Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first three episodes of "The Handmaid's Tale."Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel "The Handmaid's Tale" has been adapted into an original TV series for Hulu. Starring Elizabeth Moss and Alexis Bledel, the show takes audiences into a harrowing world that feels almost too close to home. Showrunner and executive producer Bruce Miller took the lead on adapting Atwood's novel, and has made some significant changes along the way.We'll be updating this article with more changes as new episodes air, but for now, here are the biggest differences from the book as of episode three.We never learn Offred's real name in the book, but the show identifies her as June at the end of episode one.Atwood recently wrote a column for the New York Times where she addressed how fans have guessed that Offred's nameis really June."That was not my original thought but it fits, so readers are welcome to it if they wish," Atwood said.INSIDER spoke with Bruce Miller, the showrunner of "The Handmaid's Tale" about the choice to include Offred's name as June in the first episode."A long time ago, I had read some theories about what her name was," Miller said. "I just thought the character's name was June[...]so I just used it not knowing whether Margaret intended it or not."Miller went on to explain why he thought Offred needed another name."It's an important thing that she has a name because part of the show is that she's not going to let that go," Miller said."She is strong and stubborn even though she has to be content looking and silent and meekand keeping ahold of her identity was such an important part [and she] needed the name to do it."In the book, all of the characters are white and people of color have be "resettled" to other areas of the country.Hulu's version of "The Handmaid's Tale" has a more diverse cast of characters, including June's best friend Moira and her husband Luke. This was another choice Miller made when he sat down to adapt the book. During an interview for INSIDER's new podcast, "Showrunners," Miller explained his thinking."It was because it did feel a little bit dated," Miller told INSIDER. "The other thing is honestly, in this day in age, what's the difference between making a TV show about racism and making a racist TV show' I really didn't know. It's a distinction without a difference. They look the same on television. It's white people's problems."Serena Joy's character is much older in the book.In Atwood's novel, Serena Joy's age is never explicitly stated but she's described has having arthritis and uses a cane throughout the book, and Offred internally wonders if she dyes her hair blond to cover up the grey.But the show's version of Serena is played by34-year-old Australian actressYvonne Strahovski. Once again, Miller explained the reasoning to INSIDER."I felt that it was a more active dynamic if Serena Joy felt like this person was usurping her role not only as the reproductive object of the house but gradually taking away the wifely duties, the intimate duties, the romantic, sexual duties,"Miller said. "That was kind of my thinking from the start, but then something I didn't expect to happen is that Yvonne [Strahhovski] and Elizabeth [Moss] are close. You get that little vibe once in a while that in another situation they could be friends. It is the creepiest thing."To hear more from Miller about"The Handmaid's Tale," subscribe to "Showrunners" on iTunes and listen to our new episode premiering Monday May 1.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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