The Confirmed Cast Of The Testaments: 7 Stars And New Characters Revealed For The Handmaid's Tale Sequel

The highly anticipated sequel series to *The Handmaid's Tale*, Margaret Atwood's *The Testaments*, has finally unveiled its core cast and a definitive premiere window, providing fans with the freshest look at the future of Gilead. This new series, set 15 years after the events of the original novel and the conclusion of *The Handmaid's Tale* series, is one of the most significant television events on the horizon, with production having already commenced in Toronto. The latest announcements, including the release of first-look images in December 2025, confirm which stars will be stepping into the shoes of the iconic characters from Atwood's award-winning novel. The sequel centers on three women whose testimonies will eventually lead to the downfall of the totalitarian regime. The cast list is a powerful blend of a returning fan-favorite, Ann Dowd, and a trio of dynamic young actresses ready to bring the next generation of resistance fighters to life. The series is slated to premiere on Hulu in April 2026, with an international release on Disney+.

The Core Cast: Full Biography Profiles of the New Stars

The series is anchored by three central perspectives: Aunt Lydia, the powerful and complex figure from the first series, and two young women—Agnes and Daisy—who represent the internal and external threats to Gilead. Here is a complete profile of the main actors who have been cast in the pivotal roles for *The Testaments* TV series.

Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia

• Role in *The Testaments*: Aunt Lydia, reprising her Emmy-winning role from *The Handmaid's Tale*. In the sequel, her character is revealed to be a key player in the resistance movement known as Mayday.
• Born: January 30, 1956 (Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.)
• Career Highlights: Dowd is a veteran character actress, celebrated for her roles as Sandra in the film *Compliance* (2012) and Patti Levin in the HBO series *The Leftovers*. Her portrayal of Aunt Lydia in *The Handmaid's Tale* earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Chase Infiniti as Agnes Jemima

• Role in *The Testaments*: Agnes Jemima, one of the three narrators and a young woman raised within the Gilead system as a dutiful daughter of a Commander.
• Born: May 5, 2000 (Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.)
• Career Highlights: Chase Infiniti is a rising American actress known for her work in the Apple TV+ limited series *Presumed Innocent* and the film *One Battle After Another*. Her casting as Agnes is a major breakout role, placing her at the center of the sequel's dramatic narrative.

Lucy Halliday as Daisy (Nicole)

• Role in *The Testaments*: Daisy, the second narrator and a young woman living in Canada who is secretly Nicole, the daughter of June Osborne (Offred).
• Born: Information on her birth date is not widely publicized, but she is a Scottish actress.
• Career Highlights: Halliday is a critically acclaimed Scottish actress known for her role as Lois in the film *Blue Jean* (2022). Her performance earned her a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Supporting Actress and a nomination for a British Independent Film Award (BIFA). *The Testaments* marks her first major role in a high-profile American television series.

Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite

• Role in *The Testaments*: Shunammite, a young woman who is a friend and contemporary of Agnes Jemima within Gilead.
• Born: October 14, 2001 (Los Angeles, California, U.S.)
• Career Highlights: Blanchard is a well-known American actress who began her career as a child star. She is best known for playing Riley Matthews on the Disney Channel series *Girl Meets World* and for roles in films like *Spy Kids: All the Time in the World*. She is also recognized for her activism and outspoken views on social issues.

The Testaments: A Deep Dive into the New Gilead Hierarchy

The story of *The Testaments* begins approximately 15 years after the events of *The Handmaid's Tale* and focuses on the internal decay and external pressures facing Gilead. The newly announced cast fills out the landscape of this oppressive regime, showing the various ranks and roles that will drive the plot. The most critical returning entity is Aunt Lydia, whose secret activities form the backbone of the novel. Her character, who writes her memoir in secret, holds the key to the regime's most damning secrets. The casting of Ann Dowd ensures a powerful and seamless transition from the original series to this sequel. The new cast members are crucial to establishing the next generation of characters. Agnes Jemima (Chase Infiniti) is raised to become an Aunt, a path that contrasts sharply with the life of Daisy (Lucy Halliday), who is living a relatively free life in Toronto, Canada, but is drawn back into the conflict. Their intertwined fates, along with the perspective of Aunt Lydia, create a narrative structure that is both intimate and epic in scope.

Supporting Cast and Key Gilead Entities

The supporting cast features a number of talented actors taking on essential roles within the Gilead hierarchy and the resistance:

• Mabel Li as Aunt Vidala: A new, high-ranking Aunt who serves as a contemporary and rival to Aunt Lydia, representing the ruthless, true-believing faction of the regime.
• Eva Foote as Aunt Estee: Another member of the Aunt collective, likely involved in the indoctrination of the young women.
• Kira Guloien as Rosa: A character from the novel who plays a role in the lives of the young women at Ardua Hall, the Aunt training center.
• Mattea Conforti as Becka: A young woman whose life is intertwined with Agnes’s, potentially representing another victim of Gilead’s rigid system.
• Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, and Zarrin Darnell-Martin: These experienced actors have been cast in undisclosed roles, which will likely include Commanders, Wives, or key figures in the Canadian resistance network.

Production Timeline and The Road to the April 2026 Premiere

The journey to bring *The Testaments* to the screen has been a significant undertaking, with Hulu and MGM committing to the series format to fully explore the complex narrative and the vast world Margaret Atwood created. The series is a direct spin-off and sequel to *The Handmaid's Tale*, which concluded its run, paving the way for the next chapter. The production timeline has been steady and highly publicized, ensuring the information is current and reliable. Filming officially began in Toronto in early April 2025, which allowed the production team to capture the necessary footage for the first-look images that were revealed at CCXP in Brazil in December 2025. The April 2026 premiere date announced by the streamer confirms a highly anticipated release schedule, giving fans a clear date to look forward to the return of the dystopian world of Gilead. The first-look photos featured key moments, including Chase Infiniti as Agnes in her Gilead attire, Lucy Halliday as Daisy in the free world, and, most compellingly, the return of Ann Dowd’s formidable Aunt Lydia. This tight production and announcement schedule demonstrates the confidence Hulu has in the project, positioning *The Testaments* as a flagship series for the streaming service in the coming year. The anticipation surrounding this sequel is immense, fueled by the critically acclaimed source material and the success of the original series. The final cast list, filled with a mix of established talent and exciting new faces, promises a fresh, compelling, and politically resonant continuation of the story of resistance against a tyrannical state.