It is difficult to foretell which role in showbiz can make or break you. This is why the regrets of missed opportunity in Hollywood often eclipse the trend of success stories, but not for Elisabeth Moss. At first, she may have had her fair share of doubts, but Moss decided to stick through thick and thin with The Handmaid’s Tale
for nine years. Ahead of the sixth and final season, Moss most recently explained why she almost passed on the role.
While Moss was saved by the nick of time before it was too late, what exactly made her do a double-take for The Handmaid’s Tale?
What made Elisabeth Moss almost give up The Handmaid’s Tale?
In a recent appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show,
Elisabeth Moss was
“glad” she took the role of June Osbourne in The Handmaid’s Tale
after originally passing on the part in the Hulu series. “Thank god, that worked out the right way,”
she continued, explaining that she hesitated to commit to another showbiz series right after completing her eight-season run on Mad
Men
(2007-15). “I
know, it seems insane now,”
she acknowledged.
We can’t imagine “The Handmaid’s Tale” without Elisabeth Moss! pic.twitter.com/tSw4HmNRsK
— The Jennifer Hudson Show (@JHudShow) May 20, 2025
Moss was initially uncertain whether she could commit to a series again. But reflecting on her quick disaster management, she is relieved to have corrected that misstep. Luck must have really favored her at this point because, despite her initial rejection, they offered the role a second time. However, what actually got her going with the role was that they “leaked
” who they would have offered the role to if she did not take it, and Moss was like, “Over my dead body.”
Elisabeth Moss is not the only one in showbiz
to have nearly walked away from something. But what made her reconsider The Handmaid’s Tale?
Elisabeth Moss had a good reason to take on The Handmaid’s Tale
During her recent chat on The Jennifer Hudson Show,
Elisabeth Moss took a trip down memory lane when her decision to portray June Osbourne in The Handmaid’s Tale
was still foggy in her mind. Of course, she passed on the role at first. But when they revealed who their second choice for the character was, quite on purpose, it made her realize she needed to do the role more than she initially thought.
Elisabeth Moss is making a super strong case for multiple Emmy wins this year with The Handmaid’s Tale final season. Incredible performances and fantastic directing. She’s crushing it. pic.twitter.com/TFFjLC4V7F
— Neil Schwary (@NeilSchwary) May 20, 2025
“I couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else playing that role, you know what I mean?”
Moss explained. She clearly could not have come to terms with another actor portraying June Osbourne, and it was the trigger that helped her realize how badly she wanted it. The
Handmaid’s Tale
is a Hulu adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, scheduled to conclude with its sixth and final season on May 27.
Read More: How old was Sydney Sweeney in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale?’
What do you think of Elisabeth Moss’s reason for turning down The Handmaid’s Tale
initially? Let us know in the comments below!