Summary

Collider’s Perri Nemiroff chats with Bradley Whitford and Ever Carradine for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6.

Whitford and Carradine, who play Joseph Lawrence and Naomi Putnam, reveal which scenes throughout the series were most transformative for their characters and discuss how they’ve changed.

They also talk about Elisabeth Moss’ role as an inspirational figure for the cast and crew of the series.

“Now it’s time for them to be afraid of us.” For the sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale, Collider’s Perri Nemiroff sat down with the cast to take a look back at the long road to New Bethlehem.
In particular, Nemiroff spoke with Bradley Whitford and Ever Carradine, who play Joseph Lawrence and Naomi Putnam, respectively, about how these two powerhouse characters have transformed throughout the show. Without spoilers, the duo examine how their arcs have been affected by those around them, from meeting the “disruptive Handmaid” June (Elisabeth Moss) to how the murder of her husband opened new doors for Naomi.
Watch the full conversation with Whitford and Carradine in the video above, or read along in the transcript below for the duo’s most impactful moments leading up to Season 6 and how their characters have developed over the course of this revolution. They also share tales from the set under her eye, “her” being star, producer, and director Moss, and how she embodies the inspiration and leadership of June on and off-set.
Elisabeth Moss Inspires Her Castmates, Not Unlike June

Bradley Whitford and Ever Carradine share which scene from the series has impacted their Season 6 arc most.

PERRI NEMIROFF: My first question is a big, broad question about your entire run in the show and how it impacts Season 6. Is there any particular scene from a past season that you found influencing your work the most in this new season, maybe so much so that it surprised you?
BRADLEY WHITFORD: I instantly go to meeting June and being bewildered by this person, who I heard was a bit of a problem of a handmaid. I just think of the arc, the condescension in that from my character towards hers, and what a fascinating, brilliant arc it has been, where we’ve ended up at a point where she is inspiring me, leading me. I have a lot of affection around it because it’s part of my experience with Lizzie doing this. As a creative person and a leader, she’s really inspired me.
Beautiful answer.
WHITFORD: Thank you. Now, let’s see if this measures up.
EVER CARRADINE: I have to go back to Lawrence and Max [Minghella] killing my husband.
WHITEFORD: Oh, god, let it go.
CARRADINE: [Laughs] Because that really forms Naomi’s entire future. And I like to say that Naomi doesn’t hold a grudge, and she doesn’t really seem to hold on too tightly to that murder.
WHITEFORD: No! You’re welcome.
CARRADINE: I just come in and put some new drapes up and new paint.
That’s quite literally what it’s like!
CARRADINE: It’s like it never happened. New last name.
Who’s Leading Who In ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’s Final Season?

“That’s an incredible arc when I think about it.”

Image via Hulu

Here’s a question that’ll tease how your characters are operating in the new season. What would you say is the biggest difference between how they went about getting what they wanted when you first started on this show and how they’re going about getting what they want in Season 6?
WHITFORD: Wow, these are good.
CARRADINE: These are good. I think Naomi feels a little more comfortable married to Lawrence than she did in previous seasons. So, maybe in the past, she had to be a little bit more manipulative getting what she wanted. I think now she just kind of says, “I’m gonna take that.”
WHITFORD: She’s getting assertive. Lippy.
CARRADINE: She’s a little lippy. I know. I did a scene with Yvonne [Strahovski], and I came in, and we did a rehearsal, and she was like, “Oh, you’re coming into that hot?” And I was like, “Yeah, I’m coming in that hot.”
There’s one particular scene where your timing and tone is spot-on, pitch-perfect.
CARRADINE: Oh, good!
WHITFORD: Just one scene. One moment.
I can think of more, but I’m not gonna spoil that just yet!
CARRADINE: I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I might know, and I think that’s when Yvonne was like, “Oh, you’re coming in that hot?” “Yeah! Naomi’s got a plan.”
How about for Joseph?
WHITFORD: I’m fascinated by the fact that I reached out for June. I heard about this disruptive handmaid, and I don’t think I knew, but I was compelled by her. I think there’s this incredible arc that goes from that kind of condescension to him not even being conscious that she is now leading him to almost the culmination of real admiration for her. That’s an incredible arc when I think about it.

Image via Hulu

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It is. I love the chemistry between the two of you.
CARRADINE: And that early scene where you’re both at the table.
WHITFORD: Any other scenes of mine?
I’ve seen through Episode 8, and it’s so difficult to keep it all contained.
WHITFORD: We haven’t seen anything.
CARRADINE: We’ve seen nothing! I’ve seen, like, a minute and a half of ADR.
Can confirm they’re great, incredibly impressive in so many respects.
Elisabeth Moss Manages Something “Nobody on Planet Earth” Does

In addition to being “the creative center of the show,” Moss produces and directs.

Image via Hulu 

Here’s something I started asking a lot lately, because I love the thought — I was talking to a director who highlighted how much joy his cast had on set. Now that your run with this series is coming to a close, what single day or moment of making The Handmaid’s Tale brought you the most joy as an artist?
WHITFORD: Honestly, it was an incredible moment for me when Lizzie was directing for the first time. Directing is terrifying. If there was anybody who was ready, and I told her this lot, it was very clear that it was her and her kind of assurance and clarity and granular and macro simultaneous care and vision. Seeing Lizzie take on that agency as a storyteller was deeply inspiring to me.
She really is something else behind the lens.
CARRADINE: It’s great. I’ll just piggyback that. Just watching Lizzie and knowing how many things she is navigating at the same time, and then you hang out with her between action and cut and you’re like, “Oh, and you’re cool and funny and charming?” She’s really something.
WHITFORD: Filmmaking is irritating.
CARRADINE: She’s never irritated! I’ve never seen her complain. Have you?
WHITFORD: No. I don’t understand it. It’s Sophie’s Choice, the series, emotionally impossible, and on top of that, she is aware of every draft of every script. Here’s an incredible thing. Every cut, she’s the creative center of the show. This is incredible to me: after shooting all day, weeping God knows how many times, and directing, called Max to tell him she was in the car looking at the call sheet for the next day, after this day of weeping and directing, and she called Max and said, “I think they made your call a half hour too early.” Now, I’ve been in show business a long time. There is nobody on planet Earth who gives a flying fuck about anybody else’s call. And with all of the monumental pressure on her, that she’s aware that, “Oh, Max should take another 20 minutes,” was just amazing to me. I’m sorry I said “fuck.”
No, it’s okay. We allow F-bombs on Collider.
WHITFORD: It’s fucking Collider.
Fucking Collider is fucking awesome!
WHITFORD: Fucking amazing!
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6, Episodes 1–3 are available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu, with subsequent episodes dropping every Tuesday.

The Handmaid’s Tale

Release Date

2017 – 2025-00-00

Network

Hulu

Showrunner

Bruce Miller

Directors

Mike Barker, Kari Skogland, Daina Reid, Reed Morano, Floria Sigismondi, Jeremy Podeswa, Kate Dennis, Richard Shepard, Amma Asante, Christina Choe, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Bradley Whitford, Dearbhla Walsh, Liz Garbus

Writers

Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, John Herrera, Jacey Heldrich, Dorothy Fortenberry, Marissa Jo Cerar, Lynn Renee Maxcy