Carrie Coon on Her Bold Broadway Return and Bertha’s Biggest Battle in Season 3 of ‘The Gilded Age’ [VIDEO INTERVIEW]
When The Gilded Age began in 2022, Carrie Coon took center stage as Bertha Russell, a social climber willing to do whatever it takes to see class mobility. Now, with three seasons out, not much has changed, but Bertha has become one of the most complex characters on the small screen. An ambitious woman willing to sacrifice whatever it takes, Mrs. Russell is keen to see her enemies fall while she rises in the ranks. Season three sees her marrying off her daughter in a bold maneuver that can be seen as her biggest move yet.
Coon has been busy with her schedule for the HBO Max hit, as this past fall saw her return to Broadway in the Broadway debut of Bug, written by Tracy Letts – Coon’s husband. The actress, a veteran theatre performer, was able to juggle the two so that she could return to the stage. Her character in Bug, a woman struck by paranoia, is vastly different from Bertha Russell, a formidable woman shaped by her own critical opinions of everything around her. On The Gilded Age, Coon is unstoppable. It’s a performance that feels more layered each season as each side of Mrs. Russell is shown, her intensity flaring more as the seasons go by.
I sat down with Coon to talk about her Broadway return, class mobility on The Gilded Age, and Bertha’s penchant for winning.
Carrie Coon is Emmy-eligible in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for The Gilded Age.
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