Background performers are seen walking up Second Street in Troy during a break from filming “The Gilded Age” in Troy in 2024. The HBO series is currently casting extras, specifically Black actors ages 18 and older, for June filming dates, also in Troy.
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Extras and crew members take a break during the filming of “The Gilded Age” season 3 on Second Street in Troy on Aug. 5, 2024.
Lori Van Buren/Times Union
Extras, including three men dressed as woman impersonators, are seen crossing the intersection of Hudson Avenue and Lark Street during the filming of the HBO series “The Gilded Age” on Aug.14, 2024 in Albany.
Lori Van Buren/Times Union
Extras are seen waiting on the corner of Lark St. and Hudson Ave. during the filming of the HBO series “The Gilded Age” on Wednesday, Aug.14, 2024 in Albany, N.Y.
Lori Van Buren/Times Union
Extras cross Lark Street from Hudson Avenue during the filming of the HBO series “The Gilded Age” on Aug. 14, 2024 in Albany.
Lori Van Buren/Times Union
The hit HBO historical drama series “The Gilded Age” is set to return to the Capital Region for the filming of its fourth season later this spring. Ahead of filming, the show’s producers are currently seeking local talent to appear as background actors.
New York City-based talent agency Grant Wilfley Casting is seeking Black actors ages 18 and older to portray “event guests,” according to a casting call posted on casting platform Backstage.
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Among the list of criteria, prospective actors must be “comfortable receiving a period-appropriate haircut and/or facial hair alteration,” the casting call reads. They must also be “comfortable working around atmospheric smoke” and have no allergies to wool.
“We’re always open to people who haven’t done this before for certain scenes, especially crowd work,” casting director Grant Wilfley told Backstage in an interview. “Everyone starts somewhere in the industry. Doing background work is a great way (for actors) to start and see what happens on a set, to see their peers actually working on their craft, and to get comfortable and familiar with how a production team works.”
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Filming for the role, which pays its actors up to $224, will take place in Troy, with tentative shoot dates of June 9 and 10, according to the casting call. Filming for season four of the show will also take place in Albany and Schenectady, said Albany County film commissioner Debby Goedeke.
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Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello said there is “immense buzz” in the city ahead of filming for season four. She said she anticipates filming to extend into the summer, “much more than (the two tentative dates associated with the casting call) from what (she’s) been told.”
First released in January 2022, “The Gilded Age” transports its viewers to the booming industrial years of the 1880s in New York City. The show delves into the conflicts among the white upper class, their hired household workers, and factory workers attempting to unionize, as well as Black upper-class and working-class residents fighting for equality.
“The Gilded Age” has filmed throughout the Capital Region for its first three seasons, taking advantage of some of the region’s streetscapes and architecture that are representative of 19th-century New York City. The show was shot in Troy, Albany and Cohoes during its first two seasons and in Troy, Albany and Schenectady during its third season, when its production team brought fake snowstorms to the streets of Troy, horse-drawn buggies to Schenectady’s historic Stockade District and a crowd of tuxedoed and fancy-gowned extras to Albany’s Lark Street.
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“We can double for a lot of different cities, and our architecture is very versatile,” Goedeke said, commenting on the city of Albany’s 400-year-old history. “It’s exciting for our area, without a doubt.”
Mantello said the city of Troy’s architecture and streetscape — including its walkable downtown area, brownstones and cobblestone streets — make it appealing for film producers like those from “The Gilded Age” to come in. Ahead of season four, Mantello, Goedeke and Schenectady County film commissioner Donna Pennell said they couldn’t share details surrounding where in the cities filming will take place.
Mantello said producers focused filming around Washington Park and downtown Troy for the show’s first two seasons. They ventured out to the city’s east side and Pawling Avenue for the show’s third season, she added.
“We have the architecture, we have scenes from the 1800s, early 1900s that are so easily replicated, but also I hear from the producers and the folks on scene that are doing the filming, they love the people of Troy, and they always talk about how hospitable we are,” Mantello said.
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From local hotels to restaurants, Mantello said the production team of “The Gilded Age” utilizes a variety of local businesses that help boost the local economy. For instance, filming over the course of a 22-day period in Cohoes, Albany and Troy during 2022 for the show’s second season contributed $14.16 million to the local economy.
“There’s that behind-the-scenes that so many people don’t realize,” Mantello said. “It does give us a nice little economic boost, showcasing our great city.”
As for what Capital Region residents can expect for the filming of season four, Mantello said the city of Troy will take down street signs, lampposts, parking meters and more as horses and buggies will make their way into the area.
“People can anticipate it all, snow scenes, rain scenes, you name it,” Mantello said. “Whether you’re a film buff, whether you’re a ‘Gilded Age’ buff, and even if you’re not, it is something to see firsthand.”
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The ensemble cast includes Carrie Coon, Cynthia Nixon, Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Slingerlands native Kelley Curran and more. In 2022, “The Gilded Age” won an Emmy Award for production design.
All released episodes are currently streaming on HBO Max. HBO and Grant Wilfley Casting didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.