Can you imagine The Handmaid’s Tale without Scientologist Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne? No? Well, plot twist — we almost had to.
Turns out, our queen of red cloaks and rebellious glares almost dipped on the whole thing before it even started. Yep, Elisabeth “I’ve Got 99 Emmys” Moss nearly passed on the iconic Hulu dystopian drama.
On The Jennifer Hudson Show, Elisabeth spilled the crimson tea about her almost-breakup with Gilead. And get this — it had nothing to do with bonnets or mandatory ceremonies. It was… scheduling.
“I’m so glad I took it, obviously,” she told Jennifer, while probably making that same intense June face that screams freedom but also trauma. “Thank God that worked out the right way.”
Backstory time! She’d just finished Mad Men — eight seasons of 1960s nonsense and Don Draper drama — and was basically like, “Do I really want to dive into another emotionally exhausting, multi-year nightmare? Again?”
So when Handmaid’s first slid into her DMs (probably via email, but this sounds cooler), she was like:
“Thanks but… no thanks. Love the offer though, best of luck with the dystopia.”
BUT THEN.
They came back. Like a persistent ex who suddenly got a new haircut and found out what therapy is. They offered again — politely, she says — and Elisabeth started to reconsider.
And then came the moment of petty perfection.
“They told me who they were gonna offer it to if I didn’t take it,” she revealed, smirking like someone who absolutely checked the group chat receipts.
And whatever name they dropped? It lit a righteous fire in her Emmy-winning soul.
“Over. My. Dead. Body,” she basically growled. (That’s not a quote, but you know she thought it.)
She never spilled who the other actress was — but whoever you are, thank you for existing. Because Elisabeth’s FOMO turned into full-blown Handmaid’s history.
“I couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else playing that role,” she said. And just like that, June was born. Or… assigned. Or scripted. You get it.
Now, as we prepare for the Handmaid’s Tale series finale (airing May 27), three major characters have already been yeeted into the great dystopian beyond in the penultimate episode. Which honestly feels like a very Gilead move.
Moral of the story: never underestimate the power of spite, petty pride, and perfectly timed second chances. Blessed be the fruit, and may your enemies never get the roles meant for you. 🙏🛐🍎
