Ann Dowd on Rebecca, The Handmaid’s Tale, and the decision that changed her career

Blessed be Ann Dowd. Though recognized by many for her Emmy-winning work as The Handmaid’s Tale’s fearsome Aunt Lydia, she’s developed a reputation in Hollywood as quite the opposite: She’s is known for being a compassionate and hard-working performer revered by her colleagues. Indeed, Dowd is an actor’s actor who cut her teeth in the Chicago theater scene before moving to New York, where she found steady work on stage and screen, including motherly roles in The Baby-Sitters Club, Freaks And Geeks, Apt Pupil, Garden State, and three Shiloh movies, just to name a few. But things really began to change with Compliance-Craig Zobel’s 2012 true-story indie thriller-featuring Dowd as Sandra, a fast-food manager whose unblinking trust of authority takes her to some horrifying places. The jaw-dropping performance was widely praised-garnering an Independent Spirit Award nomination-and opened the door to a wide new range of work for her. “It was a turning point from my career,” Dowd admits. Since then, she’s been a dominant force in film and television, often betraying her sweet demeanor with characters that are meddlesome (True Detective), haunting (The Leftovers), or outright satanic (Hereditary).
This month, Ann Dowd can be seen in Ben Wheatley’s Rebecca, playing opposite Lily James and Armie Hammer as the gaudy Mrs. Van Hopper. The Netflix adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier novel provided The A.V. Club with the opportunity to talk to the actor about some of her standout roles. During the chat, Dowd reflected on her hesitance with Hereditary, the prescience of The Handmaid’s Tale, her hell of a 2014 with HBO, and the frequent comparisons to Margo Martindale.
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[@6thCircleTattoos]

Ann is one of the best actresses right now period. When I saw her the 1st time in the Leftovers I was blown away. And have been everytime Ive seen her on screen since

[@markk8248]

She seems like a great person ❤️ she is an amazing actress. Good interview

[@anthonyhebisen]

She has the most beautiful voice

[@JorfdansFilms1]

[Ann Dowd voice] Kevin

[@LordWinter]

"Khevuh"

[@LordWinter]

She would be perfect to play Granny Goodness if the DC movies do a Darkseid movie