The Testaments Stars Hope Show's Rage Fuels Real-World Change
On the Canadian set of The Testaments, the highly anticipated adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 2019 dystopian novel, co-stars Lucy Halliday and Chase Infiniti found moments of levity amidst the dark narrative. Halliday, who plays Daisy, a Canadian teen thrust into Gilead's oppressive preparatory school, revealed that some cast members playfully attempted to disrupt her carefully maintained Canadian accent.
"Some people took liberty trying to throw me off... I'm not naming names," Halliday said with a laugh during a joint interview, her Scottish brogue returning off-camera. "I'm 'some people' by the way," Infiniti quickly interjected, acknowledging her role in the lighthearted sabotage.
Maintaining Humanity Amidst Darkness
The series, which began streaming on Disney+ in April 2024, serves as both an adaptation of Atwood's sequel to The Handmaid's Tale and a continuation of the television adaptation that captivated audiences for six seasons. Set in the theocratic society of Gilead, the story follows teenage girls navigating a world where fear and misogyny dominate every aspect of life.
Despite depicting violence, betrayal, torture, and public executions, the ensemble cast maintained remarkable camaraderie. "Our entire cast and crew, I tell you, we were having the most fun," Infiniti shared. "Especially the days it was all girls. You could feel the energy of just being a girl. It was almost like it was high school in the best possible way."
This sense of community proved essential when filming particularly difficult scenes. "If you did have a really difficult day, they were there to catch you and support you," Infiniti explained. "Having the offset of levity really benefits your well-being when it comes to filming these scenes because you can separate yourself from fiction to reality."
Characters Navigating Gilead's Brutal System
The narrative centers on teenage girls at a school overseen by Aunt Lydia, the formidable character from the original novel and series. Infiniti portrays Agnes, a relatively privileged teen belonging to the "Plums" group—girls aged 12 to 14 awaiting transition to "Greens," who are fertile and preparing to be paired with commanders as wives and mothers.
Born into Gilead, Agnes initially accepts this world as normal, but her character arc reveals growing awareness of the system's vicious nature. Halliday's Daisy arrives as an outsider, bringing a Canadian perspective to the severe environment where individuality is systematically crushed.
Artistic Preparation and Accent Work
Halliday's preparation involved meticulous attention to her Canadian accent, a skill she developed growing up in Scotland where she frequently practiced fake accents "mainly to annoy my mom." While natural to some degree, she took great care to perfect the dialect for her role as Daisy.
The production maintains numerous plot secrets, with Disney+ providing journalists a detailed list of elements to avoid revealing. What remains clear is the cast's hope that the series' unflinching portrayal of oppression will resonate beyond entertainment.
"We have not learned from our history," the actors suggested, expressing their desire that the rage and injustice depicted in The Testaments might inspire viewers to examine contemporary societal structures and push for meaningful change in the real world.
