'The Gilded Age' Adds Eight New Faces to Its Sprawling Season 3 Cast

It’s no secret that The Gilded Age’s cast is....well, let’s just call it large. Sprawling. Expansive, even. Boasting a roster that included two dozen series regulars in its second season and even more recurring roles, the HBO period drama had the most extensive ensemble cast on television in 2023. And while some of us may have assumed its already stacked roster meant the show was unlikely to add many more characters this season, well....we were all wrong. 

Earlier this year, the series announced a modest four new faces, clearly intending to deepen and further flesh out its occasionally thin portrayal of Black life in late nineteenth New York. So far, so needed! And so clearly aware that the show probably had more characters than it could reasonably service. The joke’s on us, though, as the casting department wasn’t finished yet.

The Gilded Age has added eight new faces to its massive roster for Season 3 in major and minor roles. However, the character descriptions sound like they’ll be primarily involved with the Russells’ and Peggy’s storylines.

• Merritt Weaver (Tiny Beautiful Things) as Monica O’Brien, the estranged sister of Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) 
• Bill Camp (Presumed Innocent) as the famous banker J.P. Morgan, who finds himself at odds with George Russell (Morgan Spector) over the future of the railway industry
• Leslie Uggams (Fallout) as Mrs. Ernestine Brown, Elizabeth Kirkland’s friend and a member of the Black elite community in Newport.
• Lisagay Hamilton (Genius) as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, the famed Black suffragist who inspires Peggy (Denée Benton) to become involved in her cause 
• Paul Alexander Nolan (Instinct) as dashing, wealthy New York businessman Alfred Merrick.
• Hattie Morahan (Fool Me Once) as Lady Sarah Vere, the Duke of Buckingham’s sister, who is no fan of the Russell family.
• Andrea Martin (Evil) as Madam Dashkova, a medium who claims to be able to commune with the dead.
• Jessica Frances Dukes (The Regime) as Athena Trumbo, beloved first cousin of Peggy’s mother Dorothy, who will host her niece in Newport. 

Here's the Season 3 logline.

The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic and social change, when huge fortunes were made and lost overnight. With the old guard officially deposed, New York society finds itself turned upside down, and all must get their house in order. But even those at the helm of this new era may find that change comes at a cost. 

The series' returning cast includes Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Louisa Jacobson, Blake Ritson, Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, Denée Benton, Simon Jones, Jack Gilpin, Kelli O'Hara, Donna Murphy, Debra Monk, Kristine Nielsen, Taylor Richardson, Ben Ahlers, Kelley Curran, Douglas Sills, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Michael Cerveris, Erin Wilhelmi, Patrick Page, Sullivan Jones, Christopher Denham, Rebecca Haden, Dakin Mathews, Michael Braugher, Ben Lamb, Laura Benanti, David Furr, Matilda Lawler, and Nicole Brydon Bloom. (Whew!)

Previously announced new additions include the great Phylicia Rashad (Diarra from Detroit), as well as Broadway vets Brian Stokes Mitchell (Elementary), Jordan Donica (Charmed), and Victoria Clark (Pose).

The Gilded Age was created by Julian Fellowes, who serves as the series' writer alongside Salli Richardson-Whitfield. Fellowes and Richardson-Whitfield both serve as executive producers, as well as Gareth Neame, and Bob Greenblatt. 

Season 3 is currently in production, though it will not arrive on our screens until a to-be-determined date in 2025. Seasons 1 and 2 of The Gilded Age are currently streaming on Max.