Interview: Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector on their Cutthroat Couple in ‘The Gilded Age’

HBO’s new series The Gilded Age brings the scope of creator Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey to 1882 New York City, following a young transplant from rural Pennsylvania who moves in with her wealthy aunts. The large cast of characters includes their rich neighbors, Bertha (Carrie Coon) and George Russell (Morgan Spector), who are ruthless in their determination to get what they want.

Awards Radar had the chance to speak with Coon and Spector about the opportunity to work with Fellowes, the appeal of their marriage, and other great performers in the ensemble.

Coon and Spector touched on the cutthroat nature of their characters and the remarkable marriage they have.

Coon: “I really loved their marriage. That was one of the main things that attracted me. The relationship was central, and they couldn’t be who they are without their partner. It was a surprisingly respectful marriage, and the fact that George supports Bertha’s ambitions surprised me as something I hadn’t seen portrayed very often in that time…. I also love that she’s really single-minded and that blinds her to what’s right in front of her. That’s a really relatable flaw, and I love a flaw.”

Spector: “What was important for me is that you see over the course of the season that there are consequences to how cutthroat they are, and how ruthless they are, and they don’t bear them most of them. Those consequences play out in other people’s lives.”

Watch the full conversation below:

New episodes of The Gilded Age premiere Mondays at 9pm on HBO.