HBO’s lavish period drama The Gilded Age is expanding its world in a big way for Season 4.
Jordan Donica, who plays Dr. William Kirkland, and Ashlie Atkinson, who recurs as Mamie Fish, have both been promoted to series regulars. The upcoming season will also introduce several new recurring players, including Dennis Haysbert, Taylor Trensch, James Scully, Maggie Kuntz, Neal Huff, and Tony Award winner Bonnie Milligan.
The promotions come after a pivotal Season 3 finale that left Peggy Scott’s future hanging in the balance. William shocked Newport society by dropping to one knee and proposing without consulting his parents — particularly his formidable mother Elizabeth, played by Phylicia Rashad. Season 4 is expected to explore whether Peggy can find common ground with the Kirkland family as wedding talk looms.
Meanwhile, the official Season 4 logline teases continued fallout from Bertha Russell’s social climb. After changing the game at great personal cost, the Russells must now deal with the consequences while Agnes van Rhijn eyes an opportunity to reclaim her standing. Marian is carving her own path, and Peggy is navigating what acceptance into her future family may require. In this era, ambition always comes with a price.
New Faces in New York Society
Among the newcomers:
- Taylor Trensch will play Oliver, a fresh addition inside the van Rhijn household.
- James Scully is Lee Klein, an artist who sells his first painting at a major society event while apprenticing for famed painter William Merritt Chase.
- Dennis Haysbert portrays Dr. Reginald Harris, William Kirkland’s mentor, who arrives in New York to raise money for Freedman’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., and forms an unexpected connection.
- Maggie Kuntz takes on Fiona Summers, a cousin to the Astors and a spirited young woman willing to push against convention.
- Neal Huff will appear as John D. Rockefeller, the powerful oil titan and philanthropist who doesn’t always align with fellow industrialists.
- Bonnie Milligan plays Mrs. Knapp Curtis, the pioneering editor of The Ladies’ Home Journal.
Where We Left Off
Season 3 ended with major shifts across the board. George Russell’s near-death experience — saved by none other than Dr. Kirkland — forced him to reconsider everything, including his marriage. Bertha’s relentless drive secured her daughter Gladys’ future, but it may have cost her relationship with her husband.
Agnes, after a season of recalibrating her place within the family hierarchy, appears ready to step back into the fight between old money and new.
The Team Behind the Series
The Gilded Age is created, written, and executive produced by Julian Fellowes. Sonja Warfield also serves as writer and executive producer.
Additional executive producers include Gareth Neame, David Crockett, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Kate Churchill, Bob Greenblatt, and Elaine Aronson. Erica Dunbar is a historical consultant and co-executive producer, with Davita Scarlett and Holly Rymon also serving as co-EPs. Casting is by Bernie Telsey and Adam Caldwell.
The series is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television.
No premiere date for Season 4 has been announced yet, but with production ramping up and society evolving fast, the next chapter of ambition, romance, and power is officially in motion.