Often drawn to complex, psychologically layered characters—be it Peggy Olson in Mad Men or June Osborne in The Handmaid’s Tale—Elisabeth Moss has built a career out of embracing imperfection. With Imperfect Women, she leans further into that instinct, taking on a dark story that probes the fragile bonds of friendship, trust and the secrets people keep. Here, she reflects on her choices, her process, and what drew her to the series.
Imperfect Women is a dark drama about female friendship and trust. What made you want to tell this story?
It started with me reading Araminta Hall’s beautiful book while I was shooting a film back in 2019. The book stayed with me. I told my producing partner about it and it just started from there. We were so lucky to get Kerry Washington and Kate Mara on board and for Apple to back us.
You started your journey as a producer of The Handmaid’s Tale. How much do you enjoy working behind the camera as well as in front of it?
I enjoy it a lot. I love working on an idea from the earliest point and building on it. But it’s easy when you get to work with such great people. We got lucky to attract such an amazing cast and crew on this. It was like being part of a dream team.
The relationship between three close friends is at the heart of the series. How did you go about creating that chemistry with co-stars?
It was already there from the beginning. All three of us just hit it off, to the point that it felt like filming might actually get in the way. We just wanted to talk and hang out. It was like that from the very first day.
How was getting to work with Joel Kinnaman?
Joel plays such a serious character, as he often does so brilliantly, but he is actually the funniest guy ever. I had never worked with him before, so it came as something of a surprise to have him telling jokes all the time.
This is the latest in a long line of intense characters for you. What do you do to not take that intensity and those dark themes home with you?
First of all, not to minimise the work, it’s not easy. I always know it’s not real. You want to believe it for the portrayal of the character, but it’s never like these situations are actually happening to me. It’s pretend. This is a job that I am fortunate to do. It never leaves me how lucky I am to do something I dreamed of doing since I was six years old. No matter how dark the material or how tough the situation, it always feels like a joy to me.
It is exactly ten years since you were first cast in The Handmaid’s Tale. How do you feel looking back on your six seasons as June Osborne?
I feel proud to have been a part of it and of what everyone who worked on the show achieved. It was emotional to say goodbye after so long, but I am happy with how we ended. It will always be such an important time in my life.
You are still involved with that world as an executive producer of The Testaments, a spin-off show of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Yes, it’s exciting. It’s a continuation, a new story with a new cast, led by Chase Infiniti, who is amazing. I am so happy I get to be involved to a degree.
What are the chances of June making an appearance in The Testaments?
It’s not going to happen. I’m not going to be in it. I am happy about how June’s story ended. Yes, there is a feeling that her journey is not over, but right now there are no plans. I loved playing the character and I would play her again one day maybe, but not right now.
How do you go about choosing which roles to play at this stage of your career?
It starts with the material. I’m just constantly trying to push myself to become better and to find things I haven’t done before. It gets a little harder to find new things, but that’s the only way I can get better. I don’t want to do the same thing that I did before. That’s boring to me. I want to do something different, otherwise it would all get incredibly boring.
You have fans from around the world. Have you had any encounters that stand out for you?
The thing that means the most to me is when people come up to me and say how something I have done, a character I have played, has inspired them and given them hope. That means a lot to me.
Finally, is there a genre you would love to work in next? A rom-com maybe?
I would love to do a rom-com. That’s what I like to watch. Rom-coms are my favourite films, but nobody wants me to be in them. A rom-com would be awesome.