The Gilded Age returns to HBO for Season 4 this fall. The new episodes stream simultaneously on Max.
New York high society will be down two familiar faces when the show arrives on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Here’s what to know about the upcoming cast departures.
Julian Fellowes and Sonja Warfield wrote and created the period drama. They produce alongside Universal Television.
HBO dropped the official trailer and key art. That locked in the release window.
https://twitter.com/HBO/status/1738271015699775936
| Character Name | Actor | Seasons on Show | Character Status & Reason for Exit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Clay | Patrick Page | Seasons 1–3 | Fired by George Russell; suspected in assassination plot; moved to rival railroad firm |
| T. Thomas Fortune | Sullivan Jones | Seasons 1–3 | Written out after Peggy Scott’s engagement to Dr. William Kirkland; historical publisher of NY Globe |
| George Russell | Morgan Spector | Seasons 1–Present | Survives Season 3 shooting; separated from Bertha over Gladys’s forced aristocratic marriage |
| Peggy Scott | Denée Benton | Seasons 1–Present | Pursuing national journalism; facing dispute with fiancé over moving to Washington D.C. |
| Dr. William Kirkland | Jordan Donica | Seasons 3–Present | Promoted to main cast; offered elite medical appointment in Washington D.C. |
| President Grover Cleveland | Jim Gaffigan | Season 4 Debut | New historical addition; 22nd U.S. President navigating Gilded Age political storms |
| J.P. Morgan | Bill Camp | Season 4 Debut | New historical addition; titan financier entering Wall Street rail warfare |
| John D. Rockefeller | Neal Huff | Season 4 Debut | New historical addition; Standard Oil founder expanding corporate dominance |
Which characters are leaving The Gilded Age in Season 4?
Patrick Page and Sullivan Jones will not appear in the fourth season of the HBO drama. Deadline confirmed neither actor returned to set for the new run of episodes.
That marks a noticeable shift for the ensemble.
Both actors started as recurring guest stars back in Season 1. HBO promoted them both to full series regulars for Season 2 before shifting them back to recurring billing in Season 3. Now their time on the call sheet has ended for Season 4 (though producers haven’t shut the door on future guest spots down the line).
Why isn’t Patrick Page returning as Richard Clay?
Richard Clay lost his position as George Russell’s top secretary in Season 3 after a high-stakes transaction fell apart. George fired him on the spot.
He didn’t take the dismissal quietly.
He crossed over to work directly for one of George’s bitterest railroad competitors. That move turned personal when an unknown hitman fired a bullet into George’s chest during the Season 3 finale. While the robber baron survived the assassination attempt, writers never revealed who paid the shooter. Fans immediately pointed fingers at Clay.
His absence means George must hunt for answers without his former secretary in the room. He’s got plenty of suspects.
Outside the soundstage, Page stayed busy with theatre commitments. The Tony-nominated Broadway veteran spent late 2025 and 2026 touring his acclaimed solo stage production All The Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Wrote The Villain across major regional playhouses, leaving little room for upstate New York filming blocks.
Why is Sullivan Jones leaving as T. Thomas Fortune?
T. Thomas Fortune stepped out of the narrative following Peggy Scott’s engagement to Dr. William Kirkland. The writers wrapped up their workplace romance.
It ran its course.
First introduced in Season 1 as the passionate editor of The New York Globe, Fortune served as Peggy’s professional mentor before their mutual attraction sparked a secret kiss. In real history, Timothy Thomas Fortune was already married to Carrie Smiley back in 1878 in Florida before establishing his New York press presence. The HBO drama chose to portray him as an eligible bachelor, but Peggy’s evolving storyline shifted her gaze elsewhere.
Now she’s betrothed to Dr. Kirkland. That moved the domestic drama entirely into the elite Kirkland household.
The Season 4 trailer reveals fresh trouble for the couple. Dr. Kirkland receives an enticing medical offer in Washington D.C., but Peggy refuses to leave her blossoming journalism career in Manhattan. So while Fortune won’t walk through the newsroom doors this fall, the engagement he left behind isn’t on solid ground either.
For more on high-stakes period relationships and family secrets on HBO, explore our analysis on Is Serena Pregnant in War on HBO? Phoebe Fox’s Real-Life Pregnancy.
Who is joining the cast of The Gilded Age Season 4?
HBO recruited several major screen veterans to portray real historical figures in Season 4. The political and industrial stakes are expanding fast.
First up is Jim Gaffigan. He’s stepping into the shoes of President Grover Cleveland as New York politics collide with national trade tariffs.
Then there’s Bill Camp. He steps onto the trading floor as legendary financier J.P. Morgan—entering a ruthless financial face-off against George Russell’s railroad monopoly.
Beside him stands Neal Huff as oil baron John D. Rockefeller. He’s building his standard oil empire with cold precision.
Then there’s Dennis Haysbert. He arrives as Dr. Reginald Harris, an esteemed physician with deep ties to the Black elite in Newport and Brooklyn.
Phylicia Rashad returns in an expanded capacity as Elizabeth Kirkland alongside Brian Stokes Mitchell as Frederick Kirkland. They play Dr. William Kirkland’s formidable parents, and they expect Peggy to conform to traditional family expectations. She won’t fold easily.
When is The Gilded Age Season 4 release date?
The Gilded Age Season 4 premieres on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 9:00 PM ET on HBO and Max.
The season runs for eight consecutive weeks, concluding with the finale on December 20, 2026.
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What’s your take on the new casting shakeup? Drop your theories in the comments.
