The Gilded Age Star Kelli O’Hara Teases ‘Exciting’ Season 3

Before The Gilded Age returns with its third season, star Kelli O’Hara is giving Us a peek into the “exciting” batch of new episodes.

“What can I tease? Without being sued,” O’Hara, 48, joked while speaking to Us Weekly exclusively at the opening night of Gypsy on Broadway on Thursday, December 19, in New York City. “You’re going to see some of the same players. You’re going to also see some fantastic new guest artists. My story line, I should say, changes a lot.”

She added, “That’s pretty exciting for me. We’ll see what everybody thinks about it.”

Created by Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes, the HBO drama is set against the backdrop of 1880s America in the “Gilded Age,” a historical period marked by immense economic change. The show follows Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) as she relocates from rural Pennsylvania to New York City to live with her wealthy aunts (played by Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon) after her father’s death.

O’Hara, for her part, portrays socialite Aurora Fane, who struck up a friendship with Marian upon her arrival in the Big Apple. Aurora has more notable connections than just the Manhattan newcomer.

“Last season I got to interact with Oscar Wilde, which is pretty fantastic. Let’s see more of that,” O’Hara told Us, referring to Jordan Waller’s role as the acclaimed poet. “People that were kind of groundbreaking at the time. Aurora Fane always likes to just skirt on the edge. So, I think that more of [the] Oscar Wilde-types [in the new episodes would be interesting].”

Since The Gilded Age takes place in the 19th century, the Tony Award winner and her castmates film in historic settings for added authenticity.

“One of the things that really pissed me off, excuse my language, was that they would have these opulent six-hour dinner parties that went from 9:00 p.m. to 3 in the morning or whatever it was,” O’Hara quipped on Thursday. “And with 22 courses of crazy food brought in from Europe and the islands, but the women weren’t expected to eat a thing. Woo … that chaps my hide.”

In addition to The Gilded Age, O’Hara is renowned for her work on the stage. While speaking with Us, she teased her hopes for future theatrical roles.

“Right now, I’m deeply in the middle of Sally Field‘s masterpiece of a memoir and it sort of makes me want to play that [in] some very dramatic way,” O’Hara mused. “I don’t know if it would be musicalized, but the stories of most of the actresses that really thrill me and that have emotionally exploded me have to do with some really hard living. I mean, even Julie Andrews had a harrowing childhood.”

The Gilded Age returns to HBO in 2025.

With reporting by Lexi Carson