A Handmaid's Tale
Fairlady|April 2018

TV’s ‘queen of drama’ on playing a feminist icon, her everyday life as a Manhattan cat lady and why you should buy yourself jewellery.

Sandra Parmee
A Handmaid's Tale

If you’ve watched any really good TV over the past decade, chances are you’ve seen Elisabeth Moss in action. While many stars have sought longevity in Hollywood blockbusters, Elisabeth was drawn to television. She’s starred in premier shows like Top of the LakeThe West Wing and Mad Men, all of which have made her the unofficial Queen of TV Drama and won her several top tier awards. The 35-year-old American actress and producer was simply looking for good writing at the time, she told Vulture last year.

‘I think that enabled me to say “yes” to some television things perhaps before everyone was saying “yes”,’ she says. Award-winning shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and The Wire have ushered in a new age of TV, which some are calling the Golden Age, and with streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Showmax gaining popularity, top-quality programming is increasingly at our fingertips.

But not everyone foresaw that TV would be back in a big way. Even in 2007 when Mad Men first aired, TV stars were seen as ‘less than’.

‘We were in a world where, as an actor, you weren’t really supposed to do television,’ Elisabeth says. ‘It was kind of like the lesser group of people. But because I never put those parameters on things, and I was just like “this is an amazing script and an amazing project; of course I’m going to do this”, it became part of one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me.’

This story is from the April 2018 edition of Fairlady.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the April 2018 edition of Fairlady.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM FAIRLADYView All
Easter with edge
Fairlady

Easter with edge

Grant knows what it's like to miss out on the celebrations that anchor family life.

time-read
9 mins  |
March/April 2024
The MALE bias
Fairlady

The MALE bias

Historically, medical studies were mainly done on male mice and on men; and then extrapolated to treat women, as if a female body were just a smaller version of a male one. Here’s why that doesn’t make sense, and how to work with your body’s natural rhythm for better health.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March/April 2024
Wellbeing
Fairlady

Wellbeing

How to sleep better, feel better and look better!

time-read
2 mins  |
March/April 2024
The other type of CHEATING
Fairlady

The other type of CHEATING

Lies about money can have devastating consequences in a relationship.

time-read
5 mins  |
March/April 2024
THE 'PEST' IN PESTICIDES
Fairlady

THE 'PEST' IN PESTICIDES

oe r Despite many highly Hs hazardous pesticides being banned in their countries of origin, 192 of them are still legally exported to South Africa

time-read
10+ mins  |
March/April 2024
START A BUSINESS LIKE a Saffer
Fairlady

START A BUSINESS LIKE a Saffer

There's nothing quite like a South African entrepreneur. In the face of adversity, they innovate and persevere. But what fuels that determination? We chatted to some self-starters to find out.

time-read
9 mins  |
March/April 2024
How to take the MONOTONY OUT OF MONOGAMY
Fairlady

How to take the MONOTONY OUT OF MONOGAMY

It's easy to get complacent in a long-term relationship. Before you know it, your partner is little more than your roommate. Here's how to shake things up.

time-read
7 mins  |
March/April 2024
SUPER TROUPER
Fairlady

SUPER TROUPER

At one point, Josie Borain was the most famous model in the world. Her face was on every magazine that mattered. And in the madness of all that attention, she never lost her sense of self. She talks to us about turning 60, being single, and starting her third act with a move to the platteland.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March/April 2024
Little wonder
Fairlady

Little wonder

Over the years we have visited 16 Greek islands, but when we first set foot on Halki, the little-known gem just south of Rhodes, we knew we'd found the closest thing to the perfect one. And we vowed to return. Often.

time-read
4 mins  |
March/April 2024
HOME AFFAIRS
Fairlady

HOME AFFAIRS

These three entrepreneurs are redefining the heartbeat of homes through their unique blend of creativity, sustainability and purposeful design.

time-read
6 mins  |
March/April 2024