Stories from the set

In one of the episodes of the 1st series, Margaret Atwood played a small role; the series is based on her novel of the same name (1985).

In the source novel there were no Black characters, because Gilead (the repressive theocratic regime that seized power in the US by the time the book begins) classified all Black people as "Children of Ham." This is a reference to the belief of some fundamentalist Christian sects that Black people are descended from Noah's son Ham and are therefore subject to the "curse" Noah placed on Ham. In the novel, Black people are forcibly relocated to the Midwest. The producers of the series deliberately deviated from this aspect of the book so that Black characters (and actors) could be included in the cast.

In the novel, Commander Fred and Serena Waterford are much older than they are portrayed in the series. They are described as wrinkled people with gray hair.

In Margaret Atwood's original novel, only the protagonist's new name is known - Offred. Her real name is never mentioned.

The first series released by the Hulu service to win an Emmy in the Outstanding Drama Series category.

The regime that has taken over the United States in the series, as in the original novel, is called the Republic of Gilead. Gilead is mentioned repeatedly in the Bible both as a geographical place and as a figurative or literal source of balm (a healing or curative substance).

According to the actresses, the headwear they had to wear completely blocked their peripheral vision. They could only see each other by looking directly at the person, and they had to rely solely on hearing to navigate.

Margaret Atwood admitted that George Orwell's (1903-1950) dystopia "1984" (1949) had a huge influence on her.

Elisabeth Moss is the only member of the cast who appears in every episode.

Joseph Fiennes refused to film the scene in season 2 where his character rapes Serena, stating that the scene did not fit the overall narrative. The showrunners were convinced by his arguments, and the scene was removed.