HBO's The Gilded Age is fiction, but informed deeply by history, with several characters that are based on real people

HBO's "The Gilded Age" films scenes in real historic mansions from the time period.

Unlike, say, Bridgerton, The Gilded Age is no fantastical retelling of history. It draws inspiration from real-life people and events. The Russell family is no exception. The past two seasons of HBO’s period drama have seen railroad tycoon George (Morgan Spector) and his ambitious wife,