Photos KEVIN SINCLAIR
Fashion Editor DAVIAN LAIN
Interview DAVID GARGIULO

In The Gilded Age, Louisa Jacobson’s character Marian Brook is corseted and composed, but never still. A woman raised on rules, now quietly unlearning them. There’s restraint in the performance, but also tension, a pulse beneath the lace.

Louisa doesn’t dramatize rebellion; she reveals the slow, internal work of it. With each glance, each held breath, she gives us more than period drama. She gives us a portrait of someone becoming. The Gilded Age was a time of upheaval and stark contrasts. New money disrupting old power, rapid technological change reshaping society, and social norms both challenged and fiercely enforced. Beneath its glittering surface lay deep inequality and unrest. Though distant in time, its struggles feel strikingly familiar today. Through Marian’s eyes, Louisa invites us to reflect on what it means to navigate systems built to limit us, and how change often comes not with a shout, but with a steady, persistent reimagining of what’s possible. That same impulse to question and redefine identity runs through Louisa’s stage work in Trophy Boys. Far from the corseted halls of the 1880s, this contemporary play confronts the performance of masculinity and the scripts society writes for gender. Here, Louisa steps boldly into a raw, urgent exploration of what it means to shed inherited roles and push against expectations. Across time and medium, her work carries a throughline, a commitment to unearthing the complexities beneath the surface and asking what parts of ourselves we can rewrite. In both roles, Louisa Jacobson and her characters offer a lesson that resonates beyond the stage and screen: progress is a process. Sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes messy, but always necessary.

David Gargiulo __ Do you remember the moment you realized acting wasn't just something you loved, but something that you had to do?

Louisa Jacobson __ It’s sort of hard to pinpoint one exact moment. But I can say I realized it was something I had to do after a particular audition. I had done theater growing up: summer camp musicals, school plays, a cappella in high school. Then I went to college and majored in psychology. I also studied art history and had a proper liberal arts education. But even then, I still did student theater on the side. My friends would write plays, and we’d perform them in physics lecture halls or empty classrooms, wherever we could. When I graduated, I was still curious about other career paths. Like a lot of people my age, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do long term, so I tried a bunch of different things. I ended up working in advertising for a couple of years. During that time, I also started going on auditions because I couldn’t fully let go of the idea of acting. Then I had this audition for The Tempest at the Public Theater. I didn’t get the part, but I remember the experience being completely transcendent. It brought me so much joy. [smiles brightly] There was something magical about the feeling I had in that room. That was the moment I thought, “Oh, right. I really do love this. I can’t not do it.” After that, I was all in! I wanted to learn everything. I wanted to do it over and over again. So I decided to apply to drama school. I had always dreamed of going to the Yale School of Drama. I auditioned, got to the final callbacks, and got in. And honestly, those three years were the best of my life. 

DG __ I can really see the passion and how happy that moment made you. Do you ever think about what your life might’ve looked like if you hadn’t pursued acting?

LJ __ I think anyone choosing a career knows there’s always a possibility it might not be the thing. But for me, it’s something I’ve always breathed. It was in the air around me my whole life. So I don’t think that passion could ever really go away. That said, I’ve thought about directing. I actually assistant directed a friend’s play, Invasive Species, at the Vineyard Theatre in New York. I also shadowed one of our directors on The Gilded Age for three episodes, which was such a great experience. I think I have some instincts on the production side of things and in fashion. I have other interests but they’re all in the creative arts. Everything I love doing is some form of creative expression.

DG __  Is there a piece of advice you carry with you from your friends or family when you're working on something challenging?

LJ __ I wish I had more of those written down. I’ve been given so many wonderful pieces of advice, but unfortunately I don’t write them down.

DG __ Who does? [laughs] There’s never a pen when you actually need one!

LJ __ Exactly! [laughs] In those tough moments, I often wish I had the thing to go back to. But one that has really stayed with me is something my dad always said growing up, “Start by starting.” It sounds really simple, but that’s what makes it powerful. If I’m ever stuck or overthinking, I just remember that, start by starting. Just do the thing. 

DG __ I couldn’t agree more. I always say that starting is 50% of the job.

LJ __ Yes! Also one of my teachers at Yale used to say, “Acting is breathing and believing.” Breathe and believe. I go back to that a lot too. Another piece of advice I hold onto is, “The only thing that’s getting in your way is you.” As actors, we sometimes carry what one of my teachers called “the judges.” These little voices that sit like a court in your head, judging everything you do. And they’re incredibly detrimental. They make you watch yourself constantly, instead of being present in the moment. 

DG __ I can so relate and I am not an actor! So how do you shut down those inner critics? 

LJ __ Honestly, I’ll answer with another of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten: “Prioritize your character’s problems over the actor’s problems.” It’s about shifting from “Can I do this?” to “What’s happening for my character right now?” That question recenters everything. 

DG __ That makes a lot of sense. When The Gilded Age came along, did it arrive at the right time in your life? Or did it surprise you by showing up the way it did?

LJ __ It was definitely surprising. I had just graduated from drama school in 2019, and I was playing in Romeo and Juliet at the San Diego Old Globe Theater. My character was Juliet, so I was already really happy. We were performing outdoors and the set was really contemporary. It was a giant sandbox. We’d run around in the sand and talk about the moon while looking at the actual moon. It was really beautiful. During that time, I got an email from my agent saying there was an audition for a role called Marian in a Julian Fellowes series about New York in the 1880s. I thought, “That sounds great,” so I went to the audition. There were three rounds of callbacks. Then, in September, well after I got back from San Diego, they called to tell me I got the part. I was so proud of the work I’d done and excited. I was ready to celebrate. And then, of course, COVID hit. 

DG __ Boohoo. COVID sucked in so many ways. 

LJ __ It sure did! COVID was traumatic for everyone. I went from adjusting to real life after my master’s degree to basically leaving the city and spending the next six months in sweatpants. Not thinking about acting at all. Then, we came back and were one of the first productions to restart after COVID in October of that same year. It was my first TV job, so that transition was jarring. Going from the isolation of COVID to this grand show with a vast world and many characters. The show was still finding its footing, and I was still figuring out who Marian was. So to answer your question, the timing wasn’t perfect. But we made it work, got through it, and I learned so much. By season two, we hit more of a groove, and now in the third season, you can see the show really has hit its stride.

DG __ The Gilded Age series explores a major moment of change. The Gilded Age was a time when new money disrupted old power, women began pushing against the status quo, and society was trying to decide what it truly valued. Does any of that feel familiar to where we are today? 

LJ __ Absolutely! The Gilded Age was a time of rapid, immense change and progress. There were so many technological advancements happening. You had the iron, oil, and steel industries booming, and cities growing at a massive pace. I think what we’re seeing now is a modern parallel to that, especially with tech. The people at the forefront of tech and AI have so much money and power. And like in the Gilded Age, the people with the most wealth are often the ones with the most political influence. We’re also seeing similar wealth disparities now just like back then. And while yes, women have gained the right to vote and we’ve made significant strides since the 1880s, we’re also seeing some of those civil rights advancements being rolled back. The overturning of Roe v. Wade, for example, is a huge step backward. And the LGBTQ+ community, especially the trans community, is under attack in so many ways. It’s scary. So yes, we’ve made progress, but there’s still so much work to do. I’d say the Morgans and George Russells of that era are like the Jeff Bezoses of today. You can definitely draw those parallels.

DG __ Totally agree. Yet, I’m hopeful today. You know why? Despite all that disparity and upheaval, there was pushback during the Gilded Age. Things eventually rebalanced or at least tried to. Fingers crossed we’ll see that happen again in our own time. Speaking of your character, Marian, she doesn’t shout, but she resists. Do you think that mirrors any part of your own nature?

LJ __ [laughs] I definitely shout more than Marian does. She’s way nicer than me. One of the things I love about her is how deeply compassionate she is. She doesn’t judge a book by its cover. She really tries to see the good in every situation, in every person. She’s a wonderful, loyal friend. And I will say, I think I’m also a really wonderful, loyal friend. So I relate to that part of her. I’d say I’m also compassionate, but I definitely have more cynicism. I’m a little more fiery and skeptical than Marian is. But I do connect with her desire to push back against cultural norms. That’s definitely something I relate to. Of course, Marian’s ability to do that is more limited because of the time period she lives in. But I try to march to the beat of my own drum too. And like her, I’m trying to carve out my own path.

DG __ Well said. Do you think there’s something we can learn from The Gilded Age as a show?

LJ __ I think we can learn a lot from The Gilded Age. For instance, in season two, I think a lot of people were surprised to learn that a woman was at the helm of the Brooklyn Bridge construction. That kind of history isn’t widely known. And seeing a wealthy Black elite community represented is incredibly important. We don’t really read about that in history books. It’s often just left out. But there was a thriving Black community in Newport, and that story deserves to be told. In so many books, shows, and TV series, it's completely ignored. So it’s really meaningful to finally see that on screen. Another thing we can take away is that powerful corporations and businesses, when left unregulated, can do a lot of harm to the climate, to communities, to humanity. That’s something the show reflects on, and something that’s still very relevant today. Regulations matter. And on a simpler level, just appreciating the history of New York City. It’s so rich and layered and endlessly fascinating. I learned so much in the process of preparing for this show. 

DG __ The costumes in The Gilded Age are stunning and so detailed. Do you have a favorite outfit or costume moment from the show that made you feel especially connected to Marian?

LJ __ You may have noticed that some of the dresses were repeated across seasons, which I loved because that’s realistic. Most of these women probably only had a select few dresses, and I loved that Kasha [Walicka-Maimone, the costume designer] wove that detail into the storytelling. There’s one dress from season two that I especially loved. It was a navy blue satin teaching dress. Very simple, but it had this beige piping detail and a white shirt inlay. It felt very professional. Almost sartorial. It was giving Calvin Klein in the ’90s but the 1880s version! [laughs] Then, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I loved that Kasha expanded my color palette this season. There are a lot more pinks and purples as the season progresses. 

DG __ Regarding the set, were you filming mostly in New York City? Or did they build something to replicate it?

LJ __ We actually don’t shoot in New York City very often. Just a few times here and there. There’s one scene in season three filmed in the James Bailey House in Harlem. Kind of wild, right? But most of the time, we’re shooting on built sets. The interiors of the Brook's house and a lot of the Russell's house were built on sound stages out in Long Island. The whole 61st Street and Fifth Avenue block was fully built exterior set out in Long Island. It’s amazing! They only built the façades up to the second floor, and everything above that is green screen. It’s pretty incredible what they’re able to do.

DG __ It really does look like the real thing.

LJ __ Right? And then we also shot in Newport. For example, George’s bedroom scenes were filmed inside an actual mansion there. We shot in Albany, too. A lot of the exterior city shots were filmed in Troy, New York. You should go. Troy still has a lot of its original architecture. I think it’s protected by some kind of historical building code, so it’s been really well preserved from that time period. Troy used to be a truly bustling city.

DG __ Production really made you travel across half of New York State. [laughs] Jumping to the Materialists, beyond the obvious difference in time period, were there any similarities or contrasts that stood out to you between the worlds of the Materialists and The Gilded Age?

LJ __ Definitely! In The Gilded Age, especially in season three, there’s this big theme around marriage, and how, at the time, marriage was basically a business contract. People were focused on things like status, wealth, and standing in society. Love was kind of a bonus. Obviously, things have evolved since then. But what the Materialists explores is how, even now, our fixation on wealth and status hasn’t really gone away. Especially when it comes to relationships and marriage. In 2025, we have online dating and matchmaking services where people come in with a checklist, what job someone has, how much money they make, what kind of lifestyle they can provide. Of course, it’s natural to care about whether someone’s financially stable, but Celine Song’s script is really looking at how deeply that mindset still shapes how we choose partners. I’d also say that Charlotte and Marian aren’t so different. They’re both really ambivalent about marriage. Marian’s been scared of it. She was stood up by Tom Raikes, then she called off her engagement to Dashiell Montgomery last season, which was a really difficult decision. Charlotte, in the Materialists, has a total freak-out on her wedding day. She’s thinking, “Why am I doing this?” So both projects are asking: What is marriage really about? And where do women fit within that structure?

DG __ Next I wanted to draw comparisons between screen and theater. How does working in such an immersive environment like The Gilded Age compare to your theater experience, where you often have to imagine more? 

LJ __ That’s such a good question. My training is in theater, so for me, theater just feels more comfortable. It’s grounding. It’s like coming home in a way. I remember stepping onto a TV set for the first time after being so used to stage work, and I was like, “Oh my God, if I need a pen, there’s actually a pen.” [laughs] If I need to look at a certain detail in the room, it’s really there. The room exists. Not that it doesn’t onstage but you rely so much more on imagination in theater. But physically, in my body, I was still performing like I was onstage. I had this habit of “cheating out,” like turning slightly toward an imaginary audience instead of just facing the person I was acting with. One of the directors was like, “You don’t need to cheat out. You’re playing to the camera now!” [laughs] It took me a long time to figure out how to move naturally within that space. You have to know your frame, what the camera sees, and work within that. In theater, the whole stage is yours. It feels freer. On camera, there’s a precision, a limit.

DG __ That’s interesting. But even with cameras, don’t you have more than one capturing you from different angles?

LJ __ Sometimes. If there are A and B cameras. But it's still not the same. Frances McDormand said something I love: she described stage acting as using your big muscles, like doing squats and push-ups. Camera acting is using the tiny ones. It’s all micro-movements and detail. 

DG __ That’s such a good analogy. I imagine another big difference is continuity. On stage, the story unfolds in order. On set, you’re filming all out of sequence.

LJ __ Completely. You shoot totally out of order. It’s up to you to track where your character is emotionally. What they know at any given moment. You have to be really prepared. Especially on a show like The Gilded Age. There’s so much going on. You’re constantly checking in with yourself: “Okay, I already learned this piece of information, so that changes how I react here.” And the other big difference is control. In theater, you’re responsible for your entire performance every night. It’s yours. On camera, your performance is ultimately in the hands of the editor. You can give five takes, and they might pick the one you liked least.

DG __ Let’s talk about Trophy Boys, the play you're currently in. What do you hope the audience takes away from your performance?

LJ __ Honestly? I hope they don’t recognize me! [laughs] I want them to see that I can transform. Play something very different from what they’ve seen me do. 

DG __ It does show a big transformation from The Gilded Age to Trophy Boys.

LJ __ Absolutely. Marian in The Gilded Age is very high-femme, very controlled. Trophy Boys is the opposite of that. It’s such a different space to play in. That’s what makes it so fun. Beyond that, I just hope they leave the play thinking, “That was interesting. That made me look at masculinity and gender differently.” I hope it gets people thinking about how gender is a kind of performance. Something we’ve been taught to “put on.” And if it’s something we put on, it’s also something we can take off. So what are the pieces of that performance, masculinity and societal expectation, that don’t serve us? Which parts are doing harm? I hope the play invites people to ask those questions.

Photographer Kevin Sinclair, Fashion Editor Davian Lain, Interviewer David Gargiulo, Makeup Lisa Houghton (Muse Creative NYC) using Dr. Lara Devgan, Hair Blake Erik (Forward Artists) using Roz Hair, Manicure Maki Sakamoto (The Wallgroup) using Chanel, Photo Assistant Stephani Spindel, Stylist Assistants Megan Hollis, Actor Louisa Jacobson (Narrative PR), Location Fouquet's New York.

© 2025 Published by Vestal.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Vestal. Please direct any questions to: contact@vestalmag.com