Casting news for Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s feminist dystopian masterpiece, continues to trickle out to an eager public. Now we know that Yvonne Strahovski has snagged a leading role as Serena Joy, Commander Waterford’s wife.
A former televangelist, Serena Joy now helms her household staff and must tolerate Offred (Elizabeth Moss), the handmaiden assigned to deliver a child on her behalf. If you’re familiar with the novel, you know why their relationship is contentious (and you can probably guess anyway). She, together with her husband, is a vehement supporter of Gilead’s totalitarian regime.
Strahovski seems an odd casting choice only because, in the book, Serena Joy and The Commander are at least middle-aged, if not older (just one of the reasons the couple struggles to conceive). Joseph Fiennes, cast as the Commander, is 46, but Strahovski is 34. A younger Serena introduces a possible and maybe even provocative twist.
As the A.V. Club reports, Strahovski’s credits include Dexter, Chuck, and The Astronaut’s Wives Club. She joins Moss, Fiennes, and Samira Wiley as leads in the upcoming miniseries. It doesn’t premiere until 2017, so in the meantime, you can read the book and watch the 1990 film.