Before Bertha Russell and Mrs. Astor, there were the real-life queens of New York society—and their stories were just as fabulous.

Oh, the Gilded Age. Coined by authors Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, the phrase was used to describe a society that looked bright, prosperous, and successful on the surface, but was plagued by corruption just beneath the surface. Julian Fellowes’s splashy, stylish, and sophisticated guilty pleasure portrays the lives of New York’s new and old money during this era. In honor of the fourth season of The Gilded Age premiering this week, here are the real-life origin stories of all of your favorite characters from the show.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Alva Vanderbilt.

Carrie Coon plays Bertha Russell, a woman inspired by Alva Vanderbilt. Like Bertha, Vanderbilt used her husband’s capital to establish herself in New York’s “Old Money” guard. She built a massive mansion on Fifth Avenue and spearheaded the creation of the Metropolitan Opera.
Naturally, George Russell, played by Morgan Spector, is inspired by Jay Gould and Cornelius Vanderbilt. George is a merging of the ruthless railroad expansion tactics of Jay Gould and the transportation monopoly of the Vanderbilt empire.
Gladys Russell, brought to life by Taissa Farmiga, is inspired by Consuelo Vanderbilt, who was forced into a loveless marriage with the 9th Duke of Marlborough to secure a British aristocratic title for her family. This parallels the show where Bertha secretly uses her daughter as social leverage to secure the presence of the Duke of Buckingham.
The show’s wealthy, art-loving outcast, Sylvia Chamberlain, portrayed by Jeanne Tripplehorn, is inspired by Arabella Huntington, who faced immense social ostracism for her scandalous relationship with industrialist Collis P. Huntington before they eventually married. There is also inspiration drawn from social pioneers of the era.
Peggy Scott, a character depicted by Denée Benton who trailblazes through a career in journalism despite segregation and misogyny, pays homage to both Ida Wells and Julia C. Collins.&nbsp;

There are also real historical figures portrayed throughout the show. For example, Mrs. Astor, rendered by Donna Murphy, plays the role of the ultimate gatekeeper of New York high society during the Gilded Age. Alongside the smooth-talking, eccentric southern-born social arbiter Ward McAllister, depicted gloriously by Nathan Lane, she decided who was “in” or “out,” strictly limiting elite society to The 400, a group aptly named after the number of people who could fit in her ballroom. McAllister’s real-life, Gossip Girl-esque downfall came after he broke society code and published a revealing memoir, Society as I Have Found It.
Mamie Fish, brought to life by Ashlie Atkinson, was a witty socialite who threw outrageous themed parties. Unlike the stiff Mrs. Astor, she welcomed new-money families.
The show features T. Thomas Fortune, played by Sullivan Jones, the highly influential African American journalist, orator, and civil rights leader who, after being born into slavery, rose to become the editor and co-owner of the&nbsp;New York Age newspaper.
Clara Barton, interpreted by Linda Emond, is chronicled as a pioneering nurse who gained fame during the American Civil War and in the show and in real life, founded the American Red Cross.
Carrie Astor, inhabited by Amy Forsyth, the daughter of Mrs. Astor, helped her mother to finally acknowledge and accept the new-money Vanderbilt family into society.
Stanford White, given life by John Sanders, designed grand estates for New York’s elite, including the opulent residence built for the Russells in the series.
The series also features Booker T. Washington, portrayed by Michael Braugher, and his early efforts to raise capital and gather support for African American education. Emily Warren Roebling, embodied by Liz Wisan, is featured as an engineer who, when her husband (the chief engineer) fell paralyzed with decompression sickness, took over duties as the de facto project manager and managed the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge.
John D. Rockefeller, personified by Neal Huff, enters in later seasons as a rival tycoon and deeply devout Baptist whose philanthropic views clash with the colder, purely ruthless motives of George Russell.&nbsp;
Grover Cleveland, as interpreted by Jim Gaffigan, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, is introduced as a major political figure of the era whose policies and presence intersect with the shifting fortunes of New York’s elite.&nbsp;Lastly, John Singer Sargent appears as the famous portrait painter of the era.

Meet The Real Life Socialites Who Inspired The Gilded Age

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