“There Is Hope for the Two of Them”

[Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Episode 7 of Season 3 of The Gilded Age.]

In episode seven of Season 3 of the HBO series The Gilded Age, entitled “Ex-Communicated,” Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) returns home with good news for the family business, only to get a rather upsetting message from Marian (Louisa Jacobson). Deciding to break off their engagement via a letter with no explanation, leaving Larry desperate for answers. When he finally has a conversation with Marian and she accuses him of going to a house of ill repute, he insists that nothing happened, which Jack (Ben Ahlers) later confirms as he remained by Larry’s side the entire time, Larry’s lie and Marian’s doubt makes the future of their relationship seem impossible.

During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Richardson discussed what made shooting Larry and Marian’s proposal such a special experience, this new chapter in Larry and George’s father-son relationship, the vulnerability of love, feeling the building tension in the Russell family, how moved he was to share a scene with Cynthia Nixon, why you can empathize with both Larry and Marian, the hope he has for the couple in Season 4, and what he’d like to see next for Larry.

Shooting the Proposal Scene With Larry and Marian in ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Was a Dreamy Experience

“The crew actually built a revolving stage for us to be on … which created this incredible dreamlike energy.”

Collider: I want to jump back first to episode five and ask what it was like to shoot the proposal? What’s it like to shoot a moment like that, when you’re in a top hat and your scene partner is so beautifully dressed, and you’re in this very picturesque location that could be a painting?

HARRY RICHARDSON: I shot that scene with (director) Deborah Kampmeier and Louisa [Jacobson] and the crew, and it really did feel like a painting, which actually made it completely immersive. There was no self-consciousness. The natural setting and this beautiful tree just took our breath away, not to mention all the actors who were having picnics, were out wandering, or were reading under a tree. Everyone was really living that day in a very beautiful way. The sun was shining. Filming that scene was definitely a highlight of my career, for sure. There’s a subtle dreaminess in that scene where the background is flowing and blurring, and that’s because the crew actually built a revolving stage for us to be on, at one point. When we were doing that, we were actually spinning, in real life, which created this incredible dreamlike energy to the whole scene. The whole background was moving as we were talking with each other. I loved it. It was a very fun day to shoot. It’s really such a gift to do this show because we do get transported, every time we go to work, into these incredible living, three-dimensional artworks that we get to inhabit.

In episode seven, we see your character come back to let his father know that the business is better off than they thought it was and that the land is actually worth a lot more than they were told it was. What do you think it means to someone like Larry to not only have accomplished something that neither his father nor himself ever expected, but to actually have made his father pretty impressed with him?

RICHARDSON: It’s a new chapter for them, in their father-son relationship. It’s very important for all of us, when we start to be our own people, to hopefully receive the respect or the acknowledgment from our parents for growing up. I think this is a really important moment for Larry. We’ve seen him fight his father about it. We’ve seen him get a little bit more distant and focus in a different direction. This scene is very special because he’s hesitant to get involved in his family business for the reasons that we’ve seen over the last two seasons, and yet he takes on the job and he does really well. He has a hunch that ends up being better than anyone expected. So, I think it’s a very, very beautiful moment for him as a young man, but also as a son. Now, he’s in a position where he’s not just being handed something from his parents but instead is elevating it and bringing something to the table himself.

You can’t seem to have something good on this show without something falling apart quickly after. The fact that Marian sent a letter across the street instead of just talking to Henry is quite funny. What was it like to find your character in that position with no explanation?

RICHARDSON: Yeah, it brings up quite a lot. That moment triggers the childlike vulnerability of new love and how scary it is. We all feel it’s quite terrifying when we put our hearts out there. And to have that rejection or reaction without any communication is really shocking to him. I think he feels quite a lot of panic in that moment. I think it’s very interesting that they come together, as a couple, at those two events. In one way, he’s up and feeling on top of the world and like a grown-up. And in another way, he’s had the thing that’s most important to him pulled away completely without any words. It’s a bit of a roller coaster that he finds himself on. I’m not sure that he’s able to fully sink into the positive nature of the business venture and his relationship with his father because he’s very shook up.

It’s the first time that we see Larry lash out at Bertha, when Larry asks if anyone is ever good enough for her. Up until now, he’s always had Gladys there to really take the brunt of Bertha, but now she’s gone, so she can focus more attention on Larry. What was it like to really feel that tension in the Russell family this season?

RICHARDSON: It’s very sparky. I love working with the Russell family because the energy is so joyous and so playful, and I think that allows for such a brilliant environment for a lot of electrifying conflict. This year it was great to see it really heat up at the Russell House. We’ve seen the bickering back and forth and the little passive-aggressive, or straight-up, conflict that’s happening, but it’s been relatively relatable and familial. It gets really ramped up this year. It was quite amazing to shoot with these actors because Carrie [Coon], Morgan [Spector], and Taissa [Farmiga] are so brilliantly talented that I really felt very lucky doing all those scenes this year.

It’s strange to see Larry and Gladys making their own achievements within their family while Bertha and George are coming apart at the seams. By the end of the season, we’re still not really sure where things are for the Russell family and their dynamic.

RICHARDSON: This season is amazing because a lot of dissonance is coming to the surface and we all relate to that in family or in matters of the heart. The conflict this year has been so beautifully written because, personally, as an audience member watching it, I can never quite figure out who to side with on any of it. It’s also so sparky and yet not one-dimensional. By the end of this season, we’re all feeling like the characters. We’re unsure of whether or not Larry or Marian have done the wrong thing in how they’re approaching love. We’re unsure of whether Gladys is meant to lean into things with The Duke and step into power or whether that’s a tragedy. We’re unsure of whether Bertha or George are right or wrong in who’s making what decisions. It leaves a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of very deep relationships to explore in the future.

There’s something so sad about Larry knocking on Marian’s door and being refused the chance to talk to her and even having Cynthia Nixon’s character try to return the ring. What do you think that moment was like for Larry? And how was it for you to share a scene with Cynthia Nixon?

RICHARDSON: I was really moved, working with Cynthia. I don’t think we’d ever had a one-on-one at all, so it was a very special moment for me, as an actor. I, of course, really look up to her and was very honored to have this very poignant moment between the two of them. I could see her heart breaking, Cynthia brings so much love and compassion to the table in every scene. It’s the very nature of Ada. And in that scene, I had to dive into the pain of what Larry was going through. He’s really feeling abandoned and he’s freaking out and he’s offended, and he’s confused. He feels like he needs to talk to Marian, and he’s being refused. As an actor, I could feel this incredible compassion coming from Cynthia as Ada, and I thought that was very moving. You could really feel that she was conflicted about what to do. It was a sad scene to shoot, for sure.

Harry Richardson Believes Larry Was Blindsided by Marian’s Decision To End Their Engagement

“What I love about that scene is that he actually has a realization in the middle of it.”

Larry doesn’t give up on his desire to talk to Marian. He tracks her down and gets her to talk to him, and in that moment you can see his realization that there’s been this miscommunication between them. But at the same time, he also lied to her, which it seems like he didn’t even necessarily realize until she says that to him. What was that moment like to figure out? Do you think he was genuinely confused by how upset she was?

RICHARDSON: We’ve seen Larry fall in love once before, and yet this is the first time it seems to be a proper union. That’s bringing up to his awareness what his responsibility for honesty is. I think he’s unaware of what he’s done. In his mind, he’s done nothing wrong at all. He knows what happened that night and he knows what his intentions were. His highlight and focus of the day was that he was engaged. He’s so happy to be engaged that he was completely shocked. What I love about that scene is that he actually has a realization in the middle of it of, “Oh, perhaps there’s more for me to learn, in this moment, about what even a white lie can cause in this relationship and in building trust together.”

That’s why there’s also something so emotional about the scene after that, when Marian tells Larry that Jack defended his honor and told her that he didn’t do anything. And he says that he already told her that, but she didn’t believe him and take his word for it.

RICHARDSON: I feel like you can really empathize with both characters and the fears that are coming up for both of them. I think love, by its very nature, is very terrifying for the self because it’s a selfless act. It’s never safe. You have to give into the possibility that you’re going to get hurt. I think that’s what we’re witnessing in these two characters. Larry is understandably nervous about how he’s going to build a strong relationship if there’s no good communication, and if she’s going to react before coming to him and his partner is not going to voice her worries or fears, in order for them to work through it together. And she’s terrified that it’s going to lead to heartbreak and social ruin. I think we’re all rooting for them. It’s very painful because we’re watching them get stuck on what they’re attached to. Whether or not they’re going to be able to release that and find a way into harmony together is what I’m curious about.

I was mad at both of them at different points during the episode, for different reasons. But then, because they each have this moment of ownership of having done something wrong and also realizing that they screwed up. That just gives you a little bit of hope that maybe they are having some growth and maybe they can figure it out.

RICHARDSON: Each moment in love is very challenging to our pride and exposing of our fear. There is hope for the two of them, and it seems like they’re confronting all of this in order to mature. But who knows?

Harry Richardson Hopes There’s a Lot of Great Stuff in Store for Larry and Marian in ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 4

“Whether it’s them coming together in harmony or fighting it out, it’s a great opportunity to work together.”

I don’t think it’s too spoilery to say that, in the season finale, Larry points out to Marian that they’re not going to solve their problems in one night. Are you personally rooting for them to figure it out and have a happier Season 4?

RICHARDSON: Of course, the two characters coming into harmony would be wonderful to watch and to see what comes next, after they come together to form a strong bond or a strong, safe union. This show is so beautiful because, even in the conflict, we get to understand deeper who these characters are. I have faith that no matter if they’re coming together, or they’re going through more troubles, or they’re parting, it’s going to be very beautiful, in the way that that complexity is explored. I’m excited. Hopefully, there’s a lot of great stuff in store. Just on a personal level, I love working with Louisa. Whether it’s them coming together in harmony or fighting it out, it’s a great opportunity to work together.

Are there aspects of the character that you’re still hoping to explore? Is there anything with Larry that you’d still like to learn?

RICHARDSON: With his ambition for his expression in society, both business wise and artistically, previously as an architect and now as an entrepreneur in different fields, I’m very excited to see how that evolves into a more mature expression and what shape that takes, as far as responsibility to his family and his heart. I’d love to see what he’s like when he’s really railing against being under the umbrella of his parents and wants to be taken seriously. I’d be curious to see what it’s like when he truly is in his own field, fully, and what that means for him really expressing himself as a young man. I think this year we get to see a little bit more of his parents’ influence on him. He’s learned a lot of his defiance and clarity and conflict from his mother, and he’s learned a lot of his business acumen and sharpness from his father. To see him elevate into an extension of his family would be very interesting. Right now, he’s surprised that he actually doesn’t fall that far from the tree.

I thought nothing could ever come between Bertha and George, and there are a lot of questions about their relationship at the end of this season.

RICHARDSON: Something has definitely come to the surface there, and I’m excited to see what happens. We all love George and Bertha, and we’re also, at times, challenged by the ways they show up. There’s one thing that none of us can deny, which is that they are truly brilliant forces. With that comes a lot of bashing heads, and this season it’s been very tumultuous. But who knows? Maybe they might end up stronger than ever. It’d be interesting to see them as separated partners, wouldn’t it? But who knows? I think their love is very powerful, but they’re definitely going through some chaos.

The Gilded Age

Release Date

January 24, 2022

Network

HBO Max

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  Morgan Spector

  George Russell

The Gilded Age airs on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max. Check out the Season 3 mid-season trailer: