Christine Baranski Explores “New Terrain” On The Gilded Age

HBO’s The Gilded Age has an incredible ensemble of characters, but Christine Baranski’s sharp-tongued socialite, Agnes van Rhijn, still stands out.

“I love playing someone who has such authority and such a strong sense of her place in the world, and who speaks in these declarative sentences, convinced of her own righteousness,” Baranski tells Bustle, adding that Agnes’ confidence is infectious. “I try and inculcate some of that in my own life. When I express an opinion, I try not to apologize for it anymore — in the way that Agnes is not apologetic.”

But in Season 3, Agnes’ witty zingers belie serious drama, as she contends with the loss of her fortune, the societal rise of the newly rich elite, and her younger sister, Ada (Cynthia Nixon), taking over as the head of their household.

Baranski, 73, says she was on “new terrain” with her character. “I suddenly had to be someone who was reacting instead of acting, and losing that place was shocking and disorienting,” she says. “I got to play a lot of different colors, some of which were comical. But other moments, you saw a real vulnerability with Agnes. We saw someone who was still trying to hold on to her place but clearly was aware that she was losing it.” Luckily, Baranski knows how to bring that versatility to a character in spades.

Below, Baranski discusses her Gilded Age arc, working with Nixon, and what she knows about Mamma Mia 3.

This season, Agnes struggles to accept her financial misfortune. Do you think that's going to be something she’ll ever fully get over?

It’s shocking for her. She’s still furious with her son, [Oscar], and hasn’t forgiven him for being so reckless with the family fortune and putting other human lives in jeopardy. The fact that her sister inherited all that money from her late husband and was able to save the family doesn’t diminish her anger at Oscar. Now it’s her sister’s money, so her entire position in the house and in society has changed.

But I’ve always thought that with Agnes, it’s not so much about the loss of her money as it is the loss of her stature, her sense of herself in society, and the fact that now when she goes to events, she’s hanging on, because her sister is the one who pays the charity. That really rankles her.

That makes sense. What’s it like having Cynthia Nixon as a scene partner?

Oh, it’s the best. I played her mother back in 1982 in a play called The Real Thing. During that time, we developed a very close relationship. She was a student at Barnard, and I was pregnant with my first child, and the relationship was so sweet and so dear that when we got [The Gilded Age’s] offer to play sisters, we were overjoyed to be reunited. The fact that we had a history of working together in the theater, and we knew each other's work over the years, made it easier to assume an intimate relationship as siblings.

One of the things I love about The Gilded Age is that so many of the cast members have Broadway and theater backgrounds.

We’ve all either worked together, we’ve done readings together, we’ve seen each other on stage, or we’re fans of each other. It just feels like such a family. It’s one of the main reasons I hope we have a Season 4, because I would love to be reunited with this wonderful group of actors. It really feels like an acting repertory company.

Given your musical background, would you ever be interested in a musical-themed Gilded Age episode?

It sounds fun in theory, but if you think about it, it could compromise the show. How would we pull that off? I’ve also remarked that a lot of the people with these Tony Awards for Best Actor or Actress in a Musical, maybe the reason they love doing The Gilded Age is precisely because they don’t have to sing, and they want to be known for something other than being Broadway divas. So I don’t know. Maybe we’ll all have a Christmas episode where somehow we all find ourselves singing a Christmas carol together, but I can’t imagine us suddenly doing Broadway show tunes.

That’s a very good point. Speaking of musicals, many fans are excited that Mamma Mia 3 is in development. Are you open to returning? And what do you know of the project?

So far, I know that Judy Craymer, the producer, very much wants to do a Mamma Mia 3. I cannot say that there’s anything seriously in place yet — there’s no way I would say it’s going to happen, because the last time I said it, it went viral. It’s being discussed.

But would I be willing to do it? Oh, I would do it in a heartbeat. And probably everybody involved would do it, because we all had so much fun and that musical — both of them — gave people so much joy. Sometimes little girls and teenage girls come up to me, and they’re just overjoyed to meet Tanya of Mamma Mia. It makes people happy, and we’re living in dark times, so maybe this is a good time for a Mamma Mia 3.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.