How to Get Cast on ‘The Gilded Age’

Mimicking the downstairs/upstairs vibe that Fellowes portrayed in his hit ITV series “Downton Abbey,” “The Gilded Age” is centered on the divide between the establishment and the newly wealthy in upper-crust Manhattan.

“The Gilded Age” follows the growing feud between two families, the old-money Brookses and the new-money Russells. Following the death of her father, the newly penniless Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) moves to New York City to live with her wealthy aunts, Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon). In short order, Marian and her new friend Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) find themselves thrust into the middle of a culture clash between her aunts and their neighbors. Over the course of the season, viewers watch Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) and her husband, railroad tycoon George (Morgan Spector), struggle to find their place in high society.

By the end of Season 2—spoiler alert!—Agnes finds she’s no longer head of the household as Ada takes the reins, setting the stage for great tension to come. As the power dynamic within their home shifts, will there be a changing of the guard among the outside members of high society, too?

Season 3 will mark the return of the show’s all-star ensemble, including:

• Cynthia Nixon as Ada Brook
• Christine Baranski as Agnes Van Rhijn
• Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell
• Morgan Spector as George Russell
• Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook
• Denée Benton as Peggy Scott
• Taissa Farmiga as Gladys Russell
• Harry Richardson as Larry Russell
• Blake Ritson as Oscar Van Rhijn
• Simon Jones as Bannister
• Jack Gilpin as Church
• Ben Ahlers as Jack Treacher 
• Kelli O’Hara as Aurora Fane
• Celia Keenan-Bolger as Mrs. Bruce
• Debra Monk as Armstrong
• Kristine Nielsen as Mrs. Bauer
• Patrick Page as Richard Clay
• Audra McDonald as Dorothy Scott

The series will also welcome a new family into the fold as Phylicia Rashad (Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkland), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Frederick Kirkland), and Jordan Donica (Dr. William Kirkland) join the cast. Victoria Clark (Joan Carlton), Merritt Wever (Monica O’Brien), Bill Camp (JP Morgan), Leslie Uggams (Mrs. Ernestine Brown), LisaGay Hamilton (Frances Ellen Watkins Harper), Jessica Frances Dukes (Athena Trumbo), Paul Alexander Nolan (Alfred Merrick), Andrea Martin (Madame Dashkova), and Hatti Morahan (Lady Sarah Vere) are also slated to join Season 3.

Like most projects that started production in 2020, the casting process for “The Gilded Age” was heavily influenced by the pandemic. In this case, Fellowes and his team turned their attention to out-of-work Broadway stars whose careers had been put on pause. According to the Washington Post, in Season 1 alone, its regular and recurring cast members held 56 individual Tony Award nominations and 22 wins among them.

The Post also noted it can be difficult for Broadway actors to cross over from stage to screen, but for Keenan-Bolger, the Tony-nominated actor who plays Mrs. Bruce, joining the series was a “godsend” during the industrywide shutdown. “There’s this sense of belonging. But also, nobody took that job for granted,” she said. “It was the hardest audition for drama club that you could ever imagine.”

As Telsey told us, when it comes to transitioning from one medium to another, actors need to be open to any role. “Let’s say you don’t have a lot of television behind you—be willing to take any role,” he explained. “That even goes [for] ‘The Gilded Age.’ You know who that cast is—they’re all Tony nominees, Tony winners—and they’re taking parts smaller than what they’re capable of. Ensemble roles and small roles are great, and [they’re] a way to get into that marketplace. That’s what I would say to a younger actor: There’s no part too small.”

Spector told us  his theater background was essential in helping him prepare for and land his leading role. “I don’t know what I would have done without my [stage] training,” he said. “I [studied at] the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, which is very much a classical theater training program. We were taught something that, as soon as I got out of school, I realized was completely obsolete—which was this idea of the American Theater Standard, which is the dialect in which you perform classic plays. If you’re going to do Shakespeare, you do it in American Theater Standard. As soon as I got out of school and started auditioning for things, I realized no one wanted that.”

He added, “[‘The Gilded Age’] is the first time that it’s really come in handy, because that’s…precisely what we’re using to create the period in our speech. I found [that in] Julian’s writing—as easy as it is in some ways because these characters are very well-drawn—there is a technical demand to the language. I have found myself drawing on stuff that I learned in acting school and [from] doing plays.”

In August, TV Insider confirmed that production on Season 3 was already underway in Brooklyn. The outlet shared behind-the-scenes photos of the cast, who all looked excited to be back on set. As for a potential fourth season, Season 3 didn’t get the greenlight until the Season 2 finale aired. So, we likely won’t know the series’ fate until Season 3 airs, which is expected to debut sometime in 2025, according to Deadline.

The third season of HBO’s “The Gilded Age” is currently casting. Grant Wilfley Casting is seeking background actors local to the Newport, Rhode Island, area. Talent aged 18 and older is wanted for general nonunion background roles to portray upscale citizens. Pre-fittings will be held until Oct. 31 for general roles, followed by filming in October through late November. Pay is $176 for 10 hours of work plus a fitting fee.

Along with the direct casting notice, we also recommend bookmarking our main casting page for updates on the latest opportunities as they become available.

Bernard Telsey and Adam Caldwell are the primary casting directors for featured players on “The Gilded Age.” Telsey is known for casting Broadway shows, having worked on hit musicals such as “Hamilton,” “Rent,” and “The Prom.” As for Caldwell, he told the Washington Post that he actively sought to cast stage actors. “That’s long been my goal: to get as many musical theater actors on TV as possible,” he said. “They’re the best-kept secret. I feel like they just have never been given the opportunity.” 

When bringing such a distinct era to life, Telsey told Backstage that actors must bring a certain “poise” to the audition. “Come in with that look. That doesn’t mean you have to have a period costume, but there is a way that one stands and looks in a period piece as opposed to a contemporary piece,” he said. Caldwell added, “A lot of it’s about the language, because so much can be altered with a look. It’s more about how they sound. Do they sound like a millennial with upspeak that doesn’t go away? That’s way more the thing that takes someone out of being believable for this world than the way they look.” 

Grant Wilfley, one of New York’s leading CDs for background work, was also involved in the casting process. His eye was key in supporting the opulent atmosphere established by the show’s costume and set design. “There’s a lot that goes into the selection process,” he told Backstage. “We start by asking if they look right; that is usually the criteria. Are they the right ethnicity? Are they the right period look? Is their hair long enough? For the period projects, do they fit in the sizes [the costume designers] need?”

Nixon began acting at a young age. She told us that, back then, she had no delusions about her future success. “My parents were very careful to explain to me that most kid actors don’t become adult actors, so I had that very much in mind,” she said. “I didn’t actually think it was going to happen, but then it just seemed to keep happening!” 

As for Nixon’s advice to her younger self, “I would say, try and trust your instincts more, and be more in the moment. Don’t worry so much, and don’t shy away from things that you’re going to fail at. Failing is not the worst thing. Failing actually can be really valuable.”

While they aren’t quite the most glamorous roles, Wilfley recommends embracing the opportunities that background work has to offer. “Everyone starts somewhere in the industry. Doing background work is a great way [for actors] to start and see what happens on a set, to see their peers actually working on their craft, and to get comfortable and familiar with how a production team works,” the CD told Backstage. “I always tell people starting out who are nonunion actors that it’s a great way to learn about the business and be on a set, but also to be close to the principal actors whom you admire. You witness their craft and career and actually see them work. You can’t learn that in drama class. You learn a lot in drama class, but to actually see it happen in person is a different thing. Always approach it as an observation and a good learning experience.”

Spector, a seasoned stage actor, told us he underwent an adjustment period when transitioning from Broadway to TV. “When I first started working on camera, I had this idea that I just had to hold completely still, and I found it really constraining. Over time, what I’ve learned is that if you’re committed and you’re fully engaged, the camera doesn’t mind,” he said. “You can’t be frenetic; it’s a little easier to be over-the-top on camera. [But] there’s more room to play than I initially thought there was when I first started making that transition.”

Spector also soon realized that a stage actor’s voice is their greatest asset, no matter the medium. “Theater actors have incredibly developed voices,” he said. “If you can figure out a way to play into the mic in an intimate way and use your instrument in the same way with the same range that people do onstage, that can really be an asset…. Somebody like Carrie Coon—she has an amazing, rich, mellifluous voice which she trained onstage.” He added, “Never lose touch with your instinct and your voice as an artist. What makes you valuable on set is your ideas, your voice—the things you bring that nobody else can.”