The Handmaid’s Tale: Where Else You’ve Seen The Cast

The Handmaid’s Tale is a jarring, dystopian series based on the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name. Set in modern times, it follows the same premise: a totalitarian regime has taken hold of much of the U.S. and has enslaved women of childbearing age to bear children for the wealthy leaders and their barren wives. They call their world Gilead and that law is just the tip of the terrifying iceberg.

The amazing cast includes plenty of faces people probably recognize from other projects. In many cases, they have starred in roles very different than the ones they play in this series.

The cast of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale is made up of top actors from both film and TV, but where else have you seen them before and after the show?

11 Elisabeth Moss (June Osborne)

Though Elisabeth Moss has appeared in several films, the role that really put her on the map was as Peggy Olson, Don Draper’s secretary and eventually colleague and friend, in AMC series Mad Men. But she actually had a major role before that as the daughter of President Josiah Bartlet on The West Wing from 1999-2006. Viewers might also remember her from her supporting role in the film Girl, Interrupted.

In addition to her starring role on The Handmaid’s Tale as the fiercely brave June who is determined to take Gilead down, Moss has appeared in several movies over the last few years including, most recently, The horror-thriller The Invisible Man.

10 Yvonne Strahovski (Serena Joy Waterford)

She plays the stern yet conflicted Commander’s wife in Handmaid’s Tale and has played many other strong and opinionated women in previous roles. Most notably was her role as CI agent Sarah Walker on NBC series Chuck and Hannah McKay, a love interest and fellow serial killer on Showtime series Dexter. She also had a small role in 24: Live Another Day.

As she continues in her starring role on The Handmaid’s Tale, she is also appearing in movies like Angel of Mine and the upcoming film The Tomorrow War; and stars in the Australian series Stateless, which is streaming on Netflix.

9 Joseph Fiennes (Fred Waterford)

Brother of another acclaimed actor, Ralph Fiennes, Joseph Fiennes is most known for his role as William Shakespeare in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love. He was also in Elizabeth that same year, as Sir Robert Dudley and in the second season of American Horror Story.

He can’t be seen, per se, but he can also be heard as the voice of Sheriff Nottingham in the 2019 animated sci-fi series Sherwood. In Handmaid’s Tale, he plays the cruel yet charming Commander Waterford.

8 Ann Dowd (Aunt Lydia Clements)

Acting for decades, Dowd finally got the recognition she deserved from her role as the chilling Aunt Lydia who is in charge of all of the handmaids and devoutly believes in their purpose. Among the many films she has had starring roles, some of the most notable include Green Card, Lorenzo’s Oil, Philadelphia, The Manchurian Candidate, and Marley & Me.

On the small screen, she was a regular on HBO series The Leftovers from 2014-2017 and received an Emmy nomination for her role. She was nominated again for Handmaid’s Tale and won.

7 Samira Wiley (Moria Strand)

Wiley was already a household name before she appeared on this series thanks to her starring role on Netflix series Orange is the New Black followed by the character’s very controversial death. She plays Moira, June’s best friend who managed to escape Gilead and flee to Canada.

Along with playing Poussey on OITNB, viewers might also have seen Wiley in movies like The Sitter, Nerve, Detroit, and Social Animals. Her voice can also be heard narrating the 2020 Netflix documentary Night on Earth. Those who watched the revival of the sitcom Will & Grace might also recognize her for the small recurring role as Nikki, a lesbian woman with whom Karen has a short-lived romantic relationship.

6 Max Minghella (Nick Blaine)

Playing Nick Blaine, personal driver for Commander Waterford, a secret Eye of Gilead, and love interest of June, Minghella was in plenty of movies before The Handmaid’s Tale, including Art School Confidential, The Social Network, and The Internship.

But where viewers probably recognize the English actor most from is his role as Richie Castellano in the series The Mindy Project. He appeared in seven episodes in total from 2013-2017.

5 Madeline Brewer (Janine Lindo)

As the troubled and dangerously outspoken and unhinged Janine who famously had her eye taken out as a punishment, leading to her signature eyepatch, Brewer also appeared in Orange is the New Black as well as Hemlock Grove.

She also had a leading role in the 2018 Netflix horror film Cam and appeared in the Black Mirror episode “Men Against Fire” as Raiman.

4 O-T Fagbenie (Luke Bankole)

One of those fabulous dramas that has flown under the radar on Netflix, Fagbenie had a leading role in Harlan Coben’s The Five, which first aired on Sky 1 in the U.K. back in 2016. An accomplished theater actor as well, he has also been in several movies, including Breaking and Entering and the BBC sitcom Grownups.

He has a role in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Black Widow. On The Handmaid’s Tale, he plays June’s husband who is desperate to save his wife and daughter from Gilead.

3 Bradley Whitford (Joseph Lawrence)

An accomplished actor, Whitford is best known for his long-running role on The West Wing as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman, which earned him three consecutive Emmy Award nominations.

He is also most recently known for his role in the horror film Get Out and the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. As Commander Joseph Lawrence in The Handmaid’s Tale, he plays a key architect of Gilead who begins to regret his decision once he sees the rapid decline and suffering of his mentally ill wife.

2 Alexis Bledel (Emily Malek)

One of the characters who went through debilitating torture on the series, Bledel impressed in the role of Emily, who finally escaped from Gilead and is trying to rebuild her life with her wife and son.

Bledel is, of course, best known for her role as Rory Gilmore on the TV series Gilmore Girls as well as in the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She reprised the former role for the Netflix reunion miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

1 Amanda Brugel (Rita)

Playing Rita, one of the many Marthas who work as servants for the wealthy Commander households, the Canadian actor has a number of films to her credit, most of which aired in her home country.

She did appear in the independent drama Room, which starred Brie Larson, as well as Suicide Squad, and had a small role in Orphan Black. But fans might recognize her from her small role as Sonia in the CBC comedy Workin’ Moms, which is now streaming on Netflix.

About The Author