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When The Handmaid’s Tale first aired in 2017, it quickly became one of Hulu's most critically acclaimed original shows, with Elisabeth Moss leading the cast as June Osborne. Now, as the dystopian drama reaches its sixth and final season, Moss is reflecting on how close she came to never playing the role that would go on to define a significant part of her career.
During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on May 23, 2025, Moss spoke candidly about her initial hesitation and how she came to fully understand just how much the role meant to her. In the interview, she said:
"Then the thing that clinched it was, they leaked it to me, obviously on purpose, who they were going to offer it to if I didn’t take it, and I was like, ‘Over my dead body.'"
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The Handmaid’s Tale, adapted from Margaret Atwood's novel, has been lauded for its themes, as well as its visuals and performances of its cast. Over six seasons, the series has earned Moss several awards and widespread acclaim.
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Still, as she disclosed on the daytime talk show, there was a moment when she nearly passed on the role entirely.
What did Elisabeth Moss say about her role on The Handmaid’s Tale?
During her appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Moss recalled receiving the offer for the role of June Osborne just after finishing her stint as Peggy Olson on Mad Men. At the time, she was not certain that she was prepared to do another large-scale project.
"I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to make that commitment again," she confessed, and actually declined the offer.
What changed her mind was a clever move by the production team. Moss said that producers deliberately leaked the name of the actress who would be offered the role if she turned down the part once more.
That tactic was enough to spark an intense response from Elisabeth Moss. She added:
"It was the thing that made realize that I needed to do it. I couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else playing that role, you know what I mean? That was the thing that made me realize how badly I wanted to do it.”
In the end, Moss took the role and brought critical success as well as a loyal fan base. Her performance as June, a woman braving unimaginable repression while holding on to hope for freedom, has become legendary.
Since then, Moss has not only played the lead role in the series but also directed a number of episodes, further inserting herself into the show's creative DNA.
What is The Handmaid’s Tale about?
The Handmaid’s Tale is based on Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name, published in 1985. Set in a dystopian future where the United States has been overthrown by a totalitarian regime called Gilead, the show introduces a reality where women's rights have been completely removed.
A drastic decline in fertility drives the regime to force fertile women, called Handmaids, into serving powerful families as a means of reproduction.
Elisabeth Moss portrays June Osborne, who becomes Offred, the Handmaid assigned to Commander Fred Waterford and his wife, Serena Joy. Throughout the series, June evolves from a compliant player in Gilead's system to one of its strongest rebels.
The series explores themes of freedom, rebellion, motherhood, and the cost of liberty, all set against a backdrop of religious extremism and systemic domination.
What sets The Handmaid’s Tale apart is how it engages with power, not only from the perspective of authoritarianism but also with the quiet interactions between its characters.
June's path is one of emotional and psychological richness, as she grapples with trauma, love, and command in perpetually imperiled circumstances. The series never avoids tough questions, instead meeting them head-on with frequently harrowing storytelling.
Since its premiere, The Handmaid’s Tale has won dozens of awards, including Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. Moss earned the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama. Aside from the awards, the show has continued to be culturally relevant, sparking protests, think pieces, and scholarly analysis.
Its latest episode provides some of the series' most dramatic moments so far, including an emotional penultimate scene with Taylor Swift's Look What You Made Me Do, a song that Moss championed personally.
Interested viewers can watch The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.
