HuluAlexis Bledel is moving out of Stars Hollow to Gilead. The Gilmore Girls veteran is the latest cast member to join the all-star cast of The Handmaid's Tale, Hulu's drama based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood.
This is Bledel's first TV role since Netflix's Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life returned in November 2016. She previously starred as Rory Gilmore in the original run of the series from 2000-2007. In 2012 she did several episodes of Mad Men, and in 2009 she appeared in the series finale of ER.
In The Handmaid's Tale, Elisabeth Moss stars as Offred, a Handmaid in the Commander's household. She's one of the only remaining fertile women left in the dystopia of Gilead, a society formerly part of the United States, and was forced into sexual servitude. Environmental disasters and a low birthrate have caused the leaders of Gilead to treat women as property of the state. But Offred has one goal, to stay alive and find the daughter who was taken from her. The world of Gilead consists of Handmaids, Commanders and their Wives, and domestic Marthas.
Bledel will play Ofglen, Offred's fellow handmaid and companion. At first, Offred thinks Ofglen is a pious rule-follower, but naturally there's a twist and it turns out Ofglen is just as daring and subversive. Bledel will appear in a recurring capacity.
The cast also includes Joseph Fiennes, Chuck's Yvonne Strahovski, Orange Is the New Black veteran Samira Wiley, The Mindy Project's Max Minghella, OITNB's Madeline Brewer, The Leftovers' Ann Dowd and O-T Fagbenle. Bruce Miller serves as creator, executive producer and writer. Fargo's Warren Littlefield, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears and Empire's Illene Chaiken are also on board as executive producers. Reed Morano will direct and executive produce the first three episodes. Season one is currently shooting in Toronto, Canada.
The 10-episode first season kicks off Wednesday, April 26 on Hulu.