Viewers of The Gilded Age historical drama series want to know whether or not the Russells are based on the Vanderbilts and whether or not the show is based on a true story. Here are all your queries answered.
Are the Russells in The Gilded Age based on the Vanderbilts?
Yes, The Russells in The Gilded Age does appear to be based on the Vanderbilts.
The Russell family in The Gilded Age seems heavily influenced by the Vanderbilt family (via The Times). At one point during the 1880s era, the Vanderbilts were society outcasts who amassed their fortune via their success in railroads and shipping. The older wealthy families looked down upon the Vanderbilts due to the Vanderbilt patriarch Cornelius Vanderbilt’s reputation as a robber baron. The Vanderbilts were also considered a new money family.
The Vanderbilt family went from being society outcasts to one of the more prominent families of New York City when Alva Erskine Smith married into the family through her marriage to William Vanderbilt, the heir to the Vanderbilt fortune who ran the family railroad investments and inherited $55 million following his grandfather’s death.
Alva, using her husband’s wealth, ended up building new family homes throughout New York and in Newport and also launched her own opera house and three lavish balls. Alva then conquered New York’s high society and took over business duties from Ms. Astor alongside Mamie FIsch and Theresa Fair Oelrichs upon Astor’s death. Alva later divorced William Vanderbilt upon discovering his infidelity and married family friend Oliver Belmont.
Is The Gilded Age based on a true story and real events?
No, The Gilded Age is not based on a true story and real events. However, the story is set in a real historical period called The Gilded Age, which was the boom years of the 1880s.
The Gilded Age is largely a fictionalized story, but its characters and situations reflect the urban living standards of the 19th century.
In entertainment elsewhere, here are the first-look images of Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout. Also, here are the box-office projections for Aquaman 2.
