The Gilded Age Season 4 leaves out Clay and Fortune
Richard Clay and T. Thomas Fortune will not appear in The Gilded Age Season 4.
Both characters are sitting out the new run, which premieres 1 November on HBO, according to Deadline. Patrick Page plays Clay, secretary to robber baron George Russell. Sullivan Jones plays Fortune, the New York publisher.
The two men have been around since the start. They entered in Season 1 as recurring characters, meaning they appeared in selected episodes rather than as main cast, then stepped up to series regulars for Season 2 before reverting to recurring status in Season 3.
Their Season 3 storylines ended in messy places. Clay was sacked by George after failing to close a major deal, linked up with a top rival and finished the season as a prime suspect in George's shooting. Fortune handed Peggy Scott an out-of-town assignment and tried to invite himself along until Dr. William Kirkland stepped in and fought him.
For fans, this means a clean break for now, but not necessarily for good. The door has been left open for one or both men to return for guest appearances in future seasons, which in television terms means a one-off return rather than a full-time role.
Season 4 still brings plenty of new faces. The additions include Taylor Trensch, James Scully, Dennis Haysbert, Maggie Kuntz, Neal Huff, Bonnie Milligan, Jim Gaffigan, Dallas Roberts, Andrew Burnap, Elizabeth Marvel and Adrienne Warren.
Interest is running high. The Season 4 trailer has collected 43 million views on YouTube since its release last week. Taissa Farmiga, who plays Gladys Russell, is on the returning list and appeared in the first teaser even though she was absent from the main trailer.
The Gilded Age was created, written and executive produced by Julian Fellowes and is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television. HBO renewed the period drama for Season 4, and it has not been renewed beyond that run.
