Exclusive: Douglas Sills on Chef Borden’s Romantic Journey in THE GILDED AGE, Working with Celia Keenan-Bolger, & More

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 4

Episode 4 of The Gilded Age brought with it a lot of significant changes for our favorite characters, both upstairs and downstairs. At the Brook household, Jack sold his clock patent for a large amount of money, making him now an independently wealthy man- a complicated position for a footman in nineteenth-century New York.

Across the street, things are no less hectic, with Gladys finally deciding to take the leap and marry the Duke, despite her huge reservations. Along with that front-facing romance upstairs, another has been brewing downstairs.

Mrs. Bruce and Chef Josh Borden, played by Broadway's Celia Keenan-Bolger and Douglas Sills, have grown friendly throughout the three seasons of the HBO show, with a burgeoning romance that seems inevitable. This came to a head during Sunday's episode, with a hopeful Borden proposing marriage to Mrs. Bruce. In response, she shockingly revealed that she is already married to an institutionalized man, preventing any potential nuptials from taking place.

But, despite his disappointment, Borden has ample respect for Mrs. Bruce, calling her "noble" in her loyalty to her sick husband. Sills likewise has lots of praise for his co-star. "I'm so grateful for Celia," the actor told BroadwayWorld in a recent interview. "There's so much grace and love and eagerness to spend time together. Unlike almost all work relationships I've had, it's a very strong bond. What you're feeling is actually there."

Sills noted the show's unique filming process, which, unlike theater, is not linear. He often leans on his co-star to help him fill in the gaps. "We're filming in a very dynamic way. We do four or five scenes in a day that are completely out of chronological order," he shared. "But [Celia] is right there with me. And sometimes she knows more than I know, and I have to ask her, 'Wait, has this happened?'" 

This way of filming has also proved a challenge when trying to plan for a character's arc in an episode or season. Not only are scenes shot out of order, but, due to the nature of the medium, unexpected cuts sometimes occur in the edit room. "You may film something, and then it doesn't make it in because of time considerations or a change in the script. In that sense, it's difficult to make an arc when you don't know what's going to get cut," Sills explained.

"You may plan something for yourself when you're doing a scene to have a 'peak' moment, and that moment gets cut. And so the arc that you had now doesn't have that scene at all, even if you built everything around it. That's an education. You have to learn to find a way to enjoy it without control."

In addition to their backgrounds in theater, he and Keenan-Bolger shared a friendship with the late Broadway performer Gavin Creel. After he became ill and later passed away last year, this added a newfound depth to their own friendship. "We were both very close to Gavin, so when he called to tell me what was going on, it pushed her and me into a different place. We shared this incredible love with this very special person, and we could commiserate about it and talk about it. That was an incredible outlet for both of us."

Looking ahead, Episode 4 leaves the nature of Borden and Mrs. Bruce's relationship up in the air, which begs the question: Does the chef truly believe their romance is over, or might there still be hope? Sills answers with an expression from his late friend. "I think, as Gavin might say, 'Both.' He was notorious for this expression. I think Douglas and Josh are thinking, 'It can't be over!' These feelings are there, and you can't just extinguish them. I think Josh is probably stunned and blown away, and shocked, and doesn't sleep for nights. But I think he probably feels hopeful that he gets to spend time with her."

In the same manner, Sills is hopeful for a fourth season of the series, which he considers a "badge" in his career. "To be a part of the show has been an incredible honor and blessing. Everyone brings their best game because they respect everyone else on set so much that they want to play tennis at the highest level. When someone's hitting the ball to you in very competitive, sophisticated ways, you become a better player."

Photo Credit: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO