"I also look very different" — Madeline Brewer talks about how different her character looks in The Handmaid's Tale season 6
Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale season 6 is not the only show where Madeline Brewer appears this year. Recently, the actress played a pivotal role in the final season of Netflix's thriller series, You. While in the former, Brewer resumes her role as Janine, a woman wronged by Gilead's system; in the latter, she assumes the role of Brontë/Louise, the subject of Joe Goldberg's obsession.
In an interview published by The Hollywood Reporter on May 12, 2025, Madeline Brewer spoke about her characters in both shows she has been part of this year.
While talking about The Handmaid's Tale season 6, she mentioned that people who watch the show seldom recognize her in real life due to how different she looks from the character she portrays onscreen. Besides the character's overall appearance, another reason the audiences may find it difficult to recognize Madeline Brewer may be because of the eye patch she dons in the show, which covers almost half her face.
Speaking of You, she said that she believed people would recognize her more as her character on the show is "visible." She said,
“I don’t get recognized all that much for Janine, and I do think that that will change a little bit because You is so visible. But I also look very different on the show. If you see me out in the world with my sweatpants on, my hair up and sunglasses on, you might not see Janine, especially if my hair is straight. But if I go out with my curly hair, people do tend to say something.”
Madeline Brewer says that The Handmaid's Tale season 6 is "darker"
In the interview mentioned before, Madeline Brewer, who plays Janine in The Handmaid's Tale season 6, spoke about her character's evolution across seasons in the show. She also spoke about what is different in the concluding season of the show while highlighting that Janine's character experiences more "freedom" than she has ever had. She said,
“We turned it a bit darker this season. We showed a true kind of brothel atmosphere, which, when you think about it, is that going to disappear in favor of only classy dresses? No, these things exist for a reason.”
She also added,
“And ironically, I think it’s some of the most freedom Janine has had within the walls of Gilead. She’s able to take care of the girls. She can be a little bit mouthier and she has more purpose here. Other girls look to her for what to do and she keeps them in line and she feels like a protector. You can make a life out of that, in Janine’s eyes.”
How many episodes of The Handmaid's Tale season 6 are left to be released?
The Handmaid's Tale season 6 is nearing its conclusion with only three episodes left to be released on Hulu. The latest episode releases on the platform on May 13, 2025. The next two episodes will be released on May 20, 2025, and May 27, 2025.
While the previous episodes of the show set the stage for the revolution yet to come in Gilead, the upcoming episodes will explore the revolution itself. The main point of emergence of the movement would be Serena's marriage to Commander Wharton.
Episode 8 of The Handmaid's Tale season 6, titled Exodus, premieres on May 13, 2025.
