List of The Handmaid's Tale (TV series) characters

The Handmaid's Tale is an American dystopian drama web television series created for Hulu by Bruce Miller, based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood.

The plot follows a dystopian future following a Second American Civil War wherein a totalitarian society subjects fertile women, called "Handmaids", to child-bearing slavery.

[2] 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.

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.

[3] Commander Fred Waterford (portrayed by Joseph Fiennes) is a high-ranking government official, chief diplomat, and Offred's master.

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.

[4] 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.

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 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.

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.

[7] 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.

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.

[13] Commander Joseph Lawrence (portrayed by Bradley Whitford) is considered the "architect of Gilead's economy,"[14] and the creator of the Colonies, as well a gruff and intimidating man with a disheveled mad genius vibe.

[16] Mark Tuello (portrayed by Sam Jaeger) is a mysterious stranger who Serena encounters in Canada, later revealed to be a representative of the US government-in-exile.