Did You Notice that Oprah Cameo on Last Night’s Episode of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’?
*Warning: Spoilers ahead*
If you felt an odd sense of calm during this week’s episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, then you should know there’s a totally valid reason. (Hint: It has everything to do with Oprah Winfrey.)
That’s right, the 65-year-old media mogul is the woman behind the radio voiceover featured in season three, episode 11 of the Hulu series. In the installment, titled “Liar,” Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife, Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), embark on a road trip to meet Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger).
During the car ride, a soothing voice (aka Oprah) can be heard on the radio for a brief moment, saying, “This is Radio Free America, broadcasting from somewhere in the great white…”
This isn’t the first time Winfrey literally lent her voice to The Handmaid’s Tale. In season two, episode 11, titled “Holly,” Offred (Elisabeth Moss) is stranded in an abandoned house and on the verge of going into labor. When she breaks into the garage, she finds a car and turns it on only to be greeted with a familiar voice on the radio: Oprah.
She says, “Broadcasting from somewhere in the Great White North. And now this news. The American government in Anchorage today received promises of economic aid from India and China. In the United Kingdom, additional sanctions on Gilead were announced, as well as plans to raise the cap on American refugees relocating from Canada. Now a tune to remind everyone who’s listening, American patriot or Gilead traitor, we are still here. Stars and Stripes forever, baby.”
According to series creator Bruce Miller, the decision was a no-brainer. “We’d heard Oprah was a fan of the show, and had a story idea, and thought, ‘wouldn’t it be wonderful if…’ So we asked and she said ‘yes,’ and it was a lovely, easy process,” Miller told Decider. “It was an absolute honor to have Oprah featured on the show, and especially thrilling as she was the one who presented us with the Emmy last year.”
Thank you, Oprah, for giving us the surprise we never knew we needed. The next episode of The Handmaid’s Tale will hit Hulu on Wednesday, August 7.
