Carrie Coon, Donna Murphy and Nathan Lane in “The Gilded Age.” Photograph by Alison Cohen Rosa/HBO
Donna Murphy as Caroline Astor in “The Gilded Age.” Photograph by Alison Cohen Rosa/HBO
Nathan Lane as Ward McAllister in “The Gilded Age.” Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
Nathan Lane as Ward McAllister and Ashlie Atkinson as Mamie Fish in “The Gilded Age.” Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell in “The Gilded Age.” Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
Taissa Farmiga as Gladys Russell in “The Gilded Age. Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook and Jeanne Tripplehorn as Sylvia Chamberlain in “The Gilded Age.” Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
HBO Max’s “The Gilded Age” Season 1 adopted the highs and lows, affluence and melodrama, of the real-life Gilded Age in New York Metropolis. The present is stuffed with traditionally correct feuds, classism, costumes and real-life figures.
Followers could be to study that “The Gilded Age” Season 1 isn’t all fiction. In actual fact, it follows and chronicles real-life folks — and their drama. As followers eagerly await “The Gilded Age” Season 2, let’s dive into the actual folks depicted within the dramatic interval piece.
Who're ‘The Gilded Age’ characters primarily based on?
HBO Max’s “The Gilded Age” is fictional, but it surely’s additionally deeply rooted in historic occasions. Eighties New York Metropolis was crammed with opulence and classism, with an elite group of rich, outstanding households ruling New York’s higher society.
So whereas the plot in “The Gilded Age” Season 1 is fiction, it’s closely primarily based on true occasions. Some characters are solely primarily based on real-life figures — corresponding to Bertha Russell — however others are primarily based on actual folks.
Had been the Russells an actual household?
The Russells are a fictional household. However the Russells are primarily based on the real-life Vanderbilts, who have been thought-about new cash to the older, extra established New York households. In line with ScreenRant, the Vanderbilts acquired their wealth in delivery and railroads, very similar to the Russells.
The actual-life folks in ‘The Gilded Age’
Caroline Schermerhorn Astor
Donna Murphy as Caroline Astor in “The Gilded Age.”
Photograph by Alison Cohen Rosa/HBO
In “The Gilded Age” Season 1, Caroline Astor reigns over New York society and is hesitant to incorporate the Russells into the fold, as a result of they’re “new cash.” Not solely was Astor actual, however the feud between her and Bertha Russell is predicated on real-life occasions.
Astor was “was the daughter of a rich service provider,” per Britannica, who married William Astor in 1853. Caroline Astor was a outstanding tastemaker in New York society, and cultivated an inventory of the 400 most related and trendy New Yorkers together with her pal Ward McAllister. The 400 have been those that had Astor’s calling card and who attended her well-known events, because the Deseret Information beforehand reported
Astor famously disliked the Vanderbilt household as a result of their repute as new cash, per Vogue. That is seemingly the inspiration for Russell and Astor’s friction in “The Gilded Age” Season 1. Ultimately, Astor accepted the Vanderbilts into the fold.
Ward McAllister
Nathan Lane as Ward McAllister in “The Gilded Age.”
Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
In “The Gilded Age,” Russell seeks out the approval of Ward McAllister as a way to make her method into the elite of New York’s society. In actual life, McAllister was an precise tastemaker and helped set up the 400 with Caroline Astor.
Per Britannica, McAllister was a lawyer from Savannah, Georgia. After making a fortune on his regulation agency by 1852, he retired and “devoted himself to social life.” After a visit together with his spouse to Europe, McAllister discovered himself “smitten with the ‘Society’ he discovered there,” per Slate. He moved to New York Metropolis and performed a heavy hand in establishing higher New York society. Nevertheless, per Britannica, he spent most of his time in Newport — as he does in “The Gilded Age” Season 1.
McAllister believed that trendy folks, and the rich, have been job makers, writing that they “trigger the expenditure of cash and its distribution.” He wrote a memoir about society and his life, referred to as “Society as I Have Discovered It,” in 1890. In line with Slate, McAllister’s memoir created fairly a stir in his social circle and was the downfall of his affect.
Mamie Fish
Nathan Lane as Ward McAllister and Ashlie Atkinson as Mamie Fish in “The Gilded Age.”
Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
In “The Gilded Age,” Russell advises her son, Larry, to get near socialite and hostess Mamie Fish — she’s the middle of Newport society and is understood for her lavish events. The actual-life Fish was the identical.
Fish was infamous for her “fast wit and outrageous events in New York and Newport,” per Vogue — followers of “The Gilded Age” almost certainly keep in mind her for her doll tea social gathering.
In line with The Newport Each day Information, “An emblem of ultrafashionable society, on the top of her reign Mamie was a favourite matter for the newspapers, whether or not it was a little bit of hypothesis concerning the plans for her newest social gathering, an outline of an outfit, or a rumor relating to her most up-to-date social squabble.”
After Caroline Astor’s loss of life, Fish, together with Alva Vanderbilt, took over the reigns because the leaders of New York Society, per Vogue.
‘The Gilded Age’ characters primarily based on real-life folks
Bertha Russell primarily based on Alva Vanderbilt
Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell in “The Gilded Age.”
Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
In line with Vogue, the bold and rich Bertha Russell is closely primarily based on Alva Vanderbilt. A lot in order that “The Gilded Age” creator Julian Fellowes mentioned, “Bertha is totally Alva,” per Rhode Island Month-to-month.
Per Britannica, Alva Vanderbilt married William Ok. Vanderbilt in 1875 and, on the time, the Vanderbilts have been one of many wealthiest households on the earth. Regardless of this, Vanderbilt lacked the coveted 400 standing bequeathed by the Astors as a result of they have been new cash.
Vanderbilt did all the things in her energy to hitch the 400, together with hiring well-known architect Richard M. Hunt to design their $3 million mansion on Fifth Avenue. In 1883, Vanderbilt deliberate what is probably the social gathering of the century — an Olympian masquerade ball with 1,200 invited.
In line with Brittanica, Astor acquiesced and requested Vanderbilt to place her daughter, Carolina Astor, on the invite record. Vanderbilt agreed, and her spot amongst the 400 was lastly secured, because the Deseret Information beforehand reported.
Gladys Russell primarily based on Consuelo Vanderbilt
Taissa Farmiga as Gladys Russell in “The Gilded Age.
Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
If Bertha Russell is predicated on Alva Vanderbilt, then Russell’s daughter is actually primarily based on the gorgeous socialite Consuelo Vanderbilt, daughter of the Vanderbilt household. Very similar to in “The Gilded Age” Season 1, the Vanderbilt daughter was able to marry for love — however her mom had her sights set on “a stratospheric social match,” per Vogue.
Ultimately, Vanderbilt was married to “a cash-poor however pedigree-rich Englishman,” the ninth Duke of Marlborough, based on NPR. The Vanderbilts paid the duke a $2.5 million dowry to marry their daughter, per Vogue, and the sad bride reportedly “cried behind her veil” at her wedding ceremony.
Her marriage to the duke proved to be loveless — they ultimately divorced and Vanderbilt devoted her life to political activism, per NPR.
Sylvia Chamberlain primarily based on Arabella Huntington
Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook and Jeanne Tripplehorn as Sylvia Chamberlain in “The Gilded Age.”
Alison Cohen Rosa, HBO
By all accounts, the rich widow and social pariah Sylvia Chamberlain is closely primarily based on Arabella Huntington, based on Vogue. Very similar to Sylvia in “The Gilded Age” Season 1, Huntington was in a controversial marriage: she married Collis Huntington, wealthy American industrialist, solely 9 months after his first spouse died.
And, very similar to in “The Gilded Age,” Huntington was a social pariah. In line with the Los Angeles Instances, “The newlyweds moved to Fifth Avenue, however even that deal with couldn't overcome Arabella’s mysterious previous and Huntington’s ruthless dealings — notable even in that rapacious age. The Astors and Vanderbilts barred them from New York society.”
Additionally equally to Sylvia, Huntington had a toddler out of wedlock — and the identification of the daddy remains to be up for debate.