You were shooting the series during the election, then after it and then during the insane stuff leading up to the inauguration. Knowing what the subject matter was, did you feel like you were in some weird alternate reality that wasn’t that far away from what was going on in the real world?
No kidding, yes, it was horrible. I mean because all the nonsense relating to Trump, who took him seriously in the beginning? He’s the biggest buffoon, this is of course before the campaign or while [his campaign first started]. Then he kept gaining traction and no matter how heinous his behavior was so the things they revealed. So, we were thrilled to embrace those things because the conservatives and the religious right and the bizarre tunnel vision that goes with those points of view, they were gaining more traction. Because God forbid he should become president, and look what’s going to happen here. So, we were fully in that. I happened to be in New York when he was elected and I stayed in the bed the entire day. I kept texting Lizzie, trying to imagine — Elisabeth Moss — how were they managing on set? How were they functioning? Because it was such a horrible event! She just basically said they put their head down and got down to work, because this work was a way of an activist participation, if you will. If that makes sense.
I think there are many shows that just by existing are activist shows these days. I think “Handmaids Tale” is one of them. Having read the book as a kid I knew what your character, Aunt Lydia, was when she first appeared. She is very hard-assed, especially in the first couple episodes. But as the series progresses there is a slight sympathy in her that I think many people wouldn’t have expected. When you landed the role or were speaking to the show runners, was that a concern at all? Making sure she wasn’t so one note?
Oh sure. It did come up right away. Bruce Miller’s fabulous. He told me he had just a little bit of information about what he considered to be her back story, which was that she was a teacher. That made all the sense in the world to me. Also, our wonderful director of our first three episodes, and her name just went right out of my head…
Oh, Reed Morano.
She’s beyond belief. She, right away, went for that side of Lydia that said. “These girls are her life. Her life.” Obviously, Lydia is a very conservative individual who’s fully in on all this, at least in the beginning. I would say in the first season fully in, in terms of the belief that, “Hey, the world went to hell in a hand basket. The promiscuous behavior, the pollution, the dropping of the birth rate, the world is in a nightmare state.” I think she was very in on the early forming of this party. You know, in full support of it. I think that’s why she got the leadership role that she did. But these girls, she loves them. Loves them. And wants the best for them. Her job is to make sure that they get what is expected of them, because if they don’t, the colonies are waiting. You know, where it’s just full of pollution and radioactiveness. And, instead, they have the great joy of bringing a baby into the world, and to restore the world to its proper level of purity and family. So, I think she fully believes that, and she becomes attached to these girls. I would say the great challenge for Lydia is emotional attachment. For instance, Janine, the girl whose eye was removed.
Right.
The eye that Lydia took out, mind you, realizing she’s out of control, and “We to make a very strong statement here. If anyone thinks they’re going to say ‘fuck’ in my presence, let’s get this under control immediately.” But then you see how she has a protective feeling for Janine, realizing that that poor girl when right off the rails after [giving birth as a surrogate for the first time]. She can’t really survive, she’s very unstable. But Lydia tries to look out for her, tries to shepherd her in some way. It was never a question that she was pure evil. No, that never occurred to me. In her own way, she’s a hero to those girls. From her own perspective, these girls were being sluts, half of them. On birth control for goodness sakes. Never having the experience of having a baby. Can you imagine? Who knows what Lydia’s past is? Maybe she lost a child. Who knows? As we all know, there’s so much that goes into one’s life and the reasons we cling to our beliefs as we do. It’s a complicated matter, you know?
Do you know what’s in the works for Aunt Lydia in season two?
Well, I don’t know what would happen in season two. Episode 10 is extraordinary. All I can say is wait till you see it. It is phenomenal what happens. There is surely a cliffhanger and I have goosebumps right now talking about it. I really do.
Lastly, for “Handmaids” was there one scene in particular you were most proud of when you finally saw the final product?
Well, you know what I liked? There’s something that you spoke of earlier. I so wanted it to be clear that she’s not just some evil creature that you cannot connect to. That in fact, she cares very deeply. So, I guess if I were to be proud of something, it would be that there are just hints in the performance, I’d like to think, that would suggest that. That there is some way to relate to that character, other than as the Antichrist.
The complete three seasons of “The Leftovers” are currently available on HBO Go. All 10 episodes of the first season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” are available on Hulu.
