Josh Charles Joins ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ For Sixth & Final Season

Rosy Cordero
·3 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy nominee Josh Charles (The Veil, The Good Wife) has joined the cast of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale in a series regular capacity for the show’s sixth and final season.

The Handmaid’s Tale will go into production later this year reuniting Charles and Elisabeth Moss, his co-star in the FX miniseries The Veil which premiered in April. Details regarding Charles’ character and the season’s focus are under wraps; the premiere is expected in 2025.

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Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. It centers on June Osbourne/ Offred (Moss), one of the few fertile women known as Handmaids in the oppressive Republic of Gilead and her struggles to survive as a reproductive surrogate for a powerful Commander and his resentful wife.

Season 5 finds June in the aftermath of Commander Waterford’s (Joseph Fiennes) murder and the consequences she must face for her role in the gruesome slaying. At a minimum, she will have to face off with his widow Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), and on some level Gilead. But mainly, she will be forced to redefine her identity and purpose, now forever changed.

Meanwhile, Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) works with Nick (Max Minghella) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) as he tries to reform Gilead and rise to power. But who knows what the Commander and Nick—who helped June get her hands on Waterford for the kill—have up their sleeves?

Still in Canada, June, with the help of Luke (O.T. Fagbenle) and Moira (Samira Wiley), fights Gilead from a distance as they continue their mission to save and reunite with Hannah.

The series also stars Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Sam Jaeger and Ever Carradine.

The Handmaid’s Tale is produced by MGM Television and executive produced by Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, Elisabeth Moss, Steve Stark, Kim Todd, John Weber, Sheila Hockin, Frank Siracusa, Daniel Wilson and Fran Sears. The series is internationally distributed by Amazon MGM Studios Distribution.

Charles was twice nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards, in 2011 and 2014, for his portrayal of Will Gardner in the CBS series The Good Wife in the “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama” category.

On the film side, he starred in Memory opposite Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard for Michel Franco which premiered at the Venice Film Festival as well as Mother’s Instinct, starring opposite Chastain and Anne Hathaway for Beno?t Delhomme.

He also recently appeared in the Taylor Swift Music Video for “Fortnight” where he reunited with his Dead Poet’s Society co-star Ethan Hawke. The classic movie was released the year Swift was born and inspired the title for her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department.

Charles is repped by UTA.

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