Ann Dowd loves her evil ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ character

Ann Dowd received an Emmy final yr for her portrayal of evil Aunt Lydia in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Story.” Dowd has once more been nominated for her work in Season 2 because the sadistic, matronly idealogue grooming the enslaved younger girls (“Handmaids”) of Gilead, the present’s dystopian, male-dominated universe during which breaking the foundations can imply dropping a finger or an eye fixed — or being held on “The Wall.” Regardless of being attacked and (actually) stabbed within the again by Emily/Ofglen (Alexis Bledel) within the season finale, Aunt Lydia will return in Season 3 (it’s been confirmed by sequence showrunner Bruce Miller) to mete out her singular model of justice as one of the loathed TV characters in current reminiscence. Dowd, 62, spoke to The Publish about Aunt Lydia, and about what’s in retailer for her alter-ego going ahead. Is it bizarre to play such a hated character? I feel it’s a beautiful factor. On the finish of the day after I go dwelling, and all of us go dwelling, everyone has their fingers and their eyes. It’s make-believe for us, so you possibly can go full-on. Folks say, “Do it’s a must to go dwelling and wash your fingers, spend time letting [Aunt Lydia] go?” Completely not. To start with, I really like her and I really feel wildly grateful to have such a character to play. It has social relevance and if it makes an influence, that’s improbable. Ultimately, our job is to carry to life to one thing that’s written — to have a character that’s feared and disliked deeply, you hope you save a bit room for, “Nicely, she might change.” It appeared to me that Aunt Lydia “softened” a bit in Season 2. I feel what she signed up for is precisely what she’s doing. She wasn’t in search of luxurious or consolation or perks. She has a job to do. She lives in a dorm with a twin mattress and a desk by her facet and a lightweight — and it’s not for studying. Her life is about devotion to the trigger. Trying round on the opulence and nonsense of those child showers [in Gilead] and the items and the alcohol, that’s not what she signed up for. She has her personal set of values and she or he does care deeply for these ladies and their well-being and she or he actually believes that is their likelihood to make a lifetime of which means as a result of the course they had been stepping into earlier than was a catastrophe. For no matter causes she’s connected to this very slender method of taking a look at life. She feels she’s doing the precise factor. While you love somebody you run the hazard of these partitions disintegrating. That’s the ability of affection, isn’t it? All of the sudden judgment shifts, factors of view soften. I do assume Lydia remains to be totally dedicated to getting it executed [next season], however I feel being concerned with Offred’s [series star Elisabeth Moss] child … these issues modified her, changing into near Offred when within the first season Offred was an enigma, somebody she actually couldn’t management and didn’t perceive. Will we see extra of Aunt Lydia’s backstory in Season 3? That’s a fantastic query. I don’t have the reply to it. I’m not aware about any plans for the character within the season forward. I might like to see it, however whether or not the writers select to go there or not is fully as much as them. I definitely belief their judgment in the way in which they’ve allowed the viewers to return to know Lydia. While you’re acknowledged as Aunt Lydia, do you sense concern? No. It’s often type of a shock. I all the time assume, “Wow, my hair is lengthy and type of weird-looking and I put on glasses more often than not, do I seem like her?” Individuals are pretty, usually talking. Is it tiresome to listen to the present’s sayings like “Blessed Day”? It’s pretty. I’ve simply been in Australia [shooting a movie] and … once you notice you’re all the way in which all over the world and persons are watching it and are moved by it … So sure, I get “Reward Be” and it makes me smile. Have extra doorways opened for you for the reason that present premiered? Sure, I might say so. Within the final a number of years, issues have been shifting in that course. I’m very lucky. There are such a lot of actors working arduous all their lives, and that I needs to be on this place now receiving such improbable roles … I don’t understand how one expresses the gratitude. It’s so fulfilling and difficult and really, really fantastic. Lydia is written in such a method that I don’t know some other character like her — that’s how good the writers are. My husband [Lawrence Orancio] stated one thing humorous to me: “Possibly you need to play somebody who’s type of pretty and regular?” I assumed that was hilarious. It hadn’t occurred to me that Patty [in her previous role on HBO’s “The Leftovers”] and naturally Lydia — they’re not your common housewives. Share this: https://nypost.com/2018/07/24/ann-dowd-loves-her-evil-handmaids-tale-character/ The post Ann Dowd loves her evil ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ character appeared first on My style by Kartia.