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16 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Handmaid's Tale

Blessed be these behind-the-scenes facts!

16 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Handmaid's Tale

May 13, 2021

The third season of The Handmaid's Tale has indeed provided several dramatic moments. The unveiling of a D.C. Handmaids' costumes may have been the most graphically arresting of the above. But what is the deal with the mouth rings?

Once the Emmy nominees were recently announced, this was no bit surprising that "The Handmaid's Tale" received 21 nominations. However, the truth of the matter is that Hulu drama received ten nominations in the lead roles alone, which was worth mentioning and perhaps a little unpredicted. Except for the people in charge of the show's casting.

The Handmaid's Tale is one of the most popular shows on the air right now, but did you know it's not the first time Margaret Atwood's novel has been adapted for the screen? Over 30 years ago, there was a failed attempt to bring the story to life.

More on that, as well as 15 other behind-the-scenes show facts:

Read below and open up the reality of this famous series.

16

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS IT'S NOT THE FIRST ADAPTATION OF THE BOOK. THE HANOMAND'S TALE The Handmaid's Tale movie starring Natasha Richardson came out in 1990. It only grossed $5 million worldwide and got panned by the critics. — Rotten Tomatoes & Box Office Mojo

15

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS THE WATERFORDS ARE MUCH OLDER IN THE BOOK. THE HANDMAID'S TALE In the book, Fred and Serena are described as an elderly couple with arthritis and gray hair. Showrunner Bruce Miller decided to make them younger because he wanted 'direct competition between Serena and Offred. — Insider

14

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS ELISABETH MOSS DOESN'T WEAR MAKEUP. THE TALE Showrunner Bruce Miller decided against Moss wearing makeup because he felt it would allow the acting to be more direct by making every twitch and twinge visible. — Time

13

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS MARGARET ATWOOD DIDN'T THINK CANADA WOULD BE A BELIEVABLE SETTING. THEHANDMAID'S TALE MORTHWEST NORTHERN EASTERN MIDWEST SUTHWEST EASTERN COLONIES COLONIES ATLANTIC EAST WESTERN CENTRAL COLONIES SOUTH EAST GULF SOUTHERN DSET Despite being from Canada, Atwood decided to set the story in the U.S. because she felt Canada was — Teen Vogue

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The Handmaid’s Tale

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS THE BOOK NEVER REVEALED OFFRED'S REAL NAME. THE HANDMAND'S TALE In the book, Offred is never actually named - it's only vaguely hinted that her name could be June. The show went in another direction and revealed that her name is June in the very first episode. CRACKED.COM — Vulture

11

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS JOSEPH FIENNES REFUSED TO FILM A SCENE. THE HANDMAID'STALE The script for season two originally featured a scene in which Commander Waterford rapes his wife Serena. Fiennes says he went out on a limb to get the scene removed because it didn't track well with him. — Entertainment Weekly

10

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS SETS WERE DESIGNED AROUND THE COSTUMES. THEHANOMAID'S TALE Production designer Julie Berghoff says she specifically designed every room to compliment different characters and the distinct outfits they wear. — Architectural Digest

9

The Handmaid’s Tale

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS THERE'S A REASON WHY HANDMAIDS WEAR RED. THE HANDMAID'S TALE Margaret Atwood says that Handmaids wearing red is meant to symbolize the blood of parturition and Mary Magdalene. There's also a practical reason for the color red - -it's an easy color to spot if they happen to flee. — The New York Times

8

Atwood

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS MARGARET ATWOOD HAD A SMALL CAMEO. THE HANDMAID'S TALE Atwood, the author of The Handmaid's Tale book, made a small appearance in the show's first episode as the Aunt that slaps Offred. — YouTube

7

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS HUNDREDS OF LABELS HAD TO BE CREATED FOR THE GROCERY STORE. THEHANDMAID'STALE bnb A Production designer Julie Berghoff says the grocery store was one of the hardest sets to create. Since women aren't allowed to read in Gilead, hundreds of labels had to be created for every item — Architectural Digest

6

The Handmaid’s Tale

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS THE SHOW MADE STREAMING HISTORY. THE EHANOMAIOS TALE In 2017, the Hulu original became the first streaming show to win an Emmy for Outstanding Drama. CRACKED.COM — Bloomberg

5

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS EMILY'S SEXUALITY WASN'T EXPLORED IN THE BOOKS. THE HANDMAID'STALE Margaret Atwood says the book didn't explore LGBTQ+ issues because it was released in 1985. You couldn't have said that in 1985. I wouldn't have made any sense. People weren't talking that way. — Vanity Fair

4

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS ELISABETH MOSS MEMORIZED ALL OF HER VOICEOVER NARRATION. THE HANDMAID'STALE To better prepare for her role, Moss memorized all of her voiceover lines SO she could run them through her head while filming scenes that were supposed to have narration over them. — Harper's Bazaar & Emmys

3

The Handmaid’s Tale

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS THE CHARACTERS WEREN'T ORIGINALLY VERY DIVERSE. THE HANDMAID'STALE In the book, all non-caucasian people were resettled to a different area called the National Homelands. The showrunners decided to remove that part because they didn't want to make a show with zero people of color. CRACKED.GOM — Time

2

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS THE SHOW WASN'T A RESPONSE TO THE 2016 ELECTION. THE HANOMAID'S TALE Despite seeming like it's providing commentary on Trump and the 2016 election, the show was actually filmed months before it. CRACKED.COM — Time

1

BEHIND-THE-SCENESP FACTS AMANDA BRUGEL GOT INTO COLLEGE THANKS TO THE HANDMAID'S TALE. THE TALE The actress says she got accepted into college thanks to the essay she wrote on the book. She even received a scholarship for the essay and went on to write a thesis about the book. — NEW YOU

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