The Handmaid's Tale season 2 cast: Who stars in The Handmaid's Tale?
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale season 2 The Handmaid's Tale is back this week for its highly anticipated second season. The Margaret Atwood dystopian series is produced by American streaming site Hulu and will be steaming there weekly from Wednesday, April 25. Channel 4 have the right to broadcast the series in the UK and Ireland but they have not yet announced when exactly it will begin airing, other than “spring 2018”. Season two is set to pick up with the aftermath of Offred’s (played by Elisabeth Moss) pregnancy and removal from the Waterford home. Here’s a look at the cast of season two ahead of the season premiere. THE HANDMAID'S TALE SEASON 2 UK AIR DATE
Who is in the cast of The Handmaid's Tale season 2? Elisabeth Moss - June/Offred Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss plays the lead character in The Handmaid's Tale. Her real name is June, but in Gilead she must go by Offred as Fred is the first name of the man who owns her. According to Hulu, Offred is: “A Handmaid trying to survive in the male-dominated totalitarian regime of Gilead. “Enslaved by a society that values only her fertility, Offred must find a way to survive in a world of oppression and swift, cruel punishments.” Season one saw Offred navigate her way through the politics of the Waterford home, while flashbacks showed her journey up to this point - including losing her family and all of her rights in the nightmarish Gilead. Other than The Handmaid's Tale, Moss is best known for playing Peggy Olsen in Mad Men. HOW MANY EPISODES ARE IN THE HANDMAID'S TALE SEASON 2?
Hulu Elisabeth Moss as June/Offred
Joseph Fiennes - Commander Fred Waterford American Horror Story actor, Joseph Fiennes plays Commander Fred Waterford. The commander is a founding father of Gilead and powerful, high-ranking official of the religious cult the Sons of Jacob. He rules the household where Offred is a handmaid. The Sons of Jacob had an army at their disposal that orchestrated terrorist attacks - framing Islamic terrorists - in order to overthrow the government. Fred invites Offred to his private study and gives her whiskey and magazines - which is forbidden - before later bringing her to a secret brothel known as Jezebels. HOW IS THE SERIES DIFFERENT FROM THE BOOK?
Hulu Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred Waterford
Yvonne Strahovski - Serena Joy Waterford The wife of Commander Waterford, Serena Joy is played by Yvonne Strahovski. Serena Joy was an influential public figure and author who was instrumental in bringing about the rise of Gilead. She and Fred are unable to conceive and when she grows frustrated, she arranges for Offred and the household’s driver Nick (Max Minghella) to have sex to try and conceive. Her cruel treatment of Offred goes from physical beatings to threatening to harm Offred’s daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake) if Offred does anything to harm herself or the baby when she gets pregnant. Strahovski is known for her roles on Dexter and Chuck. THE HANDMAID'S TALE: WHO IS YVONNE STRAHOVSKI?
Hulu Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy
Samira Wiley - Moira Offred’s best friend before Gilead Moira is played by Samira Wiley. We see Moira and June together in their college days, then during the rise of Gilad and then in handmaid training at the Red Centres. Moira and June attempt to escape but June is recaptured. Believing her friend has also been captured and sent to the colonies - which mean certain death - June is surprised to find out that Moira has become a Jezebel. A Jezebel is a prostitute used by the commanders. Moira manages to escape to Canada and reunite with Luke (O.T. Fagbenle) in season one. Wiley is best known for starring in Orange is the New Black. THE HANDMAID'S TALE SEASON 2 PLOT
Hulu Samira Wiley as Moira
Alexis Bledel - Ofglen/Emily Ofglen, real name Emily. is played by Gilmore Girls star Alexis Bledel. The first handmaid that Offred is paired with, the two form a deep friendship on their daily walks. Before Gilled, Emily and her wife and child tried to fell to Canada but Emily was captured. Gay people and lesbians are known as “gender traitors” in Gilead and when Emily is caught having an affair with a Martha (domestic servant) in her household, she is forced to watch her lover hanged before she is punished with genital mutilation. When she is returned to her duties after this she sees an empty car at a market and drives over a guard before being caught again and taken away for some unknown but terrifying punishment. WILL OFGLEN BE IN SEASON 2 OF THE HANDMAID'S TALE?
Hulu Alexis Bledel as Ofglen/Emily
Max Minghella - Nick Nick is a Guardian in Gilead. Living in Commander Waterford’s house, working as his driver, he makes a connection with Offred, although she’s unsure whether he’s an Eye, working for the secret police. After Serena Joy forces him and Offred to have sex in order to increase her chances of conceiving the two start their own secret relationship. Minghella has also starred in The Mindy project and in the film The Social Network. WHAT DID THEY DO TO OFGLEN IN THE HANDMAID'S TALE?
Hulu Max Minghella as Nick
Madeline Brewer - Janine/Ofwarren Janine, a handmaid June and Moira meet at the Red Centre is played by Orange is the New Black actress Madeline Brewer. Janine is mentally unstable and has already had an eye amputated as punishment. She is the first to have a child in the series and naturally struggles with giving her daughter up to her commander’s wife. Her commander Warren Putnam is using her for sex outside of the ceremonial raping and she believes him when he promises to leave his wife for her. When this turns out not to be the case, she jumps of a bride but survives. WHERE IS THE HANDMAID'S TALE SET?
Hulu Madeline Brewer as Janine/Ofwarren
Ann Dowd - Aunt Lydia Aunt Lydia is played by prolific American actress Ann Dowd. A cruel and brutal Gilead follower, she runs the Red Center, where she indoctrinates handmaids into the Gilead system. Season one saw Aunt Lydia subject the handmaids to cruel punishments in the Red Centre and continue to enforce the new ideology. Dowd has recently starred in HBO’s The Leftovers and True Detective. WHERE IS THE HANDMAID'S TALE FILMED?
Hulu Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia
O.T. Fagbenle - Luke Luke, played by O.T. Fagbenle, is June’s husband and father of her child from before Gilead. A series of flashbacks shows how the two met while Luke was already married to someone else. He and June begin an affair before he leaves his wife and marries June. June and Hannah are captured while trying to escape across the border but Luke manages to escape. He is living as a refugee in Canada during season one.
Hulu O.T. Fagbenle as Luke
What influenced The Handmaid's Tale? Tue, June 6, 2017 What influenced The Handmaid's Tale? From Environmental issues to and Serena Joy and Ronald Reagan. Play slideshow Hulu 1 of 13 The Handmaid's Tale