I had 25 years of going to auditions for roles & never getting chosen
marish world following a Second American Civil War, where society subjects fertile women, called “Handmaids”, to child-bearing slavery. In the new series, June is seen being beaten and Elisabeth admits mum Linda and dad Ronald – who raised her as a Scientologist – find it hard to watch at times. She says: “They’re very supportive and of course they watch it. But my mum is, understandably, like, ‘I’m not going to just turn on Handmaid’s Tale and watch my daughter suffer’. She’s sort of like, ‘I can’t quite handle the faces sometimes’. She eventually does get to it, but you know, it’s hard. It’s her daughter and there’s a lot going on.”
While her parents find the subject matter tough going, Elisabeth separates work and off-screen emotions.
She adds: “I just can’t complain. It’s the greatest job in the world for me. I try to take my work seriously, but not myself seriously.”
The actress – formerly married to actor and writer Fred Armisen – believes TV work is now on a par and, perhaps, even better than films. She credits Meryl Streep for a shift change when she starred in Big Little Lies. “Truly,” she says. “I think when Meryl did Big Little Lies, I feel that was like, ‘Okay guys, fine. Everything’s fine. We’re all doing TV, we’re all doing film. It doesn’t matter any more’. And Julia Roberts too. Julia doing Homecoming – that was another game. Like this is done.”
After so many hard-hitting dramas, Elisabeth has one wish... to star in a romcom. “I love them,” she says. “Those are my favourite movies.”
Asked why she’s never done one, she chuckles: “Nobody wants me to be in them.
“It’s not like I’ve said, ‘No.’ It’s not like Sandra Bullock’s called and I’ve been like, ‘Nah.’ I would love to. Are you kidding? Yeah, that would be awesome.”
halina.watts@mirror.co.uk The Handmaids Tale resumes on Channel 4 at 9pm today
It’s the greatest job in the world for me. I take my work seriously, but not myself seriously ELISABETH REFLECTING ON HER ROLE AS JUNE IN THE HANDMAID’S TALE