Is That You, Claire? Phylicia Rashad's Shocking ‘Gilded Age’ Persona

The beloved “Cosby Show” star trades warmth for wicked wit in a role that’s anything but “Mrs. Huxtable”-like on HBO period drama.

Phylicia Rashad as Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkland on “The Gilded Age.” Photos courtesy of HBO

I watched a few old episodes of "The Cosby Show" two days after seeing Phylicia Rashad make her grand debut as "Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkland" on HBO's "The Gilded Age." What a contrast. I mean, like REALLY. Then again, she's always played the upper-class matriarch role well.

Nevertheless, this time her character isn't as welcoming as the loveable "Mrs. Claire Huxtable," who was kind to all even though she was a highly respected, highly paid, well-educated corporate attorney. Mrs. Kirkland's first meeting with the Scott family (Denée Benton [Peggy Scott], Audra McDonald [Dorothy Scott], John Douglas Thompson [Arthur Scott]) at her Newport, Rhode Island, estate was quite uncomfortable to watch. It was, in fact, in sharp contrast to when the Scotts visited the van Rhijn/Forte mansion on the Upper East Side.

I suspect that Ada Forte (Cynthia Nixon) and Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) had never welcomed a Black family into their home before, yet they appeared to treat the Scotts like their wealthy white counterparts. They looked completely at ease. The Scotts were invited in through the front door and seated in the living room (much to the dismay of the very racist servant, Mrs. Armstrong [Debra Monk]).

Meanwhile, during their first encounter with Mrs. Kirkland in "Love Is Never Easy," the third episode in the third season of the acclaimed series, the microaggressions and disdain were loud and clear. The Scotts were invited to the Kirkland home by her son, Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica), who is showing a romantic interest in Peggy. He is tall, handsome, intelligent and very, very fair skinned. Hell, he can almost pass.

Audra McDonald as Dorothy Scott and Denée Benton as Peggy Scott in “The Gilded Age.”

Peggy and her parents are all dark skinned, but that's not the initial concern from Mrs. Kirkland, who reminds everyone that her lineage "dates back to the American Revolutionary War." She was born free. Her entire lineage was born free. And she looks down on anyone who was not. It just happens that Mr. Scott was enslaved in the South and once freed, he moved North to train to be a pharmacist. He's a self-made man, for crying out loud. That demands respect!

Nevertheless, when he informs Mrs. Kirkland, her chilly response was "Oh. I see," as she looked at him as though he was wearing rags. As the smiles suddenly faded from the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Scott, Mrs. Kirkland strutted off. And she wasn't even finished. They could hear her warning her fair-skinned grandchildren to not to stay too long outside in the sun because they would "get too dark."

While this exchange took place, Peggy was happily being entertained by the nice doctor. Thank goodness that someone from the family had a good time at this party. Though Mrs. Scott was also born free, she empathized enough with how her husband had been treated to be disgusted.

At this point, it's time for series creator Julian Fellowes and executive producer Salli Richardson-Whitfield to work on a spinoff for the Scotts. From historical accounts that occurred in the Black community during this period to understanding these old money Black elites and their nuances, there is way too much going on in Peggy's world for there not to be. The entire series is really, really good, but I'm 100% invested in every scene when the Black folks come on the screen.