The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments are American dystopian drama streaming television series created for Hulu by Bruce Miller, based on the 1985 novel of the same name and the 2019 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood. The plot of both series follow a dystopian future following a Second American Civil War wherein a totalitarian society subjects fertile women, called "Handmaids", to child-bearing slavery. The first three episodes of the series premiered on April 26, 2017; the subsequent seven episodes aired on a weekly basis every Wednesday. In May 2017, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on April 25, 2018. The series features an ensemble cast including Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Max Minghella, and Samira Wiley. Amanda Brugel had a recurring role in the first season before being promoted to the main cast for the second.The following list of characters and actors includes the series' main cast, all guest stars deemed to have had recurring roles throughout the series, and any other guest who is otherwise notable.
Overview Character Portrayed by The Handmaid's Tale The Testaments 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 Main June Osborne Elisabeth Moss colspan="6" colspan="1" Commander Fred Waterford Joseph Fiennes colspan="4" colspan="3" Serena Joy Waterford Yvonne Strahovski colspan="6" Dr. Emily Malek Alexis Bledel colspan="4" Janine Lindo Madeline Brewer colspan="6" Aunt Lydia Clements Ann Dowd colspan="7" Lucas "Luke" Bankole O-T Fagbenle colspan="6" Commander Nick Blaine Max Minghella colspan="6" Moira Strand Samira Wiley colspan="6" Rita Blue Amanda Brugel colspan="5" colspan="1" Commander Joseph Lawrence Bradley Whitford colspan="4" Mark Tuello Sam Jaeger colspan="3" colspan="1" Naomi Putnam Ever Carradine colspan="3" Agnes MacKenzie / Hannah Bankole Jordana Blake colspan="3" colspan="2" Chase Infiniti colspan="6" Daisy (Marguerite) Lucy Halliday colspan="6" Aunt Vidala (Vivian) Mabel Li colspan="6" Garth Chapin Brad Alexander colspan="6" Hulda Marie Edwardson Isolde Ardies colspan="6" Shunammite Hayes Rowan Blanchard colspan="6" Rebecka "Becka" Grove Mattea Conforti colspan="6" Aunt Gabbana Zarrin Darnell-Martin colspan="6" Aunt Estee Eva Foote colspan="6" Rosa Kira Guloien colspan="6" Jehosheba Yardarm Shechinah Mpumlwana colspan="6" Miriam Dawnson Birva Pandya colspan="6" Paula MacKenzie Amy Seimetz colspan="6" Recurring Alma Nina Kiri colspan="4" colspan="2" Brianna Bahia Watson colspan="4" colspan="2" Commander Warren Putnam Stephen Kunken colspan="5" colspan="2" Dolores Jenessa Grant colspan="2" colspan="4" Lillie Fuller Tattiawna Jones colspan="2" colspan="5" Beth Kristen Gutoskie colspan="3" Erin Erin Way colspan="4" Rachel Tapping Krista Morin colspan="3" Eleanor Lawrence Julie Dretzin colspan=2 colspan="4" Holly Maddox Cherry Jones colspan="2" Eden Spencer Sydney Sweeney colspan="5" Commander Ray Cushing Greg Bryk colspan="5" Sylvia Clea DuVall colspan="2" Commander Matthew Calhoun Jonathan Watton colspan="2" colspan="4" Sienna Sugenja Sri colspan="2" colspan="3" Natalie Ashleigh LaThrop colspan="2" colspan="4" Commander George Winslow Christopher Meloni colspan="2" colspan="4" Aunt Elizabeth Edie Inksetter colspan="3" colspan="2" Esther Keyes Mckenna Grace colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" Oona Zawe Ashton colspan="3" colspan="3" Rose Blaine Carey Cox colspan="4" colspan="2" Alanis Wheeler Genevieve Angelson colspan="4" colspan="2" Ezra Shaw Rossif Sutherland colspan="4" colspan="2" Commander MacKenzie Jason Butler Harner colspan="4" colspan="1" Ryan Wheeler Lucas Neff colspan="4" colspan="2" Commander Gabriel Wharton Josh Charles colspan="5" Commander Bell Timothy Simons colspan="5" Ellen Athena Karkanis colspan="5" Commander Reynolds Tim Campbell colspan="5" Aunt Phoebe D'Arcy Carden colspan="5"
Main characters
June Osborne June Osborne (portrayed by Elisabeth Moss) is a woman who was captured while attempting to escape to Canada with her husband, Luke, and daughter, Hannah. Due to her fertility, she is made a Handmaid to Commander Fred Waterford and his wife, Serena Joy, and is named "Offred".
June reappears in The Testaments.
Moss was first announced as the lead actress in April 2016.
Commander Fred Waterford Commander Fred Waterford (portrayed by Joseph Fiennes) is a high-ranking government official, chief diplomat, and Offred's master. Both he and his wife played an instrumental role in Gilead's founding. He wishes to have more contact with June outside of what is lawful between a Handmaid and her master, and starts inviting her to play nightly games of Scrabble. He feigns a kind personality, often portraying himself as a victim of Gilead, but in reality, he is cruel and aggressive. He was responsible for the founding of Gilead, being one of the leaders of the Sons of Jacob. After Commander Pryce's death, he becomes the head of the Council. This role is comparable to a prime minister. At the end of season 4, Waterford is beaten to death by June and vengeful other former Handmaids and his body is hung from a wall in no man's land.
Fiennes joined the cast in August 2016.
Serena Joy Waterford Serena Joy Waterford (portrayed by Yvonne Strahovski) is Fred's wife and a former conservative cultural activist and author of a controversial book, A Woman's Place, which advocates women as second-class citizens who exist merely to be obedient and submissive housewives and mothers, rather than be independent of their menfolk and pursuing careers. She appears to have accepted her new role in the Gilead society that she helped create. She is poised and deeply religious, but is capable of great cruelty and is often callous to June. She is desperate to become a mother, but most men are sterile. Showrunners have said we will see that Serena is actually fertile. Although a friend of Commander Cushing, she denounces him, fearing his heavy response to the bombing and his semi-dictatorial power. In later seasons, she successfully becomes pregnant with her son Noah, but Fred is killed by June and the other Handmaids. Serena eventually remarries to High Commander Gabriel Wharton, but abandons him on their wedding night after realizing that Wharton is a monster. In the series finale, after helping the resistance kill the Boston Commanders, Serena is left a refugee with no power, but content as she has her son.
Strahovski joined the cast in August 2016.
Emily Malek Emily (portrayed by Alexis Bledel), also referred to as Ofglen and later Ofsteven, is June's shopping partner. Although June is initially wary of her, it is revealed Ofglen is not as pious as she seems, and the two become friends. Ofglen had a wife and son and was a university lecturer in cellular biology. Although homosexuality is punishable by death in Gilead and most university professors are sent to labor camps, Ofglen was spared and made a Handmaid due to her fertility. She is later captured and cruelly punished for her homosexual relationship with a Martha and is assigned to another household where she becomes "Ofsteven". She is involved with a resistance movement called "Mayday". In season 3, we witness Emily's post-traumatic struggles as she escapes Gilead and is reunited with her wife and son in Canada. After being absent in seasons 5 and 6, Emily reunites with June in the series finale where it's revealed that she has been fighting in the resistance in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Bledel was cast in January 2017.
Janine Lindo Janine (portrayed by Madeline Brewer) is a Handmaid who entered the Red Center for training at the same time as June. She considers June a friend because of her kind treatment. During training, Janine's right eye is removed as a punishment for her initial non-compliance. She reveals a past rape during training and the other Handmaids are forced to tell Janine the abuse was her fault, causing her great emotional harm. She becomes mentally unstable due to her mistreatment and often behaves in temperamental or childlike ways. She is assigned to Warren and Naomi Putnam and becomes "Ofwarren". She eventually gives birth to a baby girl the Putnams name "Angela", though Janine insists the baby's name is "Charlotte". Janine is later reassigned and becomes "Ofdaniel". She was temporarily assigned to the Colonies until a bombing at the new Rachel and Leah Center. In the series finale, Janine is finally reunited with her daughter by Aunt Lydia and Naomi Lawrence.
Brewer was cast as Janine in August 2016.
Aunt Lydia Aunt Lydia (portrayed by Ann Dowd) is in charge of overseeing the Handmaids in their training, sexual reeducation, and duties. She is brutal and subjects insubordinate Handmaids to harsh physical punishment, but she also cares for her charges and believes deeply in the Gileadean mission and doctrine. She appears to have a soft spot for Janine and even goes so far as to address her by her given name on occasion. She was heavily injured in Season 2. In Season 3, it was revealed in a flashback that her real name is Lydia Clements, and she was an elementary school teacher who taught fourth grade. In the final episodes of the series, Lydia has a change of heart after the massacre of the Boston Commanders, causing her to nearly be hanged alongside the Handmaids. Although Lydia returns to Gilead afterwards, she remains in contact with the American forces and helps to secure Janine's release from custody in the series finale.
In The Testaments, she now runs the Aunt Lydia School.
Dowd was cast in July 2016.
Luke Bankole Lucas "Luke" Bankole (portrayed by O-T Fagbenle) is June's husband from before Gilead. Because he is divorced (he and June began their relationship before his divorce from his first wife), their union is considered invalid in the new society. June is considered an adulteress and their daughter, Hannah, is considered illegitimate. Initially, June believes he has been killed, but it is later revealed Luke managed to escape to Canada.
Fagbenle was cast in September 2016.
Nick Blaine Nick Blaine (portrayed by Max Minghella) is Commander Waterford's driver and a former drifter from Michigan who has feelings for June. June and Nick develop an intimate relationship and have a daughter, whom they wanted to name Holly. Later, June decides to give her the name that Serena had chosen, Nicole. June early on discovers that Nick is an Eye, a spy for Gilead. He is eventually promoted to the rank of Commander and briefly sent to the war front in Chicago. His direct superior is Commander Pryce, head of Security, who wants him to "control Waterford" in the prevision of further purges of Gilead. He passes then to the leadership of Cushing, which starts a brief authoritarian regime, and then Warren Putnam. Ultimately, Nick's loyalty to Gilead wins out over his love for June, resulting in his death alongside the other surviving Commanders when their plane is blown up by Commander Lawrence on behalf of Mayday. With his last words, Nick reflects on how June had told him many times to abandon his life in Gilead.
Minghella was cast in July 2016.
Moira Strand Moira (portrayed by Samira Wiley), also referred to as Ruby, is June's best friend since college. She is already at the Red Center when June enters Handmaid training but escapes before being assigned to a home. She is recaptured and becomes "Ruby", a Jezebel. She seems to have given up hope of ever being free, but on meeting June again, regains the conviction to escape.
Wiley joined the main cast in July 2016.
Rita Blue Rita (portrayed by Amanda Brugel) is a Martha at the Waterford home. She had a son who died fighting in the Civil War when he was 19 years old. Rita is part of the resistance and helped June escape with baby Nicole at the end of season 2. At the end of Season 3, Rita escapes to Canada on a plane with over 80 children and several other Marthas.