Podcast Summary: All Of It – "Top TV: The Gilded Age"

Host: Alison Stewart (A)
Guest: Morgan Spector (B), actor who plays George Russell in The Gilded Age
Date: January 2, 2026
Episode Focus: Exploring The Gilded Age through the lens of Morgan Spector’s experience; insights on character work; cultural and historical context of the series; reflections on show production and personal impacts.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of All Of It spotlights the HBO series The Gilded Age, diving deep via a candid conversation with Morgan Spector, who stars as George Russell—the series’ ambitious railroad baron. The talk traverses both the nuts-and-bolts of acting and the broader cultural significance of the show, touching on class, power, historical research, personal politics, and the actor’s experience on and off set. Audience questions and reflections from Carrie Coon (Bertha Russell) enrich the discussion, providing both industry and personal perspectives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Receiving and Approaching "The Gilded Age" (00:10–03:29)

• Morgan Spector’s Introduction to the Script

  • Reflects on first reading the script during a lull in his career:

    “I was not working. No. I was home being a dad.” (01:48)

  • Felt initially out of place in the world of The Gilded Age, but found a touchstone in classic Hollywood:

    “My wife was like, ‘he's Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind.’ And I was like, oh, all right, I'll try that.” (01:57)

  • The audition process lets him ‘try on’ the character, feeling an intuitive attraction.

• Creation of George Russell’s Backstory

  • Spector discusses researching Jay Gould, the historical inspiration for George:

    “He was born in very modest circumstances… [and] became a tanner... at one point… rounded up a bunch of men with sticks and guns and took the tannery by force.” (03:33–04:05)

  • Notes that a character is partly built through actor imagination, partly shaped by new scripts.

Character Psychology and Demands (04:26–06:46)

• On George Russell’s Flaws:

  “Both George and Bertha are actually fairly myopic when it comes to their own... power and consequences of their will.” (04:31)

  • Takes risks a smart business leader might avoid; survives by luck sometimes.

• Physical and Psychological Transformation

  • Early days felt alien:

    “First day that Carrie Coon and I were on set... we felt like we had egg all over our faces.” (05:34)

  • Compares returning to acting after a hiatus to “putting on a wet bathing suit.” (06:35)

The George–Bertha Dynamic & Carrie Coon’s Reflection (06:46–09:11)

• Carrie Coon on Morgan Spector (pre-recorded, replayed)

  • Warm personal connection, longstanding friendship, and heavy mutual respect.
  • Anecdote from their avant-garde film together:

    "I cut out his tongue with a butter knife and... splashed hot butter on his face. I mean, it’s really ridiculous." (06:57)

  • Praise for Morgan as "a great feminist and basically a Marxist... but it is fun to engage with him on those subjects because he’s got some strong opinions." (07:47)

• Morgan’s Response

  • Affirms fondness for Coon: "I do, I adore Carrie... one of the great pleasures of my life..." (08:10)
  • Describes their earlier short film as a metaphor for addiction and the struggle to break cycles.

Personal Politics, Character Complexity, and the Labor Story (09:11–12:21)

• Morgan’s Political Identity vs. Character

  “I had been producing a documentary on the resurgence of socialism post Bernie... called the big scary S word.” (09:24)

  • Sees playing a baron as a chance to explore power and class conflict.
  • Advocated with creator Julian Fellowes for inclusion of labor struggles.
  • Documentary research gave him extra appreciation of Gilded Age dynamics:

    “There could be a future version of socialism that was very American, deeply rooted here...” (11:41)

George Russell’s Inner Dualities (12:21–14:03)

• Balancing Ruthlessness and Softness

  “It is certainly the essence of George Russell is that duality... quite extreme, and the consequences of his compartmentalization are bigger... his ruthlessness affects hundreds, if not thousands of people.” (12:42)

  • Explains that this kind of compartmentalization is, in smaller ways, a regular human trait.

Audience Engagement & Show’s World-Building (14:03–16:44)

• Listener Call-in and Character Evolution

  • Listener “Stephen from Queens” praises Spector’s performance and the show’s attention to detail in relationships and unions.

• George’s Insatiable Ambition

  “Relentless drive of any capitalist enterprise to grow and expand... competition... would have been trying to corner the market...” (15:14)

  • The pursuit is “perpetual.”

• Filming Western Scenes on Long Island

  “There’s something quintessentially old Hollywood about it... I’ve never felt more like, man, I’m in showbiz, than I did walking onto a Western set like that.” (16:13–16:44)

On-Screen Relationships, Family Dynamics & Costuming (16:44–19:08)

• Russell Marriage & Gladys’s Happiness

  • George sees love as simple:

    “He fell in love... he wants his daughter to have the same thing. Perhaps he is oversimplifying what it is to be a woman in that era.” (17:09)

  • Notes Bertha’s perspective is more critical of their own social climb.

• Costume Praise

  “You’ve never felt more elegant than you do... put on these clothes... everything is built for us by truly brilliant craftspeople.” (18:15)

  • Only complaint: the “very narrow” shoes.

Locations, Historical Resonance, and Personal Impact (19:08–21:37)

• Special Filming Locations

  • Highlights filming in The Frick, Newport mansions, and the pleasure of shooting in Troy (near his home), and the delight these transformations bring to locals.

• Changed Relationship to NYC’s History

  "You’re walking past, like, a Duane Reade, and it’s in this incredibly beautiful building... What was this originally? Who built this?" (21:10)

  • Show has made him more observant and appreciative of New York’s history.

Tease for Season Three and Final Insights (21:37–22:17)

• Hints at Story Arcs

  "The look at the end of season two... I think that was a little bit of a preamble." (21:56)

  • Suggests undercurrents in prior seasons set up future drama, especially the interplay between George, Bertha, Gladys, and the Duke.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Morgan Spector on Entering the World of The Gilded Age

  “I thought, I'm never gonna fit into this world. I don't know how I'm gonna enter it.” (01:57)

• On the Reality of Power

  “Being that kind of business leader who's not that far removed from… power really, coming from the barrel of a gun… was an interesting seed to have in George Russell's background.” (04:05)

• On Compartmentalization

  “We all have a kind of moral community where we are our best selves… and then we have a sphere beyond that where we kind of don't. And I think… that kind of compartmentalization happens all over the place.” (12:42)

• On Costumes and Embodiment

  “You just… never feel more elegant than you do in that moment. And so that's what we get to do when we put on these clothes.” (18:15)

• On Playing a Robber Baron as a Marxist

  “It would be interesting… you are looking at part of a system that implies the other part. And… it would be amazing to bring the labor struggle story into it.” (09:24)

• Carrie Coon on Morgan Spector

  “He's a great feminist and basically a Marxist... he's incredibly attractive, which doesn't hurt either.” (07:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:10–01:57: Morgan Spector recalls first reading the script and his original doubts
• 03:06–04:09: Insights into Jay Gould and George Russell’s backstory
• 04:31–05:16: On George’s biggest flaws this season
• 06:57–08:08: Carrie Coon reflects on working with Morgan Spector
• 09:13–12:21: Reconciling Spector’s politics with his character and labor themes
• 12:42–14:03: The dichotomy of George Russell’s personality
• 15:14–15:42: George’s capitalist drive explained
• 16:13–16:44: Filming Western scenes and the old Hollywood vibe
• 18:15: On wearing the show’s custom costumes
• 21:10–21:37: How the show changed Spector’s view of New York
• 21:56: Teasing season three developments

Tone and Style

The conversation is thoughtful, personal, and often wryly humorous. Spector is introspective, earnest about his craft, and eager to discuss politics and history. Host Alison Stewart maintains a warm, curious, and insightful interview style, peppered with direct audience questions and thoughtful follow-ups.

End of Summary