Elisabeth Moss has recently explained why she took the lead role in The Handmaid’s Tale series.
During an appearance on the latest episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, the Mad Men actress recalled turning down Handmaid’s role twice but she took up June character only when she got to know who it was offered to before her.
“I wasn’t quite sure if I was ready to make that commitment again, so I actually passed the first time they offered it to me,” said the actress.
Elisabeth told the host, “It seems insane now. I’m so glad I’ve corrected that. And then they came back, and they very nicely offered it again, blah, blah, blah.”
“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,’” mentioned the 42-year-old.
Elisabeth didn’t take her competitor’s name but she pointed out that it “was the thing that made realise 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 realise how badly I wanted to do it,” stated the actress.
Earlier, speaking to The Times, Elisabeth further said, “I always try to make my characters end up being heroines and representing feminism.”
Reflecting on women representation in the shows, the actress further said, “I try to make them real, whether it’s representing a woman in the workplace or a mother. They’re just like you and me – not special, not perfect.”
“Nobody is 100 per cent good all of the time. We don’t have special powers. We’re women and we’re human,” she added.