Steven Prusakowski
HBO delivered an early holiday gift to fans of the late 1800s historical drama, The Gilded Age, with the announcement of a third season renewal. The series from creator Julian Fellowes has achieved acclaim for its incredible ensemble cast including Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, and Cynthia Nixon, costume design, and Emmy-winning production design. A renewal seemed like a given since the December 17 finale delivered the highest premiere-night viewing for the series after continuous second season growth.
One reason for the increasing series popularity is the character George Russell, a railroad tycoon whose ruthless business approach and matched only by his fierce love for his family. The complex character is brought to life by captivating performance by Morgan Spector who finds a balance in George that makes his both feared and respected. The actor sat down to speak with Awards Radar about his work this season that has George dealing with intense labor strikes and also a test of his fidelity, that deliver some surprising facets to the character Spector described as, “Big. Bad. Daddy.”
Has George become a better person since we first met him? “He’s a pretty ruthless strategic thinker,” said Spector. “He has a certain amount of honor and he has an ethical code that he abides by.” In season two George deals with labor dispute with the steel workers that could push him to take extreme actions. It is a delicate situation on screen and for the character. If handled wrong there is a risk of losing fan support.
“George makes the choice not to fire on his workers,” explained Spector. “Either George executes dozens of workers in cold blood or he doesn’t. And I think that is a bridge too far and would have been a bridge too far. So, yes, I think George is just as ruthless as he was on day one and just as loving towards his family, his wife, as he was on day one, but still calculated.”
Watch the full conversation with Spector below and see all of his work as George Russell on Max where the complete first two seasons are now streaming.
The show is phenomenal!