I don’t let playing a dark character torment me

The Handmaid’s Tale star talks Trump, feminism and whether the last series of her show went too far

Elisabeth Moss has certainly made her mark on classic TV drama. She not only appeared as a regular cast member in The West Wing and Mad Men – two of the greatest TV shows of all time – she was also extraordinary as a troubled cop in two series of stunning crime drama Top Of The Lake. And since 2017, she’s been the lead in game-changing dystopian feminist saga The Handmaid’s Tale, whose third season has recently kicked off on Channel 4.

Moss’ indelible performance as heroic, long-suffering June (aka “Offred” and now “Ofjoseph”), who is trying to escape the nightmarish fascistic world of Gilead and reunite with the husband and daughter she was forced to leave behind, has helped The Handmaid’s Tale become a cultural phenomenon. But last year’s second season

alienated many viewers by pushing the miseries endured by June to almost sadistic levels. And, when the series finale saw her reject the chance to finally escape, fan frustration was palpable. Luckily, the new season is already a far more satisfying affair, so it seems a good time to celebrate the show, and Moss’ extraordinary role in it.

Is it true you were initially reluctant to sign up for

the handmaid’s tale? The problem was that I didn’t want to sign on necessarily to do another TV show so quickly, as it had only been a couple of years since I had worked on Mad Men. But I was thinking about whether to do the show one evening, and I remember having an almost nightmarish experience of waking up in the middle of the night imagining not taking it and someone else doing it. I pictured that in my mind, and then I thought to myself, “No, no, no, no, no – someone else is not getting their hands on this.” So, I said yes. That’s why I did it – it was pure jealousy and competitiveness! [Laughs.] I’m so glad I did, though, and it’s been the role I’ve felt most connected to out of anything I’ve ever done. I’m so proud to have been a part of it. your nature seems totally the opposite of June’s. do you prefer to take on these darker roles? That’s true, I do. I’ve always found darker characters and stories more compelling, although I’m not really sure why I’m drawn to them. I’m not someone who takes their work that seriously, though, so I’m able to step in and out of my characters very easily. that’s good… Yeah. I don’t let playing a dark character torment me, and I don’t need to torment myself to be able to play someone like June, either.