Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Goodbye, Gilead. By VarietyAlexis Bledel is going out The Handmaid’s Tale ahead of season 5 of the Hulu reality series – sorry, dystopian drama. “After careful consideration, I felt that I had to walk away from The Handmaid’s Tale right now,” Bledel said in a statement. “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.” In The Handmaid’s Tale, Emily de Bledel becomes Ofglen, a “handmaiden” for a man and a running partner for Elisabeth Moss’ character, Offred. Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, Bruce Miller’s show imagines an America that operates under a male-dominated religious dictatorship. Of course, the horrors of this society are not completely fictional; government control over the bodies of black and brown women, for example, is part of the founding reality of this country. But with the imminent reversal of Roe vs. Wade revive the debate on the right to abortion, perhaps the next season of The Handmaid’s Tale can make it seem like it’s hitting even closer to you. Either way, the show will go on without Bledel, who certainly isn’t leaving empty-handed. In 2017, Vulture called Emily/Ofglen the role Bledel was “born to play.” With one win and four nominations, the actress also received Emmy accolades, which we think also counts for something.