Unlike, say, Bridgerton, The Gilded Age is no fantastical retelling of history. It draws inspiration from real-life people and events.
The Russell family is no exception. The past two seasons of HBO’s period drama have seen railroad tycoon George (Morgan Spector) and his ambitious wife, Bertha (Carrie Coon), take the New York social scene by storm. They disrupt the old money hierarchy just like William Kissam Vanderbilt and his wife, Alva. Creator Julian Fellowes has confirmed that they are the Russells’ historical counterparts.
