YVONNE STRAHOVSKI

Audiences first got to know Australian actress Yvonne Strahovski as CIA agent Sarah Walker in the action-comedy series Chuck, but these days she’s better known as the villainous Serena Waterford in The Handmaid’s Tale.

The fifth season of the dystopian drama is streaming on Showmax from 15 September and in the new season Serena has revenge on her mind after the death of her husband, Fred (Joseph Fiennes).

Yvonne, who has had two Emmys and a Golden Globe nomination for playing Serena, says it hasn’t been easy playing “a monster”.

The actress (40) says she struggled to untangle herself from Serena, off the set, and she tried to understand how she could be so cruel.

When season 4 finished filming, Yvonne took a break to spend time in nature and put Serena away for a while. “It was my therapy,” she said.

Yvonne’s family are from Poland and emigrated to Australia before her birth. She started taking drama classes when she was 12, intent on becoming an actress, despite her parents hoping she’d study law or medicine. “I was stubborn.”

Yvonne is married to fellow actor Tim Loden and the couple have two sons together. – COMPILED BY LARA ATSON