The Gilded Age Season 3 is gearing up to begin production with the announcement of four new cast members that are sure to thrill theater lovers. Phylicia Rashad, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Victoria Clark, and Jordan Donica will appear in new roles in the upcoming season on HBO, for which a release date has not yet been announced.
With the June 17 casting announcement came the first plot description for The Gilded Age Season 3. The logline reads: “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.”
Rashad, Mitchell, and Donica will play a family of the Black elite in Brooklyn, and Clark will play a woman from the old money Manhattan crowd. Rashad and Donica will be recurring; Mitchell and Donica will guest star.
Rashad plays Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkland, a woman from a prominent family in Newport with ties dating back to the American Revolution. She has high standards (and an occasionally sharp tongue). She is unwilling to compromise the standards and expectations of her elite and exclusive social group — particularly when it comes to her son.
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Donica plays Dr. William Kirkland, a kind, handsome, doctor from the prominent Kirkland family. He isn’t as narrow minded as the older members of his elite social circle. He was inspired to help others by becoming a doctor after visiting Arthur Scott’s (John Douglas Thompson) pharmacy as a boy.
Mitchell plays Frederick Kirkland, the patriarch of the Kirkland family, husband to Elizabeth Kirkland (Rashad), and father of Dr. William Kirkland (Donica). He is the pastor of a prominent Black church and a leader in the Newport community.
Clark plays Joan Carlton, a kind, genial woman from the old money side of New York high society. Sincere and supportive of her son, she is surprised to find herself in a complicated and insulting situation. Joan seems to be the mother of Billy Carlton (Matt Walker), who was seen in Season 2 with Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga).
Mitchell’s casting marks a Ragtime reunion with Audra McDonald. The Tony winners co-starred in the original Broadway cast of the celebrated musical in the 1990s, and Kelli O’Hara (Aurora Fane) also has a history with the production. All four of the new Gilded Age actors continue the tradition of having Tony Award-nominated and winning actors in the cast.
Rashad and Clark are both two-time Tony winners (Rashad for A Raisin in the Sun and Skeleton Crew; Clark for The Light in the Piazza and 2023’s Kimberly Akimbo). Mitchell won his Tony for Kiss Me, Kate. Donica was nominated for a Tony in 2023 for his performance in the revival of Camelot, the same season during which Clark won for Kimberly Akimbo.
The Gilded Age is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. It’s created, written, and executive produced by Downton Abbey‘s Julian Fellowes. Sonja Warfield is writer and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Gareth Neame, David Crockett, Michael Engler, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield (the latter two also direct episodes this season). Erica Dunbar serves as historical consultant and co-executive producer. The show is cast by Bernie Telsey and Adam Caldwell from the Telsey Office.
The Gilded Age, Season 3 Premiere, TBA, HBO
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