If you are in the mood for a solid period drama, The Gilded Age fits the bill. With new characters entering the fussy fray, you might need help keeping track of who’s who in season 2.
The Gilded Age has everything you want in a period melodrama. There are dramatic arcs between old money and new money. There are Opera Wars. Bertha Russell literally had an opera singer sing in her living room because she had the money to do it. This is the kind of drama I like. They also never seem to run out of wild hats to wear for no particular reason. Set in an era known for being over the top, The Gilded Age doesn’t disappoint.
For season 2, many of the old faces returned, but a few new characters have also popped up. Here’s a quick guide to the cast and characters in season 2.
The Russell Household
- Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell
- Morgan Spector as George Russell
- Taissa Farmiga as Gladys Russell
- Harry Richardson as Larry Russell
- Michael Cerveris as Mr. Watson
- Jack Gilpin as Mr. Church
- Celia Keenan-Bolger as Mrs. Bruce
- Patrick Page as Richard Clay
- Douglas Sills as Monsieur Baudin/Josh Borden
- Erin Wilhelmi as Adelheid Weber
The Van Rhijn Household
- Christine Baranski as Agnes van Rhijn
- Cynthia Nixon as Ada Brook/Forte
- Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook
- Blake Ritson as Oscar van Rhijn
- Simon Jones as Mr. Alfred Bannister
- Ben Ahlers as John “Jack” Trotter
- Denée Benton as Peggy Scott
- Kristine Nielsen as Mrs. Bauer
- Taylor Richardson as Bridget
- Debra Monk as Mrs. Armstrong
Everyone Else
- Donna Murphy as Mrs. Astor
- Amy Forsyth as Carrie Astor
- Nathan Lane as Ward McAllister
- Kelli O’Hara as Aurora Fane
- Ward Horton as Charles Fane
- John Douglas Thompson as Arthur Scott
- Audra McDonald as Dorothy Scott
- Kelley Curran as Mrs. Winterton/Turner
- Sullivan Jones as T. Thomas Fortune
- Claybourne Elder as John Adams
- Ashlie Atkinson as Mamie Fish
- Robert Sean Leonard as Luke Forte
- Laura Benanti as Susan Blane
- Nicole Brydon Bloom as Maud Beaton
- David Furr as Dashiell Montgomery
- Matilda Lawler as Frances Montgomery
- Ben Lamb as The Duke of Buckingham
- Michael Braugher as Book T. Washington
- Melanie Nicholls-King as Sarah J. Garnet
- Jordan Waller as Oscar Wilde
(featured image: Max)
