EXCLUSIVE: Elisabeth Moss Talks Emmy Buzz for 'Handmaid's Tale': 'I Just Want People to Enjoy the Show'

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Elisabeth Moss isn't fazed by Emmy buzz.

ET caught up with the 34-year-old actress at Hulu's Upfronts in New York City on Wednesday, where she opened up about the reception she's gotten since The Handmaid's Tale premiered last month.


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"The reception to the show has been unprecedented and beyond anything that we could imagine. It honestly means so much to us because we worked really hard on it," Moss shared. "As far as all of that [awards buzz], you know, that's not for me to say. I just want people to enjoy the show, and I just want people to watch it and get what I got from it."

The show, based on the 1985 dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood, centers on a future in which a totalitarian theocracy has overthrown the United States government, and stripped the rights of women. Moss, who plays Offred, joked the show's themes aren't too far off from current society.

"Oh, gosh. I know nothing about women's rights being taken away from them!" she said with a laugh. "I think that we, as women in this day and age, in this country, can definitely identify with that idea. So, unfortunately, it wasn't too much of a leap for me."

The actress does hope, however, that the series will provoke conversation.


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"Each episode is like a little film, and I think that I'm the biggest binger, so totally love binge watching. But I think for me, I do feel like this show is very dense and complicated and each one is an hour-long film," Moss explained. "I think it takes maybe a few days to think about it and walk away and return to it, and talk to your friends about it."

"Every episode kind of ends in a cliffhanger, so that's always fun. I like it," she added. "It's that old, water cooler kind of show idea."


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Atwood's novel began to surge in popularity shortly before the show premiered, and is now available on Audible, narrated by Claire Danes. 

See more in the video below.

Reporting by Rande Iaboni