“The first day on set felt a bit like being shot out of a cannon, to be honest,” Jacobson told Vogue of starring in the show created by Julian Fellowes, who was also behind juggernaut period drama Downton Abbey. “I’m such a history geek, though—that’s a wonderful part of being an actor, digging into other periods you have never studied before.” In the first season of the series, Jacobson shares the screen with household names like Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon, an experience she called “a TV masterclass.” Even before starring in The Gilded Age, however, Jacobson was no stranger to Hollywood thanks to her famous mom: acting legend Meryl Streep. Below, get to know Louisa Jacobson, find out how she landed her role on The Gilded Age and more.
Who does Louisa Jacobson play on The Gilded Age?
Jacobson stars as Marian, who moves from Pennsylvania to Manhattan after her dad passes away, leaving her penniless. “Marian knows that her probable fate will be to marry as well as she can and survive, but she wants more than this,” the actress told WhatToWatchof her character. “She is curtailed by the rules of her time, but there is a modern streak in her, too. She wants to do something with her life. She wants to be fulfilled.” Co-star Baranski drew parallels between the historical heroine and Jacobson herself, as both are embarking on new adventures. “It was really sweet with Louisa because her character [is new to] this world,” the actress recently told Entertainment Tonight. “She’s very insecure but she’s got this tough hand. And on the other hand, she’s nice. But it was very much what Louisa was living through as this young actress who gets this juicy role.”
Is Louisa Jacobson Meryl Streep’s daughter?
Yep! It’s not only Marian who knows a thing or two about family ties; the 30-year-old Jacobson is Meryl Streep’s youngest daughter. The three-time Oscar-winning icon supported her daughter’s big break by crashing the Gilded Age cast party in January 2022, appearing in a since-deleted video on Nixon’s Instagram that showed the cast clinking champagne glasses.
Who is Louisa Jacobson’s dad?
Jacobson’s dad is renowned sculptor Don Gummer. He’s been married to Streep since 1978. After she won the Best Actress Oscar a third time in 2012 (for playing Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady), Streep said of her husband, “First I’m going to thank Don, because when you thank your husband at the end of the speech they play him out with the music, and I want him to know that everything I value most in our lives you’ve given me."
How did Louisa Jacobson get cast for The Gilded Age?
Jacobson got a call from her agent while working on a different historical project: a performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Old Globe in San Diego. When she heard about the series she was “interested right away,” as she told Vogue. “The team explained that Julian Fellowes had written another period drama, similar in tone to Downton Abbey, but set during the gilded age in America,” she said, revealing that details about her character were “pretty limited” at first.
How many siblings does Louisa Jacobson have?
Jacobson has three siblings: Mamie Gummer, Grace Gummer and Henry Wolfe Gummer. Mamie and Grace are also actresses, while Henry Wolfe decided to, quite literally, dance to a different tune than his siblings by launching a music career. And while Baranski isn’t their aunt in real life, she did work with two of the sisters at the same time, even calling the family “a bit of a dynasty at this point.” As she told Entertainment Tonight, she was “delighted” to have worked with Mamie on The Good Fight and Jacobson on The Gilded Age all in “the span of one week.”
Why does Louisa Jacobson have a different name than her siblings?
According to Vulture, Jacobson is Louisa’s middle name. It’s unclear why she chose to go by Jacobson instead of Gummer like her father and siblings.
Did Louisa Jacobson go to college?
Jacobson studied psychology at Vassar College (her mother’s alma mater) before attending the Yale School of Drama (where her mother likewise studied after getting her bachelor’s at Vassar!) Jacobson also studied abroad at University College London during her college years, an experience that sparked her interest in Downton Abbey. “I think it was every Sunday night [when] Downton would come on and I would just geek out over it,” Jacobson told Entertainment Tonight. “I just loved it.”
What has Louisa Jacobson been in?
While this is Jacobson’s first major acting role, she’s appeared in theater productions in addition to a role in the TV movie Gone Hollywood in 2019. She’s also tried her hand at modeling, including appearing in spreads for Vanity Fair. Next, Is The Gilded Age a True Story, a Prequel to Downton Abbey—or Both? All About HBO’s Gorgeous, Period-Piece Hit, Including Who’s Who in the Cast
