Skip to main content

The Handmaid’s Tale is one of Hulu’s highest-rated series. The show has an incredibly disturbing premise, but the performances delivered by its powerful cast are absolutely stunning. Yvonne Strahovski portrays one of the main antagonists in the series.

Her phenomenal acting skills are evident every time she enters a scene. The Australian native has been stunning audiences both on screen and on stage for quite some time, contributing to her current impressive net worth.

Yvonne Strahovski smiling in front of a white background
Yvonne Strahovski | Erik Voake/Getty Images for Hulu

Who is Yvonne Strahovski?

Yvonne Strahovski grew up in Australia, where she studied performing arts at the University of Western Sydney’s School of Contemporary Arts. She began her acting career in Australia, on the TV shows Headland and Sea Patrol. Strahovski made her big-screen debut in the 2007 thriller, Gone, according to IMDb. 

After moving to L.A., she auditioned for the role of Sarah Walker on Chuck. She delivered a stunning audition and was offered the role almost immediately. She also performed most of her own stunts on the series.

2012 was a big year for Strahovski; she made her debut on Broadway and joined the cast of Dexter. Although performing on stage was not something she had focused on, the actor was excited to play Lorna Moone in the 75th-anniversary revival of Golden Boy. She told Broadway that stage acting is far more challenging than working in television, but she definitely enjoyed it. 

Joining the cast of Dexter was an impressive step in her career. By 2012, Dexter was a huge hit, with an impressive cult following. The mystery/thriller focused on the life of Dexter Morgan, a blood-splatter analyst who just so happened to enjoy murdering people with his free time. Strahovski’s work on Dexter may have opened the door to her biggest role yet.

Yvonne Strahovski shines in the ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

In 2017, Hulu aired a new series that took the world by storm–The Handmaid’s Tale. Based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, the series takes place in a dystopian future where the government has been overthrown by a patriarchal group. This group has created a new totalitarian state called Gilead, where women are severely oppressed and used for procreation. 

Strahovski delivers a chilling performance as Serena Waterford, the wife of Commander Waterford. Serena is cold, calculating, and was instrumental in helping create Gilead. Before the government was overthrown, she was an antifeminist, in strong support of men being in charge and women “knowing their place.” She actually wrote a book called A Woman’s Place.

Yvonne Strahovski has received considerable praise for her portrayal of the complex, cruel and narcissistic Serena Waterford, even earning her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Her impressive work history has earned her a net worth of $12 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

What else is Strahovski involved in besides acting? 

Strahovski has her plate full right now, as she recently became a new mom. Aside from work, the actor spends most of her time with her baby boy, who was born in 2018. 

The actor says that although being a new mom has made it challenging to juggle her work schedule, it’s also helped her better understand her character. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, she said:

“I think so much of motherhood is putting yourself aside, putting aside all your fears and all your selfishness and all your flaws and giving the best self to your child. I think Serena did that at the end of the season. It took her a big, long journey to learn how to do it, but she did it.”

She’s connected with her character in a deeper way now, and that raw emotional connection has only helped her deliver an even more powerful performance. Strahovski believes that redemption is possible for the once brutal Serena, and we’re all looking forward to seeing what happens next…

Best in Entertainment