‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: Genevieve Angelson Breaks Down Alanis’ Creepy Passion for Gilead
Genevieve Angelson joined the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale as Alanis Wheeler. Alanis and her husband Ryan host Serena Joy in their home after the Gilead information center is shut down in Canada. The couple are supporters of Gilead, and there’s something especially unnerving about Alanis’ enthusiasm and beaming smile.
[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers ahead for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Episode 6.]
Serena lives with Alanis in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 5
In The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5, Serena Joy lives with Alanis Wheeler, portrayed by Genevieve Angelson. Alanis opened her home to Serena when the Gilead information center was shut down.
She is a firm believer in Gilead’s message and idolizes Serena Joy, who helped write the Republic’s laws. When the pair first meet, she greets Serena with a beaming smile and unbridled enthusiasm.
However, Alanis eventually realizes that Serena doesn’t always practice what she preaches. In episode 6, Serena states that she isn’t sure if she wants to remarry, which shocks Alanis. “You can’t be a single mother,” she tells Serena, eventually ordering her to her room.
Genevieve Angelson discusses her character giving fans the creeps
While speaking with TVLine, Genevieve Angelson discussed what it is about her character that unnerves viewers. “You know, people have said — obviously, I’ve been reading the comments — and people have said things like, ‘[Alanis is] so scary, she’s so creepy.’ And I’m grateful that it’s landing in that way,” the actor stated.
“‘But I think there’s also a part of me that’s like, ‘You guys, that’s just actually my smile when I’m excited!'” Angelson laughed. “When I love something, that’s actually what it looks like.”
It’s likely not the smile itself that is really creeping fans out. Alanis is a woman with boundless enthusiasm for a society that subjugates other women to second-class citizens — and that’s scary. This carries across in her initial obsession with Serena.
“I would never choose to play creepy, or icky,” Angelson said. “That’s just not how I work. I just played that I love someone so much. There’s something about being passionate that actually, in the wrong circumstances, is terrifying.”
A smile’s emotional meaning depends on the situation
It turns out the reason some fans find Alanis’ grin creepy might have nothing to do with the facial expression itself. “Lots of research suggests that smiles, frowns—in fact, all physical signals in your body—have no inherent emotional meaning,” author and leading psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett stated while speaking to Slate.
“The emotional meaning emerges out of the context.” The outlet frames this in the context of horror movies, like the new film Smile, where the music, cinematography, and setting already have fans on edge. Knowing that Alanis is a Gilead fanatic makes her enthusiasm when meeting Serena off-putting, and it’s difficult to trust her beaming expression
Don’t miss new episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Wednesdays on Hulu.
