The Handmaid's Tale star reveals whether her character will return for sequel series The Testaments

Wiley, who played protagonist June’s best friend Moira in the original series, was still alive at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, having gone to fight against the regime with Mayday. But in an interview with RadioTimes.com to promote her new show Atomic, the actor confirmed that her focus is now elsewhere.

"I've been a part of that show for so long, been talking about trauma for so long, been having conversations about how the show that I'm on is parallel to what's happening globally, in my country, and it's something that I'm actually not interested in anymore," she said.

"Margaret Atwood is amazing, and I'm very happy that that's a part of my legacy. But moving forward, I just want to tell a different kind of story. I do think that there's still so much value in telling that story, but as an actor, when it comes to my body, when it comes to all of those things that I take home from set, it's something that I feel like I've paid my dues on."

Wiley went on to say that she doesn't always "realise what the toll on the body, the mind, all of that does", adding: "But I'm trying to be a little bit more aware of those things, and I'm happy that I'm aware of them now."

Read more:

• The Handmaid's Tale ending explained: Goodbye June, hello Hannah
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While Wiley is closing the door on Gilead, she’s stepping into a very different world with Sky Atlantic’s Atomic. The series is based on the non-fiction book The Atomic Bazaar, which explores how nuclear weapons have "gone wholesale" – with poor nations and non-state terror groups vying to get their hands on them.

The five-part series follows "free-spirited drug smuggler Max", played by Alfie Allen, and "enigmatic outsider" JJ (Shazad Latif), who are "swept into a chaotic, high-stakes mission – trafficking highly enriched uranium across North Africa and the Middle East".

But "the CIA, MI6 and a global web of opposing forces are closing in fast", with Wiley playing undercover CIA officer Cassie Elliott, who is convinced Max and JJ are in league with violent extremists.

Speaking about her preparation for the role, Wiley said she was most interested in what motivated Cassie to become a non-official cover (NOC) operative.

"There are different kinds of agents on the ground when you’re working for the CIA," she explained. "There are official cover agents – if you're in trouble, your country comes in and saves you. But Cassie is not that kind of agent.

"She's the one who gives up her entire life: her name, her family, her country, her safety. And that was fascinating to me. I had so many questions, not just about Cassie, but in real life: who are these people who choose this? Who feels that’s their role in life?"

Wiley said that curiosity led her to imagine Cassie's childhood and the relationships she might have left behind. "Maybe she had so much trauma with them that the only decision in her mind was: I must say goodbye and be in danger every day."

While that might sound extreme, Wiley believes Cassie is ultimately driven by the need to prove herself. "And not even to anyone else – she's saying goodbye to everyone else – but to prove herself to herself," she added.

"I've recently realised that so much of how we live, how we relate to each other, how we think and move, is influenced by early relationships, childhood traumas, neglect, all of those experiences. For me, Cassie's sense of self-worth and how she views the world all started in her childhood home."

Atomic will launch on Sky and NOW on Thursday 28th August 2025.

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