26-05-2025
Why Did Alexis Bledel Leave The Handmaid's Tale? Emotional Reason Behind Her 2022 Exit
Alexis Bledel, known for her roles in Gilmore Girls and The Handmaid's Tale, has finally shared the reason behind her quiet exit from the Hulu drama. The actress played Emily Malek, also known as Ofglen, from 2017 to 2021. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bledel revealed that the emotional weight of the role led her to step away from the series.
'It was deeply upsetting to even imagine Emily going through something like that, being captured, powerless, with no say over her body,' Bledel said. 'After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid's Tale at this time,' she previously told E! News in May 2022.
Here's Why Alexis Bledel Walked Away
In The Handmaid's Tale, Emily starts off as a university professor and mother before being arrested for being in a same-sex relationship, a crime in the fictional, theocratic world of Gilead.
She is forced into becoming a Handmaid, renamed 'Ofglen,' and endures some of the show's most painful scenes. Her character is subjected to genital mutilation and exile to the Colonies and later enacts revenge on Commander Waterford.
Bledel said she was drawn to the role from the beginning. 'I was actually offered the role and when I read the pilot script, I immediately said yes. Somehow, Bruce [Miller] just knew I had Ofglen in me.'
Alexis Bledel isn't the only cast member who felt the emotional weight of The Handmaid's Tale. Samira Wiley, who plays Moira, also found it challenging to stay immersed in the world of Gilead. In an interview with Parade during the Season 6 premiere in April, Wiley shared that she was finished with the show and the trauma that came with it.
She shared that she had to learn techniques like meditation and mindfulness to mentally separate herself from the intense storyline. Wiley also mentioned that she often advises people who binge-watch the show to take care of their mental health.
