'The Gilded Age' actress Carrie Coon had her first costume fitting outside of her yard with a local tailor

• "The Gilded Age" began production in September 2020, long before COVID-19 vaccines were available.
• Because of the safety precautions, Carrie Coon said she had her first costume fitting in her yard.

"The Gilded Age" had a long, arduous journey from script to screen.

Initially pitched in 2012, the Julian Fellowes-created period piece, set in New York City in 1882, switched networks, replaced a major cast member, and, like so many other productions, had its shooting schedule thrown into limbo at the beginning of the pandemic.

So when the cast and crew finally got a chance to begin production in September 2020, months before COVID-19 vaccines became widely available in the US, teamwide sacrifices and adjustments were necessary to keep things moving while adhering to safety guidelines.

For Carrie Coon, who was cast as Bertha Russell in April 2020 after Amanda Peet backed out of the role due to scheduling conflicts, that meant getting into character for the first time far from the foyer in Bertha's "Stanford White-designed" mansion, a set located in Long Island, New York.

Instead, Coon was standing on her own lawn, wearing a mask.

"I had my first costume fitting outside in my yard with a mask and a local tailor, which was kind of strange," the actress told Insider.

When "The Gilded Age" team was actually able to come together in the same physical space, the process was collaborative and fluid.

Upon meeting Coon, costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone's vision for Bertha "pivoted" in an entirely different direction, the actress recalled. The new-moneyed socialite's costumes grew more metallic, inspired by the machinery on which her family had built their fortune, and included more fabrics that moved with Coon as she "sashayed" around the room.

"They all loved the way I walked," the actress said.

Working with the design team to physically transform into Bertha made all the difference, she told Insider.

"That's the amazing thing about being an actor in these kinds of settings, is that you're working with such extraordinary artists that by the time you walk onto the set in the costumes, hats, and shoes, you're three-quarters of the way there," the "Leftovers" actress said.

During production, several "Gilded Age" crew members contracted COVID-19, but thanks to an on-set health and safety protocol that Fellowes told The Hollywood Reporter "rivaled Versailles," none of the actors got the virus while working on the show.

Production reportedly halted for 48 hours in response to false-positive results but resumed shortly thereafter.

Coon credits the "completely uncomplaining" crew members, whose personal protective equipment made it so they were "covered like they were working in an ER," for setting the tone.

"We were the only people who were allowed to take our masks off and have a sip of water," she told Insider, continuing, "It was really inspiring actually to see how our industry was able to restart."

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