Elisabeth Moss kept it chic and casual when she arrived at the Good Morning America studio in Manhattan on Monday.
Dressed in a simple black blazer, white button-up shirt, blue jeans and black heeled boots, the 40-year-old actress looked relaxed and excited as she smiled and waved at fans.
The star stopped by Good Morning America to promote the fifth season of her hit series The Handmaid’s Tale, which premieres Wednesday on Hulu. On the show, she said the end of the new season’s first episode has a big cliffhanger.
Understated star: Elisabeth Moss, 40, kept it smart and casual when she arrived at the Good Morning America studio in Manhattan on Monday
Speaking to Good Morning America’s Whit Johnson, the former Mad Men star opened up about how six years ago, when the series first began to take shape, she never expected the dystopian drama to become a critically acclaimed one would become a mega hit.
“No, no, not at all,” she said. “You never know how it will be received. You’re just trying to pick something you’re keen on, or at least I’m trying to pick something I think I’d like to see.
Based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name, the series is set in a totalitarian society in which fertile women called “Handmaids” are brutally subjected to child-bearing slavery by the male ruling class.
Moss plays the central character of June Osborne, a captive maid struggling to be reunited with her long-lost husband and daughter.
Minimalist shine: The former Mad Men star emphasized her natural beauty with minimal makeup and a simple hairstyle
The show premiered on Hulu in 2017, winning eight Emmys in its first season and earning Moss the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama. Since its debut, the series has continued to garner accolades and viewership, becoming a top hit for the streamer.
The show’s long and celebrated journey, which has just been renewed for a sixth and final season, will come to a bittersweet ending for its star.
Discussing the imminent end of her heroine’s development, Elisabeth touched that the show is just a “slice” of her amazing character’s much larger journey: “I mean, we’ve known for a while that there was an end in sight . It’s June’s story, but it’s just — it’s June’s — it’s a piece of her life.”
Moss has been an integral part of The Handmaid’s Tale since its inception, serving as executive producer and even directing a few episodes. “It’s not as crazy a jump as you might think,” the star said of stepping behind the camera and directing.
“I’ve been so involved with the show over the past few years and I’ve watched myself a million times and been able to judge my own performance very objectively, so it’s actually not that crazy.”
Biggest fan: The Emmy-winner told Good Morning America’s Whit Johnson that she’s her own show’s biggest fan, as well as being the star, executive producer, and occasional director. “I joke that I’m the show’s biggest fan,” she said. “I’m kind of the biggest fan of the series”
On the edge of their seat: According to Moss, fans can expect to be blown away by the highly anticipated season five premiere episode. “The end of this episode,” she gushed, “it’s a beautiful episode.”
The Invisible Man star continued to talk about her passion for the show and love of directing: “You’re supposed to be directing something that you relate to and you feel like you know how to tell the story told, and that’s how I felt about this show, so in a way it was a very natural transition. I just felt like there was a part of this story that I really wanted to tell differently.”
As well as being the star, executive producer and occasional director of the show, Elisabeth is also its biggest fan. “I joke that I’m the show’s biggest fan,” she said. “I’m kind of the biggest fan of the show.”
According to Moss, fans can expect the highly-anticipated season five premiere to air on Wednesday.
“The ending of this episode,” she gushed, “It’s a beautiful episode, but the ending of this episode is one of the best cliffhangers we’ve ever done. It really makes me scream every time I look at it. It is so delicious. So I’m so excited for people to see it.
Dystopian heroine: The Handmaid’s Tale, based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, is set in a totalitarian society in which fertile women called “Handmaids” are brutally subjected to child-bearing slavery by the male ruling class. Moss plays the central character of June Osborne (pictured above), a captive maid struggling to be reunited with her long-lost husband and daughter