This graphic 'Handmaid's Tale' scene was boycotted by actors
This one crossed the line
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TV The handmaid's tale
For audiences of 'The Handmaid's Tale,' most could not imagine how the dark and twisted plot could get any more controversial. However, it turns out there were even more graphic scenes that had to fall by the wayside because actors simply refused to participate in the filming.
The series centers around a dystopian society called Gilead where women have no human rights and children are the most priceless commodity. Brutally showing scenes of abuse and sexual manipulation, 'The Handmaid's Tale' is certainly not for the faint of heart—for both the actors and audiences.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Joseph Fiennes, who plays the stern Commander Fred Waterford, explained how one of the planned scenes just completely crossed the line.
“I guess in many ways, as abhorrent and nasty and evil as Fred is, I have to defend parts of him,” Fiennes said. “In episode 9, we had a moment where Fred was going to rape — after meeting Luke — rape Serena in a hotel room straight after, and it just didn’t track for me. I had to go out on a limb and refuse to do it because I felt that even though Fred is who he is, he’s human. And I think that he would be reeling from the interaction with Luke, and that suddenly the reality comes face-to-face with him and he would be digesting that and trying to understand it, and he wouldn’t necessarily be switched on by being in Canada in a new hotel and trying to heavily persuade his wife to do something that she wouldn’t want to do.”
In order to get this scene removed from the plot, Fiennes had to send multiple compelling emails to the writers and director of the series to try to persuade them into understanding his view of the character.