The Gilded Age is heading back to 1880s New York this June, and the social ladder is steeper than ever.
HBO’s lavish period drama from creator Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) returns for Season 3 with eight new episodes, airing on HBO and streaming on Max. Picking up in the aftermath of last season’s explosive Opera War, the new installment finds the Russells solidifying their place at the top — but that kind of power doesn’t come without a price.
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What’s Coming This Season
Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) is setting her sights on a new prize that could take her family’s social standing to unprecedented heights. Meanwhile, her husband George (Morgan Spector) is making a risky move in the railroad business — one that could either revolutionize the industry or completely ruin them.
Across the street, the Van Rhijn household is reeling. Agnes (Christine Baranski) isn’t exactly thrilled about her sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) inheriting her late husband’s fortune — or the newfound authority that comes with it. And Denée Benton’s Peggy Scott is navigating a new romance with a doctor from Newport, all while facing pushback from his disapproving family.
The official logline teases a season built around ambition, sacrifice, and the cost of progress in a rapidly changing world. Or as Fellowes puts it: this isn’t just about wealth and power — it’s about legacy.
Of course — here’s the cleaned-up cast separation by commas followed by a character breakdown for the new cast members:
Returning Cast (Season 3):
Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, Blake Ritson, Ben Ahlers, Ashlie Atkinson, Dylan Baker, Kate Baldwin, Michael Cumpsty, John Ellison Conlee, Kelley Curran, Amy Forsyth, Jack Gilpin, Ward Horton, Simon Jones, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Ben Lamb, Nathan Lane, Andrea Martin, Audra McDonald, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Kristine Nielsen, Paul Alexander Nolan, Kelli O’Hara, Patrick Page, Rachel Pickup, Taylor Richardson, Douglas Sills, Bobby Steggert, Erin Wilhelmi, John Douglas Thompson
New to Season 3 Cast:
Phylicia Rashad, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jordan Donica, Leslie Uggams, LisaGay Hamilton, Jessica Frances Dukes, Merritt Wever, Bill Camp, Andrea Martin, Paul Alexander Nolan, Hattie Morahan, Hannah Shealy
Character Breakdown – New Additions:
- Phylicia Rashad plays Mrs. Ernestine Brown, the poised and commanding mother of Jordan Donica’s character, who brings her own social weight to Peggy Scott’s storyline.
- Brian Stokes Mitchell portrays Mr. Brown, Ernestine’s husband and a prominent Newport figure whose traditional views complicate his son’s relationship with Peggy.
- Jordan Donica plays Dr. Isaac Hale, a well-educated Newport doctor who forms a romantic connection with Peggy Scott, though his family isn’t welcoming of her independent career.
- Leslie Uggams also portrays Mrs. Ernestine Brown (notably listed twice in press materials, potentially indicating a recasting or shared storyline).
- LisaGay Hamilton plays Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a real-life historical figure — poet, lecturer, and abolitionist — who brings a powerful political presence to the season.
- Jessica Frances Dukes plays Athena Trumbo, a sharp and strategic woman whose arrival is set to stir things up within elite Black society.
- Merritt Wever portrays Monica O’Brien, a character whose motivations and ties to the main families remain under wraps, but whose presence is expected to disrupt the status quo.
- Bill Camp joins as J.P. Morgan, the powerful financier whose real-life influence reshaped American banking — and who may now enter the Russell family’s orbit.
- Andrea Martin plays Madame Dashkova, a colorful European socialite with her own intentions in New York society.
- Paul Alexander Nolan portrays Alfred Merrick, a newcomer to society with unclear allegiances but a polished charm.
- Hattie Morahan plays Lady Sarah Vere, an aristocrat from overseas who adds an international edge to the season’s social chessboard.
- Hannah Shealy plays Elizabeth Blaine, a new debutante introduced to the city’s elite, likely tied to one of the show’s younger storylines.
First Look and What’s Stirring Conversation
HBO’s newly released first-look photos offer glimpses of the drama to come. One striking image shows Bertha, George, and Larry Russell seated in a church looking visibly stunned. Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) is noticeably missing, prompting speculation that the photo may be from her wedding — and that something at the altar might not go according to plan.
Other images highlight Ada and Agnes adorned in tiaras, signaling a potential shift in their social status (and possibly in their relationship), while we also get our first glimpse of Rashad and Donica’s characters in conversation with Peggy.
Notably absent from the new season are Nicole Brydon Bloom (Maud Beaton) and Sullivan Jones (T. Thomas Fortune), who both played pivotal roles in Season 2.
Behind the Series
Julian Fellowes returns as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. He’s joined by executive producers Gareth Neame, David Crockett, Sonja Warfield, Michael Engler (who also directs), Bob Greenblatt, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield. The series is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Francesca Orsi, HBO’s head of drama, also teased that Season 3 will delve deeper into the social and moral complexities of the era, including how divorce, arranged marriages, and reputation shaped one’s place in society.
The Gilded Age Season 3 premieres June 2025 on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. An exact release date is still to come — but based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s clear the climb to the top isn’t slowing down anytime soon.