HBO’s period drama The Gilded Age is officially moving forward without two prominent members of its ensemble. As the series prepares for its fourth season, representatives have confirmed that Patrick Page and Sullivan Jones will not be returning to their roles.
The departures come as the series, which was renewed by HBO in July 2025, prepares for its premiere on HBO and Max on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Resolving Season 3 Cliffhangers
The exit of Patrick Page, who portrayed Richard Clay, leaves significant questions regarding the Season 3 finale. Clay served as the loyal but ambitious secretary to industrialist George Russell. Crucially, the character was a primary suspect following the assassination attempt on Russell in the closing moments of the third season. His absence in Season 4 suggests the narrative resolution of that betrayal may take place off-screen or through the testimony of other characters.
Sullivan Jones, who played New York Globe publisher T. Thomas Fortune, is also departing the series. Fortune was a central figure in the professional and personal life of Peggy Scott. The characters’ relationship reached a boiling point in Season 3, culminating in a fistfight between Fortune and Dr. William Kirkland.
The phase-out of these characters follows a trend of “ensemble evolution” for the show. Both Page and Jones were series regulars during the second season but had already been moved to recurring status during the third season.
New Historical Figures and Promotions
While two familiar faces are leaving, The Gilded Age is expanding its portrayal of real-life historical icons. The fourth season will introduce Jim Gaffigan as President Grover Cleveland and Neal Huff as industrial titan John D. Rockefeller. Elizabeth Marvel has also joined the cast in the role of Nurse Virginia Saville.
To balance the departing cast members, HBO has promoted Jordan Donica and Ashlie Atkinson to series regulars. Donica portrays Dr. William Kirkland, whose importance to the narrative has grown alongside his engagement to Peggy Scott. Atkinson plays the socialite Mamie Fish, a character who has been a recurring presence in the New York social scene since the show’s debut.
The upcoming season is expected to delve deeper into the industrial competition of the era, specifically with the introduction of Rockefeller, while the Russell and Brook families continue to navigate the rigid social hierarchies of late 19th-century Manhattan. With the premiere set for November 2026, the series remains one of HBO’s most significant historical productions currently in circulation.
