Bradley Whitford Spots Exactly Why ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Is ‘Terribly Relevant’ In 2025

Bradley Whitford broke down why “The Handmaid’s Tale” is “terribly relevant” on Tuesday as the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning show reaches its sixth and final season.

The actor, who appeared on the “Today” show on Tuesday, recalled reading Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel when he was studying drama at Juilliard School ― a time when both democracy and a “more inclusive world seemed to be inevitable.”

“Her book and the show tells a terrifying truth which is that none of those things are inevitable,” said Whitford, who portrays Commander Joseph Lawrence in a show that depicts a future where women are subjected to sexual slavery at the hands of a theocratic dictatorship headed by men.

“They never were and they never will be. And we have to remain protective of those things in our society.”

Whitford noted that the show takes place in a time where women’s health is “politicized in a way that I never could have imagined” a decade ago.

He added that there are an estimated 64,000 pregnancies due to rape in states with total abortion bans since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

The latest season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” — which premiered on Tuesday — is the first shot entirely in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision, one that President Donald Trump has praised in the years since.

The former “West Wing” actor has previously drawn parallels between the political climate in the U.S. and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Whitford, in remarks at a PaleyFest LA panel last month, referred to America as living through “the worst ‘Handmaid’s’ episode ever” before referring to Elisabeth Moss’ rebellious character June Osborne.

“We need to meet this moment, and June is a fundamental thing we have to remember in this moment, which is, despair is a luxury that our children can not afford,” he said.

He later continued, “Racism is not going away, misogyny is not going to go away, religious harm is not going to go away, and I find something really inspiring for this moment about what is the core of June Osborne.”