Were the Russells Real People? The History Behind HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’
HBO’s historical drama is inspired by the true American era, though things are a bit more complicated about Bertha Russell and her family. Here’s everything about The Gilded Age’s main family and who the Russells might be based on.
American history is at its prime during the fictionalized Gilded Age in HBO’s drama series of the same name, and it’s not only the era that the show borrowed from the real history.
The Gilded Age stars Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell, an initially powerless, but ambitious matriarch of the Russell family who, despite being born into poverty, is determined to use her husband’s money and position to break into the New York City high society.
The storyline does sound familiar to those who closely studied the United States’ history during the 1880s, and though the Russells weren’t quite the real figures, the characters are still inspired by the country’s wealthiest family at the time.
The Russells in ‘The Gilded Age’ Are a Fictional Family Inspired by the Vanderbilt Dynasty
Some of those who are familiar with the most prominent last names of 1880s New York City’s creme de la creme will also draw a parallel between the Russells in the show and the Vanderbilt in real life, since the former follows pretty much the same path.
Like The Gilded Age’s Bertha and the family she quite literally runs towards the success, the Vanderbilt were also considered “new money” due to the fact that their name wasn’t well-known at the time of the American Revolution.
It was Cornelius Vanderbilt who built the empire by working in the shipping and railroad industries in the mid-1800s, with his grandson William Kissam Vanderbilt later on inheriting Cornelius’ business and money.
Here comes the biggest resemblance with The Gilded Age as William’s wife Alva was a social climber and was ready to use her husband’s influence to get into high society.
In the end, Alva was the one to build the name for the Vanderbilt within the high-class gatherings, despite eventually parting her ways with William after his affair.
Some of ‘The Gilded Age’ Families Also Existed in Real Life
Unlike the Russells who took most of their story from Vanderbilt, characters like Mamie Fish, Caroline and Carrie Astor, the Livingstons and the Roosevelts were actual real-life people who lived during the era.
In fact, Caroline Astor, who in the show is portrayed by Donna Murphy, was considered the reigning queen of New York City and a very influential socialite who also established the Four Hundred — a list of people allowed to her high-class parties.
Caroline’s daughter Carrie was the one who eventually became friends with Alva Vanderbilt and urged her mother to accept Alva at the Four Hundred gatherings.
