Elisabeth Moss kept it chic and casual as she arrived at Good Morning America’s studio in Manhattan on Monday.
Sporting a simple black blazer, white button-up shirt, blue jeans and black heeled boots, the 40-year-old actress looked at ease and excited as she smiled and waved to fans.
The star stopped by Good Morning America to promote the fifth season of her hit show The Handmaid’s Tale, premiering Wednesday on Hulu. On the show she said the end of the first episode for the new season has a major cliffhanger.
Understated star: Elisabeth Moss, 40, kept it chic and casual as she arrived at Good Morning America’s studio in Manhattan on Monday
Sitting down with Good Morning America’s Whit Johnson, the former Mad Men star spoke about how she never expected the dystopian drama to become a critically-acclaimed megahit six years ago when the series first began taking shape.
‘No, no, not at all,’ she said. ‘You never do know how it’s going to be received. You kind of just try to pick something that you feel like, or at least I try to pick something I feel like I would want to watch.’
Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, the series is set in a totalitarian society where fertile woman called ‘Handmaids’ are brutally subjected to child-bearing slavery by the ruling class of men.
Moss plays the central character of June Osborne, a captured Handmaid who fights to be reunited with her long-lost husband and daughter.
Minimalist glow: The former Mad Men star accentuated her natural beauty with minimal makeup and a simple hairstyle
The show premiered on Hulu in 2017, winning eight Emmys that first season and securing Moss the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama. Ever since its debut, the series has continued to rack up accolades and viewership, becoming a top hit for the streamer.
Just renewed for a sixth and final season, the show’s long and celebrated road will be a bittersweet end for its star.
Speaking about the coming end of her heroine’s evolution, Elisabeth touched on how the show is only a ‘slice’ of her formidable character’s much larger journey: ‘I mean we’ve known that there was an end in sight for a little bit. It’s June’s story, but it’s also just – it’s June’s – it’s a slice of her life.’
Moss has been an integral part of The Handmaid’s Tale from the very beginning, serving as an executive producer and even directing a few episodes. ‘It’s not as crazy of a leap as you would think,’ said the star in regards to stepping behind the camera and serving as director.
‘I’ve been so involved in the show over the last few years and I have watched myself a million times and I’ve been able to become very objective about my own performance, so it’s actually not that crazy.’
Biggest fan: The Emmy-winning actress told Good Morning America’s Whit Johnson that she is her own show’s biggest fan in addition to being its star, executive producer and occasional director. ‘I joke that I’m the biggest fan of the show,’ she said. ‘I’m like the show’s number one fan’
On the edge of her seat: According to Moss, fans can expect to be blown away by the fifth season’s highly-anticipated premiere episode. ‘The end of this episode,’ she gushed, ‘it’s a beautiful episode’
The Invisible Man star continued to open up about her passion for the show and her love of directing: ‘You’re supposed to direct something that you feel connected to and you feel like you know how to tell the story and that’s how I felt about this show, so it was a very natural transition in a way. I just felt like there was a part of this story that I really wanted to tell in a different way.’
In addition to being the show’s star, executive producer and occasional director, Elisabeth is also its biggest fan. ‘I joke that I’m the biggest fan of the show,’ she said. ‘I’m like the show’s number one fan.’
According to Moss, fans can expect to be left on the edge of their seats by the fifth season’s highly-anticipated premiere episode, airing on Wednesday.
‘The end of this episode,’ she gushed, ‘it’s a beautiful episode, but the end of this episode is one of the best cliffhangers we’ve ever done. It actually makes me scream every time I watch it. It’s so delicious. So I’m so excited for people to see it.’
Watch seasons 1-4 of The Handmaid’s Tale available only on Stan in Australia.
Dystopian heroine: Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a totalitarian society where fertile woman called ‘Handmaids’ are brutally subjected to child-bearing slavery by the ruling class of men. Moss plays the central character of June Osborne (pictured above), a captured Handmaid who fights to be reunited with her long-lost husband and daughter