Elisabeth Moss almost let The Handmaid’s Tale slip right through her fingers. Yep, seriously.
The woman who made June Osborne one of TV’s most unforgettable characters originally turned down the role when it was first offered. And now, looking back, she admits the decision was kind of “insane.”
While chatting on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Moss confessed that after wrapping her eight-year run on Mad Men, she wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of locking herself into another long-term commitment. “I wasn’t quite sure if I was ready to make that commitment again,” she said. “So I actually passed the first time they offered it to me.”
Let that sink in. She said no to the role that would later win her two Emmy Awards and turn her into the fearless face of Gilead’s resistance. Thankfully, the team circled back and offered her the role a second time. That could’ve been the end of it, Moss accepts, the show goes on, but no, the real drama came when they told her who was going to get the part if she didn’t take it.
“They leaked to me who they were going to offer it to if I didn’t take it,” she said, without naming names. “And I was like, ‘Over my dead body.’” That was the moment she realized she actually wanted the role more than she thought. “I couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else playing that role. That was the thing that made me realize how badly I wanted to do it.”
And just like that, Elisabeth Moss became June Osborne. Not only did she step into the lead role, but she ended up producing and even directing episodes of the Hulu series. Six seasons later, she’s closing the chapter on The Handmaid’s Tale, a show that’s now a cultural touchstone.
With the final episode set to air next week, Moss is getting emotional about saying goodbye. In an interview with HELLO! magazine, she called it “surreal and emotional” to see the end coming. “I’ve loved playing this character,” she said. “It’s been a privilege not only to be on this journey as an actor but also to have been given the chance to direct. It’s been a dream job, and I’m going to miss everybody so much.”
But don’t picture her sobbing behind the scenes. Moss kept it together, mostly because she was still busy wearing multiple hats. “There were tears, but not so much from me,” she explained. “I was directing, and I’m also an executive producer, so it didn’t feel as though it was the end to me. I still had a lot of work to do. Now it’s starting to sink in. It’s emotional.”
And in case you’ve ever wondered how actors cope with playing roles drenched in trauma and dystopia, Moss has a refreshingly weird take. Despite The Handmaid’s Tale being set in a terrifying world where women are stripped of their rights and forced into childbirth slavery, she says the material never really drags her down.
“I actually have fun doing it,” she said. “I don’t feel sad, I don’t feel angry, and I don’t feel stressed because of anything my character is going through.” That’s right, Gilead is just a good time for her. “I don’t treat it like therapy; I just have fun. This stuff is like going to Disneyland for me.”
Yes, Elisabeth Moss just compared The Handmaid’s Tale to Disneyland, and somehow, it makes perfect sense. She’s clearly someone who thrives under pressure and loves diving deep into layered roles, even when the subject matter is dark as hell.
So here we are, at the end of a groundbreaking series that almost had a totally different lead. If Moss hadn’t gotten territorial over the role, we might have seen a completely different June onscreen. And honestly? That alternate universe sounds bleak.
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
