The Gilded Age is giving us the Birdcage reunion we didn't know we needed. A teaser for next Monday's episode—knowingly titled “Charity Has Two Functions”—promises the introduction of Ward McAllister, Mrs. Astor's consigliere of sorts, played by Nathan Lane sporting both a thick Southern accent and an over-the-top mustache.
In fact, it was his The Birdcage co-star Christine Baranski who initially mentioned the idea of Lane playing a role in The Gilded Age. “Christine Baranski is an old friend and colleague, and I knew she was doing the show and she had said she hoped I would come and do something on it. I think perhaps she even mentioned McAllister. Anyway, it seemed like it had all been cast and then they called and offered me the part, so I was delighted,” he tells T&C.
“Look, it’s Julian Fellowes, HBO, a colorful character to play and you get to work with the greatest repertory company of NY theater actors in history. What’s not to like? I was thrilled to be a part of it.”
When asked how he would describe the real life McAllister, who served as a curator of the upper echelon of 19th-century New York society, a group he named “The 400,” Lane succinctly replied, “Short. Very short” before launching into his character's backstory.
“Seriously, he was a former lawyer who was a distant relative of Mrs. Astor and together they decided that society in this country desperately needed some direction, and so with her help he became this self-appointed social arbiter, the gatekeeper, if you will, to elite society, whereas he said, 'You must have the three Bs—Birth, Background and Breeding,'” Lane explained.
“He sounded like a condescending twit obsessed with money and power, and I’m not saying he wasn’t, but according to those who knew him well, he was also a very charming and flamboyant Southerner who was known as the life of the party. And he could throw a mean picnic in Newport.”
Ahead of his debut on the show, Lane spoke with T&C about what to expect from McAllister this season—including a coming out ball for Bertha Russell's daughter.
What sort of research did you do for the role? Did you read his infamous book?
A lot. The production provided a lot of material and then I started googling and read all there was to find out about him. And there was quite a bit. Our wonderful dialect coach, Howard Samuelsohn, was also extremely helpful with my Southern accent and we worked together every day.
I did read his book, Society As I Have Found It, which covers his travels through Europe with his wife, studying the nobility and their cuisine and wines and basically how they put together dinners and parties and balls. Then he dives into life in New York and tells a lot of stories, without naming names, which is eventually what got him into trouble with the high and mighty and led to his downfall.
Are there still Ward McAllister types around now?
I hope not, but I’m sure there are societal gatekeepers, in one way or another. I wouldn’t know, I don’t get out much anymore.
What’s McAllister's legacy on society?
Well, the whole notion that the creme de la creme of society could only amount to “the McAllister 400,” which also happened to be the capacity of Mrs. Astor’s ballroom, was just elitist nonsense and pure snobbery, obviously. Even he felt which way the wind was blowing and knew that they would have to start including the “new money” folks or they would start excluding them.
But his is a cautionary tale because when he wrote about all these incredibly wealthy people and they didn’t like it, they turned on him quickly and shunned him for the rest of his life.
He died alone in a restaurant and Mrs. Astor didn’t even show up at his funeral. She had a previous engagement! So, his legacy is essentially forgotten, thank god. Can’t we all just get along??!!
What can we expect from him this season?
He figures prominently in Bertha’s breaking into that world, so you see that relationship being cultivated, including a trip to Newport, which he really established as the playground for the ridiculously rich, and all finally leading to the coming out ball for her daughter.
And I got to wear a lot of fancy clothes and hats. Which immediately transports you to that period.
Two of your recent projects are quintessentially New York shows: The Gilded Age and Only Murders in the Building. What makes the city the perfect setting for a drama?
New York is the perfect setting for dramas, comedies, musicals, you name it.
New York is just inherently dramatic, it provides you with the best sets imaginable, the greatest actors, directors and writers, the changing seasons, the astonishing architecture, and the best bagels anywhere. As Burt Lancaster says in Sweet Smell of Success, “I love this dirty town.”
As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects
