her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), she won the 2004 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding S ...

as Ada Brook, Agnes' sister who is reliant upon her charity *

as Agnes van Rhijn (née Brook), a proud and stubborn old money

socialite A socialite is a person from a wealthy and (possibly) aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having tradit ...

, head of the Brook house * Kelli O'Hara as Aurora Fane (season 2; recurring season 1), Agnes' niece by marriage who helps Marian break into society * Donna Murphy as Caroline Schermerhorn Astor (season 2; recurring season 1), a prominent American socialite and leader of the elite group of New York society known as " The Four Hundred" *

Debra Monk Debra Monk (born February 27, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and writer, best known for her performances on the Broadway stage. She earned her first Tony Award for the 1993 production of ''Redwood Curtain'' and won an Emmy Award for seve ...

as Mrs. Armstrong (season 2; recurring season 1), Mrs. Van Rhijn's lady's maid * Kristine Nielsen as Mrs. Bauer (season 2; recurring season 1), cook for Mrs. Van Rhijn, taking young Bridget under her wing * Taylor Richardson as Bridget (season 2; recurring season 1), the Van Rhijn housemaid, troubled by an abusive past * Ben Ahlers as John "Jack" Treacher (season 2; recurring season 1), footman of the Van Rhijn household * Kelley Curran as Miss Turner (season 2; recurring season 1), Bertha's ambitious lady's maid, who does not intend to be a servant all her days. She is fired at the end of season 1. * Douglas Sills as Monsieur Baudin (season 2; recurring season 1), the chef of the Russell household who initially presents himself as French before it is revealed that he is Josh Borden from Wichita, Kansas. * Celia Keenan-Bolger as Mrs. Bruce (season 2; recurring season 1), the Russell's new housekeeper * Michael Cerveris as Mr. Watson (season 2; recurring season 1), George Russell's valet * Erin Wilhelmi as Adelheid (season 2; recurring season 1), Gladys Russell's lady's maid * Patrick Page as Richard Clay (season 2; recurring season 1), George Russell's loyal secretary * Sullivan Jones as T. Thomas Fortune (season 2; recurring season 1), publisher of the weekly New York Globe

Recurring

Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four act ...

as Dorothy Scott, Peggy's mother * Jeanne Tripplehorn as Sylvia Chamberlain, a socialite excluded from high society due to past actions * Ashlie Atkinson as Mamie Fish, American socialite and self-styled "fun-maker" * Claybourne Elder as John Adams, Oscar's secret lover * Katie Finneran as Anne Morris, determined to keep new money out of her circle * Amy Forsyth as Carrie Astor, the comely daughter of Mrs. Astor * John Sanders as

Stanford White Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect. He was also a partner in the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, one of the most significant Beaux-Arts firms. He designed many houses for the rich, in additio ...

, an up and coming American architect * John Douglas Thompson as Arthur Scott, Peggy's father * Linda Emond as Clara Barton *

Ward Horton Ward Kirby Horton (born January 14, 1976) is an American actor and stunt person. He is known for playing John Form in ''Annabelle (film), Annabelle''. In the fall of 2018, he played Ed in a Broadway revival of ''Torch Song Trilogy''. Ward Horton ...

as Charles Fane, Aurora's husband and one of the city's

aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members th ...

* Zuzanna Szadkowski as Mabel Ainsley *

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...

as Ward McAllister, arbiter of social rules and style in old New York

Guest

Bill Irwin William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He has made a nu ...

as Cornelius Eckhard * Michel Gill as Patrick Morris, Anne's husband and one of the city's

* Tom Blyth as Archie Baldwin * Andrew Child as Doylestown Farmer

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 ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on ...

''. 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 Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

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. On February 14, 2022, HBO renewed the series for a second season.

Casting

In September 2019, the production announced an initial cast consisting of

, Amanda Peet, and Morgan Spector. In November 2019, it was announced that Denée Benton,

, 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 Carrie Coon was cast as Bertha Russell to replace Peet because of delays caused by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

. 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,

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.

Filming

Following the move to HBO, the series was expected to begin filming in March 2020, before the

delayed production. Filming of the series began in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New ...

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 Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, NY and the Hudson River Museum in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York (state), New York, after New York City and Buffalo, New York, Buffalo. The popul ...

. In May 2021, filming continued in

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...

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 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; , stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. PETA reports that PETA entities have ...

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. Filming for season two has taken place at various locations around White Plains, NY, including

Manhattanville College Manhattanville College is a private university in Purchase, New York. Founded in 1841 at 412 Houston Street in lower Manhattan, it was initially known as Academy of the Sacred Heart, then after 1847 as Manhattanville College of the Sacred Hea ...

Reid Hall Reid Hall is a complex of academic facilities owned and operated by Columbia University that is located in the Montparnasse quartier of Paris, France. It houses the Columbia University Institute for Scholars at Reid Hall in addition to various ...

. Reid Hall has been used as various sets including offices, a home parlor and an art gallery/museum. Reid Hall was designed by

and built in 1892 for the family of newspaper publisher and diplomat, Whitelaw Reid. Reid Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Controversy

On May 21, 2021, the

American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/AFofM) is a 501(c)(5) labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada. The AFM, which has its headquarters in New York City, i ...

(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. Descending from Dutch settlers, the " knickerbocker" married relatively new money

William Backhouse Astor Jr William Backhouse Astor Jr. (July 12, 1829 – April 25, 1892) was an American businessman, racehorse owner/breeder, and yachtsman who was a member of the prominent Astor family. His elder brother, financier and philanthropist John Jacob Astor ...

. At the time the series takes place, Astor ( Donna Murphy) and her husband are largely estranged. Dismayed by the chaos caused by the end of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

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. She and her associate Ward McAllister (

) decreed that members of respectable society must be separated by at least three generations from the origin of the family fortune, as she herself was. McAllister, Mrs Astor's right-hand man, spent years across the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

absorbing culture, details of European courts, and society news. Although some recognized his devotion to preserving elegance and tradition, others saw him as an unapologetic snob. 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 Esrkine 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. Determined to ascend to the upper echelons of society, Alva Vanderbilt set out to impress Caroline Astor. Among her strategies, she hired society architect Richard Morris Hunt to build a luxurious mansion on

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 populatio ...

, then hosted an enormous, extravagant ball for 1,000 as a ‘house-warming’. All 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 ( Amy Forsyth). Caroline Astor was forced to call on Alva Vanderbilt to ensure her daughter received an invitation. The ball a success, the family was officially welcomed into New York high society. If Bertha Russel is modeled on Alva Vanderbilt, her husband, George Russell, bears little similarity to his counterpart, William K. Vanderbilt. He seems to be inspired by Vanderbilt only on the basis of wealth and marriage to an Alva-like wife. Other historical figures who appear in the series include Clara Barton ( Linda Emond), founder of the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desig ...

, and T. Thomas Fortune (Sullivan Jones), a man born into

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

who would become one of the leading Black journalists of his day. In his editorials, he wrote passionately about

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...

and denounced racial segregation and discrimination. He also helped found a predecessor to the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

, the Afro-American League.

Reception

Critical response

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, the series holds a "Certified Fresh" 80% approval rating based on 70 reviews, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "

' 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". At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the series has a score of 68 out of 100, based on 38 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Awards and nominations

Ratings

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilded Age, The (TV series) 2020s American drama television series 2022 American television series debuts Gilded Age Costume drama television series Serial drama television series English-language television shows Mass media portrayals of the upper class Television series set in the 1880s Television shows set in New York City Television shows filmed in New York (state) Television shows filmed in Rhode Island HBO original programming Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series Television series by Home Box Office Television series by Universal Television Television series created by Julian Fellowes