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. 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
Main characters
June Osborne
June Osborne 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".Moss was first announced as the lead actress in April 2016.
Commander Fred Waterford
Commander Fred Waterford 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.Fiennes joined the cast in August 2016.
Serena Joy Waterford
Serena Joy Waterford 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.Strahovski joined the cast in August 2016.
Emily Malek
Emily, 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 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 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.Dowd was cast in July 2016.
Luke Bankole
Lucas "Luke" Bankole is June's husband from before Gilead. Because he is divorced, 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 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.Minghella was cast in July 2016.
Moira Strand
Moira, 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 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 Nichole 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.Brugel was cast in the recurring role of Rita in September 2016. In August 2017, she was promoted to the main cast for the second season.
Commander Joseph Lawrence
Commander Joseph Lawrence is considered the "architect of Gilead's economy," and the creator of the Colonies, as well a gruff and intimidating man with a disheveled mad genius vibe. His sly humor and flashes of kindness make him a confusing, mysterious presence for his newest Handmaid. He shows regrets for his past and could be a member of the Mayday resistance. In the penultimate episode, Lawrence sacrifices himself to blow up a plane full of Commanders to help secure Mayday's victory.Whitford joined the recurring cast in February 2018. He was promoted to the main cast for the third season in October 2018.
Mark Tuello
Commander Mark Tuello is a mysterious stranger who Serena encounters in Canada, later revealed to be a representative of the US government-in-exile. He plays a bigger role in Season 3. In the series finale, Tuello is revealed to be a Commander in the American military.Jaeger was promoted to the main cast in season 4.
Recurring characters
The following is a list of guest characters that have recurring roles throughout the series.Introduced in season 1
- Alma, also referred to as Ofrobert, is another Handmaid who trained at the Red Center with June, Moira, and Janine. She is frank and chatty and often trades gossip and news with June. She is also involved with Mayday and becomes June's first contact with the resistance group.
- Commander Warren Putnam is a Commander in the Republic of Gilead. He is the husband of Naomi Putnam and the first known Commander of Janine. He had his left hand amputated by the Council after being found guilty of adultery. He later becomes the right hand of Waterford in the Council itself, and the head of Security after the arrest of Cushing, who had established a semi-dictatorial regime too violent and exclusive for Gilead. He personally carries out Cushing's arrest "on Waterford order".
- Naomi Putnam is Commander Warren Putnam's wife. She views her baby largely as a status symbol and has no sympathy for the Handmaids. After Putnam's death, she marries Commander Lawrence. In the series finale, Naomi assists Lydia in securing Janine's release and returns the baby to her biological mother after an emotional goodbye. Carradine joined the cast in October 2016.
- Lillie Fuller, also referred to as Ofglen, is a woman who replaces Emily in the position after Emily is captured by the Eyes. She initially follows the rules and does not wish to upset the status quo, but this is because she believes her life as a Handmaid is better than the difficult, impoverished life she led prior to Gilead, rather than out of religious piety.
- Dolores, also referred to as Ofsamuel, is a local Handmaid with a friendly and talkative nature.
- Briana, also referred to as Oferic, is another local Handmaid who is friends with June.
- Hannah Bankole is June and Luke's daughter. She is later renamed Agnes.
- Commander Andrew Pryce. One of the architects of the Sons of Jacob movement. He is a high-ranking commander who employs Nick as an Eye, and the head of Security. He gains political power very quickly, eventually becoming head of the Council and an influential member of the Committee. He is later replaced in these roles by Cushing and Waterford, after dying in a terrorist action. He seems a faithful man but proves to be cruel and opportunist. He is also the superior of Nick and wants to "purge and clean" Gilead.
- Beth is a Martha at Jezebel's. She has an arrangement with Nick whereby she trades illegal alcohol and other contraband for drugs, which the Jezebels use. She has a casual sexual relationship with him and is aware that he is an Eye. Beth becomes a recurring character in season three as one of the two Marthas working at Commander Lawrence's household.
- Erin is a young, apparently mute, woman who was being trained to become a Handmaid but managed to escape to Canada.