Bradley Whitford Talks ‘Double-Edged’ Final Season of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

Bradley Whitford became famous as Josh Lyman on The West Wing, and he’s excited about reuniting with his former castmate Allison Janney in The Diplomat, where they will play spouses next season. Whitford’s done Broadway (Boeing-Boeing), films (Get Out), and a lot of TV (Perfect Harmony, Transparent). He’s currently starring as Commander Joseph Lawrence on The Handmaid’s Tale, a leader in a government that’s opposite of all he actually supports.

As The Handmaid’s Tale returns to Hulu on April 8, he shares his thoughts on the series’ final season and answers our “5 Questions.”

1. Are you ready for The Handmaid’s Tale to end?

Bradley Whitford: The older I get, the luckier I realize that I’ve been, and there is nothing like being in an ongoing, creatively satisfying television show, let alone one that unfortunately means something these days. I think one of the truly kind of unacknowledged miracles of the show is the way the writers pretty seamlessly stepped off the dock of a brilliant novel onto an ongoing story and expanded that story, which a dramaturge might argue is kind of a claustrophobic premise. So, I feel like it’s the definition of bittersweet. We’ve been incredibly lucky to go on this long.

2. What’s it like making this while laws governing women grow more restrictive?

It’s tough. I feel heartbroken that stories can’t fix everything and simultaneously inspired to make sure that we continue to make these stories to put the heart and soul and blood and muscle and humanity of the people who are at the mercy of what’s going on. So, it’s a double-edged thing. I think it’s even more important to tell those stories, and I’m even more frustrated at the maybe naive idea that the story is going to fix everything.

Related

'The Handmaid's Tale' Final Season Is 'Full-Scale Rebellion,' Says Showrunner

3. Tell us about a time when were you starstruck.

Springsteen. I was in the movie Philadelphia. I met him at the screening, and I’ve seen him, talked to him briefly twice over the years. And every time I see him, I’m amazed by his just relentless creative output.

4. What’s the ideal day for you?

The ideal day, especially now, is being home with Amy [his wife Amy Landecker, Transparent, Your Honor] and waking up in a bed full of dogs and cats and taking a walk and doing some reading and writing. And lately as a sort of antidote, because really the relentless consumption of political content was raising my blood pressure, I watch a lot of sports now. And luckily, Amy’s into it.

5. What would you do if you weren’t an actor?

I remember looking at the letter from Juilliard when I got in, because I grew up in the Midwest, where you never say you wanted to be an actor. I didn’t know anybody who was an actor. But from seventh grade on, it was like I can’t even decide if I want skim milk, 2%, or whole, but I’ve always wanted to be in as many plays as I can be in. I’ve had the opportunity to write a little, and writing really is kind of pulling me. One of the greatest creatives on The West Wing, John Wells, basically, I pitched an idea to him when I was supposed to direct an episode. He said, “I think you should write it.” It’s the thing I am probably most proud of creatively.

The Handmaid’s Tale, Season 6 Premiere, Tuesday, April 8, Hulu