How Newport ‘worked its magic' on ‘The Gilded Age' creator Julian Fellowes
'Newport's been the discovery of this job for me,' said Fellowes. 'I think in Newport you get a much clearer sense of who these people thought they were.'
Actors Amy Forsyth (as Caroline Astor), left, Ashlie Atkinson (Mamie Fish), and Harry Richardson (Larry Russell) stroll across the lawn of the Ledges in Newport in the HBO drama "The Gilded Age."
Allison Cohen Rosa/HBO
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Wealthy American families after the Civil War sought to forge a new identity separate from Europe and its traditions, said Fellowes, who also created 'Downton Abbey.'
'It wasn't enough anymore to go on copying Europe and to be this newer version of Europe,' he said. 'This was a different society. This was made up of newer people or people who had made it simply through their own talent and ability, and they wanted a society that reflected that, that you didn't have to have 15 generations of ancestors who've all been at the court of Maria Theresa.'
While 'The Gilded Age' focuses on the clash between the nouveau riche Russells and old-money van Rhijns in New York City, Newport comes into play as the summertime playground where the wealthy 'built their palaces,' making a statement about their status, Fellowes said.
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'When you go to Rosecliff and you look out at the sea, and that stupendous ballroom behind you, you really think: These people were not apologizing for who they were,' said Fellowes.
From left: Morgan Spector, Carrie Coon, and Harry Richardson.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
After introducing the characters in season 1 and diving more deeply into their ambitions in season 2, Fellowes said the upcoming third installment is centered on their 'emotional motives.'
'I wanted to explore who they really were to themselves, when the servants had left and they were looking in the glass in the bathroom,' he said.
For the van Rhijns, this season sees a power shift between sisters Ada (Cynthia Nixon) and Agnes (Christine Baranski). At the end of season 2, the family nearly lost its home due to Agnes's son Oscar (Blake Ritson) and his mishandling of their investments. But, all was saved thanks to auntie Ada, who shocked everyone with the reveal that her late husband Luke, a reverend with Boston roots, was secretly rich and left her his wealth. The turnabout, which puts the purse strings under Ada's control, comes as a culture shock to Agnes, the razor-tongued matriarch of the family who's used to getting her way.
Fellowes has long been 'interested by strong and ambitious women who had to live in a society that didn't accommodate strong and ambitious women,' he said. Through Ada and Agnes, he looks at how people react to longstanding dynamics changing and situations not going as planned.
'The truth is, we all … have to accept something we did not choose and have to accept the limitations of our ambition,' Fellowes said. 'There is a moment where our ambition exceeds our ability, and we have to take note of that and act accordingly. '
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From left: Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Ada, usually not the center of attention, has transformed in unexpected ways entering
this season, according to Fellowes.
Despite the heartbreak of losing her husband to cancer so soon after their marriage in season 2, she's found a new confidence, Fellowes said. Experiencing a deep romance for the first time helped her feel seen and discover her inner strength.
'This wasn't just some dumb guy who was lonely and finally found someone that was prepared to have supper with him,' said Fellowes. 'We're talking about a man with real choices, with real money. He could have done anything he liked with his life. … And he's chosen Ada.'
'I think that changes Ada's perception of herself, and in the end, it changes everyone's perception of her,' he added.
From left: C.J. Wilson, Morgan Spector, and Patrick Page.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
On the Russells' side of things, Bertha (Carrie Coon) is still on a mission to see her family ascend to even higher ranks of society, while George (Morgan Spector) looks to advance his business empire with some questionable railroad activities out West.
The era's often nefarious industrialists fascinate Fellowes, who was particularly interested in how these robber barons 'clearly started to worry about how they would be remembered' at the end of their careers, he noted. Those fears, he said, led notable names at the time like Carnegie and Frick to donate money for public works such as libraries and concert halls, 'so that they will be remembered as nice men.'
According to Fellowes, it's these types of contributions that, when coupled with their long histories of worker abuse and other unethical practices, make their legacies complicated.
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'I think they did make a tremendous contribution to public life in America, and also, lest we forget, they built an economy in this new country that was, fairly soon, the greatest economy in the world and gave them an enormous advantage in the coming world wars,' Fellowes said. 'I don't think it's appropriate to simply disparage them as robber barons and forget about it.'
'The Gilded Age' season 3 premieres Sunday on HBO and Max.
Matt Juul can be reached at
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