The Handmaid’s Tale Star Reveals New Details About Season 5 Character

We’re just a few weeks out from the Season 5 premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale and with the arrival of the new season comes a new threat in the form of Genevieve Angelson’s new character, Mrs. Wheeler. It was announced back in July that Angelson had joined the cast of the Hulu series, playing “an affluent Canadian who idolizes Serena and who is a driving force behind the rise of Gilead on Toronto” and now, Angelson is teasing a bit more about the ominous character, explaining that as an actor, she had to try see the character as someone simply willing to do anything necessary to continue the human race.

“I am tempted to say that, in reality, there are no villains and while Serena is ‘the bad guy’ on the show, Serena also is coming up with very painful solutions to a very painful problem,” Angelson told TVLine about understanding why Mrs. Wheeler idolizes Yvonne Strahovski’s Serena Joy.

She continued, “In order to play Mrs. Wheeler, I couldn’t say, ‘I’m playing a bad guy.’ I had to say, I’m playing someone who’s willing to do anything to continue the human race, and that’s what we’re up against. So, do I want to be the person I am being? Maybe not. But I am accepting that is my reality, that is what I’m doing. That was how I got by with that.”

Angelson also said that Mrs. Wheeler doesn’t exactly think particularly highly of June (Elisabeth Moss).

“I think [Mrs. Wheeler] certainly knows who she is,” she said. “I think she thinks she is poison.”

Season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale is described, “June faces consequences for killing Commander Waterford while struggling to redefine her identity and purpose. The widowed Serena attempts to raise her profile in Toronto as Gilead’s influence creeps into Canada. Commander Lawrence works with Nick and Aunt Lydia as he tries to reform Gilead and rise in power. June, Luke, and Moira fight Gilead from a distance as they continue their mission to save and reunite with Hannah.”

In addition to Angelson joining the cast, The Handmaid’s Tale stars Moss, Bradley Whitford, Yvonne Strahovski, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, and Sam Jaeger. Series star Alexis Bledel previously announced that she would not be returning for Season 5.

“After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid’s Tale at this time,” Bledel shared previously. “I am forever grateful to Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support.”

The Handmaid’s Tale is inspired by the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name, with that book depicting not only events that correlate with what Moss’ character endures, but also features an epilogue set 200 years in the future with a group of academics looking back at what had happened to society. A sequel novel, The Testaments, was published in 2019. Ahead of that novel’s release, it was reported that MGM and Hulu were in discussion about how the sequel could be “an important extension” to the series, opening up the possibility of the story continuing beyond June’s journey. Moss previously shared with ComicBook.com that she feels like The Handmaid’s Tale will end when June’s journey ends.

It’s not up to me, but I think we all agree that this is the story of one woman and it’s not the story of Gilead,” Moss said. “We’re tracking her story and we’re taking care of her story and it will be up at some point I think that we keep that as our guideline. When we feel like that story has been told, then it will be over.”

Season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale is set to premiere on September 14th on Hulu.