Today, we have the unbelievable honor of chatting with Ann Dowd, yet another woman who absolutely requires no introduction!

But just for good measure, Ann plays Aunt Lydia Clements, the primary “Aunt” in the show, in charge of the management, care, and occasional torture of the handmaids. Ann’s portrayal of this complicated woman often takes her from moments of endearment to acts of violence in mere seconds on screen and she portrays each side of the spectrum (and everything in between) flawlessly and with such passion the audience is absolutely enraptured with her. She has won an Emmy for her performance of this role but perhaps the highest compliment for her portrayal is the fact that after seeing Ann as Lydia in the show, Margaret Atwood wrote a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale that largely focuses specifically on the character of Aunt Lydia. I’m not sure it gets more flattering than that. In addition to The Handmaid’s Tale, Ann has acted in so many beloved movies and television shows over the decades, from Green Card and Philadelphia in the 90s to Mass and The Leftovers more recently. She’s an absolute legend and we are so honored to have been granted her time and attention – she is the absolute LOVELIEST. We hope you enjoy it too.

This episode will include spoilers for new viewers as we discuss the show to date, which is through Season 6, Episode 8.

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