10 best supporting roles from The Handmaid's Tale, ranked from best to worst

Although The Handmaid's Tale is undoubtedly based on the terrifying odyssey of June Osborne, it's the phenomenal cast of supporting characters that provides the series with its emotional resonance and political sophistication. From icy commanders to mute rebels, these supporting characters add depth to the dystopian society of Gilead. Whether it's a morally questionable enforcer like Aunt Lydia or a silent warrior like Rita, both contribute to the oppressive mood—and the sparks of hope within it.

Throughout its suspenseful seasons, The Handmaid's Tale has provided more than just a harrowing examination of authoritarianism. It has delved into trauma, resilience, betrayal, and resistance through the perspectives of characters who aren't always in the foreground. But it is often these very characters who make the most lasting impact, their journeys intersecting with and illuminating the show's greatest themes in surprising ways.

This countdown honors 10 of the greatest supporting performances, looking not only at their presence on screen but also at their emotional depth, nuance, and growth throughout the show. From masters of manipulation to unsung heroes, these characters show that in Gilead, survival is just as much about those toiling quietly at the edges.

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Best supporting roles from The Handmaid's Tale, ranked from best to worst

1) Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd)

Aunt Lydia is the series' most unnerving presence—a woman who beats in the name of love. Ann Dowd's Emmy-winning performance captures Lydia's distorted maternal instincts and strict religiosity, evoking both loathing and sympathy. In Season 5, we glimpse her guilt and internal struggle as she starts questioning Gilead's values, especially concerning Janine. This moral disintegration brings new depth to her character. Dowd expertly straddles the villain/victim line, making Lydia one of the most psychologically complex characters in dystopian television history. Her evolution is one of the show's most engaging long games.

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2) Emily Malek (Alexis Bledel)

Emily Malek's character development is a masterclass in endurance. From biology professor to Handmaid to main resistance player, Emily carries the baggage of physical abuse and loss. Alexis Bledel's acting, frequently relying on stoic stares and restrained fury, won her an Emmy. Her exodus back to Canada and the ethical conflicts she faces—particularly around revenge and motherhood—made her scenes enthralling. Although absent in Season 5 due to Bledel’s departure from the show, Emily’s presence continues to resonate, influencing the motivations of June and others. Her reserved intensity and raw honesty made her a fan favorite over the course of the seasons.

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3) Serena Joy Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski)

Yvonne Strahovski's Serena Joy is a study in elegance weaponized. A steadfast Gilead architect, Serena fell into manipulation, remorse, and cowering motherhood, making her arc erratic. Her imprisonment and pregnancy this season turned the tables, forcing her to face the world she helped create. Strahovski's nuanced performance—replete with glacial control and submerged fear—embodies Serena’s internal battle between ideology and survival. Her conflicted history with June continues to be a focal point, oscillating between resentment and begrudging familiarity. Few supporting characters have been as discussed; whether villain, victim, or both, Serena leaves the viewer in suspense.

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4) Commander Joseph Lawrence (Bradley Whitford)

Bradley Whitford brought acerbic wit and layers of ambiguity to the late-introduced Commander Lawrence, who quickly became indispensable. A Gilead architect with a guilty heart, Lawrence resists categorization—he’s sardonic, secretive, and sometimes sympathetic. In Season 5, his effort to re-engineer Gilead’s regime while retaining power underscores his conflicted morality. His odd mentorship of June and emotional flashbacks with his late wife Eleanor add unexpected softness. Whitford’s subtle performance leaves audiences questioning whether Lawrence is a reformer or simply another politician dodging accountability. Either way, his presence energizes every scene—and quite often, steals them.

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5) Rita Blue (Amanda Brugel)

At first a supporting character, Rita Blue’s muted uprising flowered with the seasons. Amanda Brugel imbues her with a stillness that is profoundly emotionally charged. In Gilead, Rita was a Martha servant and quiet witness, but her religiousness, self-control, and ultimate determination to fight back rendered her tale poignant. Having fled to Canada, Rita encountered fresh difficulties: survivor's guilt, displaced identity, and the need to heal. One of her strongest moments comes in Season 4 when she stands up to Serena and firmly reclaims her voice. Rita’s transformation from subordinate to survivor reveals the hidden capabilities of ordinary women in times of crisis.

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6) Nick Blaine (Max Minghella)

Nick Blaine is still a mystery. As June’s illicit lover and Gilead’s Eye, Nick always teeters on the edge. Max Minghella portrays him with unobtrusive intensity, hinting at depths within his urbane façade. His allegiance to June, even as he climbs the ranks of Gilead, calls his morals into question: is he complicit, or is he playing a long game? In Season 5, his clandestine partnership with Commander Lawrence and defense of June emphasized his intrapsychic conflict. Nick hardly needs to speak, as Minghella’s emotional reserve makes every line hit hard. His character reminds us that love can endure even in the most depraved systems—but at a price.

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7) Janine Lindo (Madeline Brewer)

Madeline Brewer’s performance as Janine Lindo is gut-wrenchingly unvarnished. Childlike innocence born of years of trauma, Janine is one of Gilead’s most pitiful yet lovable characters. From losing an eye to her dysfunction as a mother, Janine’s strength is breathtaking. Brewer’s acting captures her instability, hope, and desperation for attachment—particularly with Aunt Lydia and June. In Season 5, Janine’s shift from broken to quietly resistant is poignant, especially in moments where she subtly pushes back without losing herself. She embodies the shattered but unbroken spirit of the Handmaids, showing viewers that survival isn’t always loud or forceful.

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8) Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes)

Fred Waterford’s charm masked a monstrous core, and Joseph Fiennes gave one of the scariest performances on the show. As a man who weaponized niceness to excuse tyranny, Fred represented patriarchal evil at its most insidious. His controlling dynamic with June—especially in the early seasons—was laced with repugnant psychological manipulation. By Season 4, Fred’s arrest and trial in Canada provided a twist: he finally got what was coming to him. His grotesque murder, stage-managed by June and others, was a moment of release for the fans. Fred’s memory remains a reminder that cruelty often comes dressed in a glossy, persuasive face.

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9) Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger)

A U.S. diplomat, he works in the moral gray areas—negotiating with war criminals and secretly assisting survivors. Sam Jaeger injects quiet depth into the role, conveying volumes with a glance more often than with a line. Tuello’s very calmness hides an unshakable dedication to justice, which quietly surfaces when dealing with June and Serena. Season 5 amplified his power, making him a backroom strategic architect. Unlike most characters in The Handmaid’s Tale, Tuello’s strength lies in patience, diplomacy, and the belief that the system is still functional.

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10) Alma (Nina Kiri)

Alma wasn’t given much screen time, but her presence can’t be denied. Quietly intense, Nina Kiri played Alma as a symbol of wordless solidarity among Handmaids. She was resourceful, loyal, and a key player in organizing clandestine resistance operations. Her unwavering devotion to freedom—expressed most often through passive defiance—made her a representation of collective power. Alma’s assumed death during the train explosion was a poignant loss, emphasizing the true cost of revolution. Even in her absence, her bravery resonates, paying tribute to the nameless heroes of Gilead.

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The most compelling aspect of The Handmaid’s Tale is not just its powerful storyline, but also the well-developed secondary characters who provide the world of Gilead with its haunting reality. Whether challenging the regime, serving it, or surreptitiously attempting to hold on to life within its harsh system, all characters contribute a crucial strand to the fabric of the show. They’re not always central to the focus, but their presence enriches the show’s emotional depth and thematic resonance. As the seasons progress, they do too—as if to suggest that a supporting cast can generate every bit of tension, change, and truth that the lead produces. In Gilead, there is never a truly peripheral role.