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".
Moss was first announced as the lead actress in April 2016. [3]
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.
Fiennes joined the cast in August 2016. [4]
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.
Strahovski joined the cast in August 2016. [5]
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. [6]
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. [7]
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.
Dowd was cast in July 2016. [8]
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. [9]
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.
Minghella was cast in July 2016. [8]
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.
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 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. [12] In August 2017, she was promoted to the main cast for the second season. [13]
Commander Joseph Lawrence
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. 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. [15] He was promoted to the main cast for the third season in October 2018. [16]
Mark Tuello
Commander 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. 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.
