INTERVIEW
Will Macnab | 01/04/2025
Madeline Brewer has built a career playing women on the edge. From the vulnerable yet defiant Tricia in 'Orange Is the New Black' to the eerie, surreal world of 'Cam', and, of course, the unforgettable Janine in 'The Handmaid's Tale', Brewer has consistently chosen roles that challenge both her and her audience. Her characters are raw, complex, and often trapped in oppressive systems—yet they fight, adapt, and survive. But what does that kind of work do to an actor's mind? How does she step into such intense roles without losing herself in them?
Off-screen, she speaks with an openness that makes it clear she feels things deeply, someone who takes her work seriously but doesn't let it define her entire world. With the release of the final season of The Handmaid's Tale and her upcoming role in You, it's a fitting time for a conversation that weaves through the intensity of her career, the importance of mental health, and the small but essential joys that keep her grounded.
Brewer doesn't shy away from acknowledging the toll her roles can take. For six seasons, Brewer has embodied Janine—a woman who has endured unspeakable trauma yet clings to hope in the dystopian nightmare of The Handmaid's Tale. From losing an eye as punishment in season one to being shuffled between commanders and forced into exile in Chicago, Janine has experienced some of the most harrowing moments in the series. And while audiences watch from a safe distance, Brewer has lived inside that pain for years. "I did a scene in this season where I was truly in fight-or-flight mode; I was really on edge," she recalls. "My body didn't know the difference between what was real and what wasn't—it just knew what it was experiencing."
This is something many actors face. While their minds understand that what's happening is fiction, their nervous systems react as if the trauma were real. To protect herself, Brewer has developed coping mechanisms. "I'm a big believer in taking a nice hot bath at the end of the day. It kind of washes the day away," she explains. "Affirmations help so beautifully to remind yourself that you're okay, in control, and safe. A big part is having a sense of safety within yourself and knowing you don't need anything external to provide that safety; it's already there."
Dress, Self Portrait. Shoes, Femme. Earrings, Hirotaka. Ear Cuff, Hirotaka. Rings, White Space.
Brewer has poured her heart into Janine for years, watching her grow into a woman who refuses to be a victim. But as the series heads into its final season, she knows it's time to let go. Madeline reflects, "I feel that my time with Janine has come to its natural end. I have given her everything I can, and she has given me everything that she can give me." Janine has evolved over the seasons, and Brewer has grown alongside her. "It's a peaceful ending to what has been one of the most important relationships of my life."
"With Janine, I was experiencing my level of fight or flight in my life, so she also has taught me, in many ways, how much I need to care for myself. So that's been an invaluable lesson that she's taught me." And she's proud of where Janine has ended up. "I love that she became a bit more feisty and is part of this full reckoning that we've all prayed for throughout the series. I always was a bit worried that it would become June dragging her along, begrudgingly and full of fear, into the revolution. And I'm so relieved that Janine is ready, as the revolution is upon us in season six. She's ready to do what she needs to do to facilitate a revolution," she says. It's a satisfying arc for a character who, despite years of suffering, has never lost her sense of hope.
With one significant chapter ending, Brewer is stepping into another dark and twisted world—Netflix's 'You'. "I'm a big fan of the show and have been since season one. I think that season one of 'You' is one of my favourite television seasons. It's just so good." she says. "I think that on the surface, people find it thrilling, and there's a charming murderer and this quick-paced storyline. But I think so much brilliant writing and storytelling is at play there."
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The psychological thriller, led by Penn Badgley as the disturbingly charismatic serial stalker Joe Goldberg, has built a reputation for its sharp social commentary and addictive storytelling. Brewer is joining for its fifth and final season as Bronte, a playwright who, unsurprisingly, catches Joe's eye. "She's a mysterious, intriguing young woman who, inevitably, Joe can't resist his old patterns with," she teases. It's another complex, layered role for Brewer, who thrives in stories that blend psychological tension with deep emotional undercurrents.
For all the heavy roles, Brewer is someone who finds joy in life's most straightforward, most human moments. "I've got a couple of things that just make my heart want to explode," she says. "But there's truly nothing better than seeing my nieces and nephew. I want to burst into tears every time. They're the best." And then, there's something delightfully relatable. "I love nothing more than setting up my computer and putting on my little show. Whatever show I'm going to be watching and whatever I've ordered to eat is all set up and ready to go, like I am a girl who loves a snack. I'm a Taurus, so getting comfy and set up to watch one of my favourite shows makes me giddy with excitement."
"It's the little things. Those tiny moments of joy? That's what life is about." Brewer has spent years playing characters caught in cycles of pain, women fighting to hold on to their humanity in impossible circumstances. But in her own life, she's learnt how to step back. How to protect herself. How to embrace softness in a world that so often demands strength. And in the end, that might be the most powerful thing.
Photographer Bri Elledge @brielledgephotography
Styling Kirsten McGovern @kirstenmcgovern
Hair Dani Parkes @facesbydani
MUA Dina DiPietro @dinadipietro
Digital Tech Brian Von Glahn @bvdigital
Assistant Jeong Park @jeongxparkphoto
Retouching Retouch Concept @retouchconcept
HATC Alice Gee @alicesgee
Arlo Midtown @arlohotels
ART Midtown @artrooftops
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Dress, Private Policy. Earrings, Studio Cult. Ear Cuff, Hirotaka
