--- description: There is no question in Samira Wiley's mind that Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a feminist story. title: Samira Wiley: 'The Handmaid's Tale' Embodies Everything That Feminism Means image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf562b52c713b727f/6988cdb0a988ca2bbe6bc436/samira-wiley.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Samira Wiley: _The Handmaid's Tale_ Embodies Everything That Feminism Means by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. May 17, 2017 5:49 PM CUT  Samira Wiley in New York City, on April 21, 2017 (L); Samira Wiley in The Handmaid's Tale Samira Wiley in New York City, on April 21, 2017 (L); Samira Wiley in The Handmaid's TaleMonica Schipper—Getty Images (L); Netflix by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. May 17, 2017 5:49 PM CUT There is no question in Samira Wiley’s mind that Margaret Atwood’s _The Handmaid’s Tale_ is a [feminist story](http://time.com/4747102/margaret-atwood-time-100-handmaids-tale/ "undefined"). To Wiley, who appears in Hulu’s adaptation as Moira, Atwood’s dystopian tale “embodies everything to me that the word feminism means.” Wiley’s view contrasts with recent statements from Elisabeth Moss, who plays lead character Offred, and from Atwood herself. Moss [sparked controversy](http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/handmaids-tale-hulu-feminist-elisabeth-moss "undefined") in April on a cast panel at the Tribeca Film Festival when she said the show is “not a feminist story” but a “human story because women’s rights are human rights.” Moss and Atwood [shared similar sentiments](http://time.com/4734904/margaret-atwood-elisabeth-moss-handmaids-tale/ "undefined") in an earlier interview with TIME. But according to Wiley, the answer is simple. “There’s no way getting around the fact that our show is a feminist show in my eye,” Wiley tells TIME. “A feminist is someone who believes in the social and economic rights of men and women, that they’re equal. It’s not really cryptic.” In the show, a totalitarian regime turns the United States into Gilead, where religion rules and women are stripped of their rights. Those who are fertile are forced to become “handmaids” to bear children for the society’s powerful men and their barren wives. Atwood wrote _The Handmaid’s Tale_ in 1985 to explore the idea that [established orders can change quickly](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/books/review/margaret-atwood-handmaids-tale-age-of-trump.html "undefined"). In Gilead, women are cast into rigid roles, environmental problems swell, minority communities are persecuted and Americans escape to Canada for freedom. **MORE** [The Differences Between _The Handmaid’s Tale_ Show and Book, Explained](http://time.com/4759957/handmaids-tale-book-vs-show-differences/ "undefined") The show was filmed before the 2016 election and was released after President Donald Trump’s inauguration — and Wiley says its significance has only grown, as reality has increasingly reflected the story’s themes. Since taking office, Trump has moved to[ dismantle environmental protections](http://time.com/4756797/environment-donald-trump-100-days/ "undefined") and was criticized for not immediately addressing a[ spate of hate crimes](http://time.com/4686336/trump-congress-address-condemn-hate-crimes/ "undefined"). Undocumented immigrants seeking asylum have[ fled to Canada](http://time.com/4674504/canada-asylum-border/ "undefined"). Last year, states enacted over[ 60 new restrictions on abortion](http://motto.time.com/4619534/reproductive-health-abortion-restrictions-2016/ "undefined"). “Unfortunately, this show would not have had the same impact if it came out four years ago,” Wiley says, noting that Atwood’s book has always been a “warning sign” but that many people are now truly frightened by the country’s direction. “Especially for my generation of people who haven’t really lived through a time where their rights have been threatened in this way, we have never had a leader like Trump and his administration in our lifetime.” As Moira, Wiley plays best friend to Offred (whose name signifies that she is “of-Fred,” the commander she serves). In the first five episodes currently streaming on Hulu, Moira appears only in Offred’s memories, her story told through flashback. Memories of Moira’s spunky defiance, and the sister-like role she played in Offred’s earlier life, help Offred to survive her new reality as a handmaid. **MORE** [Review: On _The Handmaid’s Tale_, TV’s Great New Heroine Is Born](http://time.com/4732788/handmaids-tale-review/ "undefined") Moira is the second major gay character Wiley has played. The actor is best known for her previous role as Poussey Washington on _Orange Is the New Black_, a lesbian character who becomes the [grim victim](http://time.com/4374833/orange-is-the-new-black-season-4-proves-netflix-spoilers/ "undefined") of a state corrections system. Out of fear of being typecast, Wiley didn’t intend to only play gay characters, but she felt she could not say no to the role of Moira. As [her wife](http://time.com/4713409/the-fell-in-love-on-the-set-of-orange-is-the-new-black-and-now-theyre-married/ "undefined") told her when she was weighing the role: “This one you go gay for.” Wiley says playing a lesbian on this show during such a politically charged time is personally significant because of the continued threats facing the LGBT community. “We see amazing progress, but then a year or so later, we’re scared as a community,” she says. “I really hope that our show is a warning sign rather than prophetic.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4777627/samira-wiley-handmaids-tale-feminism/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4777627/samira-wiley-handmaids-tale-feminism/"},"headline":"Samira Wiley: The Handmaid's Tale Embodies Everything That Feminism Means","datePublished":"2017-05-17T17:49:29.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:54:16.609Z","description":"And why she couldn't say no to the role of Moira","url":"https://time.com/4777627/samira-wiley-handmaids-tale-feminism/","keywords":["Television","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf562b52c713b727f/6988cdb0a988ca2bbe6bc436/samira-wiley.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mahita Gajanan","jobTitle":"Gajanan is an editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf562b52c713b727f/6988cdb0a988ca2bbe6bc436/samira-wiley.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"samira-wiley","caption":"Samira Wiley in New York City, on April 21, 2017 (L); Samira Wiley in The Handmaid's Tale","creditText":"Monica Schipper—Getty Images (L); Netflix","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4777627/samira-wiley-handmaids-tale-feminism/","name":"Samira Wiley: The Handmaid's Tale Embodies Everything That Feminism Means"}}]}] ```