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Several moments leading to Tom and Marian's romance were cut from 'The Gilded Age,' Louisa Jacobson says

Feb 8, 2022, 09:32 IST
Insider
Thomas Cocquerel and Louisa Jacobson in "The Gilded Age."Alison Cohen Rosa/HBO
  • Warning: There are spoilers ahead for episode three of "The Gilded Age."
  • Marian Brook and Tom Raikes form a romantic connection on season one of "The Gilded Age."
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As soon as Tom Raikes and Marian Brook cross the Pennsylvania-New York border in "The Gilded Age," their relationship goes from being strictly professional to secretly passionate — and the switch flips pretty quickly.

One moment, the Doylestown lawyer, played by Thomas Cocquerel, is in his office handling what little is left of the Brook estate (a measly $30) following the death of Marian's father.

Just two episodes later, he's proposing to her in New York City, standing in front of the early makings of the Statue of Liberty. Both shocked and amused, Marian points out that they've "only met a handful of times."

So, while it may seem like the Pennsylvanians' romance takes shape in no time, Louisa Jacobson, who plays Marian, told Insider that several key moments that endear her character to Tom didn't make it into the show — which could, at least partially, explain their accelerated timeline.

"There's things that were left out in the final [cut]. This is how it works," the 30-year-old actress told Insider. "You shoot a lot of stuff and some makes it, some doesn't."

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She continued: "There were these integral things that made Marian feel a kinship toward Tom."

Thomas Cocquerel and Louisa Jacobson as Tom Raikes and Marian Brook, respectively, on "The Gilded Age."Alison Cohen Rosa/HBO

In the characters' interactions that do appear in the final version of "The Gilded Age," Tom's kindness toward Marian is evident.

When she's at her lowest, mourning her father and left with no choice but to live with her aunts Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon), he insists on waiving his fee and transporting her to the train platform in the early hours of the morning.

However, Jacobson said they also filmed a deleted scene in which the lawyer visits his client on the day she auctions off her personal belongings. When portraits of Marian's late parents go up for sale, Tom fights the auctioneer to let her keep them.

"All of those things are very important to Marian. She will never forget when someone does something nice for her," she told Insider, adding, "While he's not necessarily in her mind as a suitor, she respects him because he respects her."

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Jacobson as Marian Brook on episode two of "The Gilded Age."Alison Cohen Rosa/HBO

Jacobson, the daughter of Academy Award winner Meryl Streep and artist Don Gummer, makes her TV debut in "The Gilded Age."

It was an opportunity that the Yale School of Drama graduate looks back on as "very daunting," given the number of people she expected to watch Julian Fellowes' highly-anticipated creation, which has an ensemble cast featuring Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, and Denée Benton.

"I'm learning through this series. People are going to see me learn. That's OK," Jacobson told Insider. "I just have to let it go and let it be what it is and be excited about the opportunities that it has granted me and what I've learned on this set, which is invaluable."

She added: "I don't know many other actresses like me, my age, who would say 'no' to a Julian Fellowes period drama set in New York in the 1880s."

"The Gilded Age" is currently available to stream on HBO Max, with new episodes released weekly.

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