Elisabeth Moss has been a staple of TV for more than 20 years. She has taken on roles in several high-profile properties like The West Wing and The Handmaid’s Tale. However, her most famous role is probably Peggy Olson in Mad Men.
Outside of TV, she has also done theater and has appeared in several movies, such as 2020’s The Invisible Man, Us, High-Rise, and The Square, among others. From theater to television and film, she has played over 80 roles since she started acting and has shown her depth as a performer in each one of them. Here are six interesting facts about her.
1. She Started Acting At The Age Of 10
For most people, it’s difficult to name an accomplishment they’ve made by the age of 10. But Moss started her acting career at this age. Her first role was a young Lucky, the titular character, in Lucky Chances from 1992 until 1995. The TV mini-series was written by Jackie Collins and based on two of her bestselling novels.
Though Moss played a small part, this was her first foray into TV. Altogether, it was the first stepping stone in what would become an impressive presence of over three decades on screens everywhere. Even more, she has shown her talent beyond the small screen.
2. Elisabeth Moss Was Nominated For A Tony In 2015
Moss received a Tony nomination for her performance in The Heidi Chronicles. The made-for-TV movie was a revival of a 1988 play by Wendy Wasserstein. Moss played the title role and received good reviews for her performance alongside a Tony nomination. Unfortunately, the play would close earlier than expected because of low ticket sales.
While she would ultimately not win the award, this part underlined the talent Moss has for playing strong female characters. The titular character of the play follows a feminist from high school to her career as an art historian 20 years later. If Moss decides to go back to Broadway in the future, she will have a chance again at winning the award.
3. She Was Briefly Married To SNL’s Fred Armisen
When John Ham hosted SNL in 2008, he introduced Moss to Fred Armisen. The pair hit it off; shortly after, they were engaged and hitched. However, the marriage didn’t last long, and Moss filed for divorce in 2010, citing irreconcilable differences.
While they have not spoken in detail about their marriage, they both recognize that Armisen was not a good partner. Bottom line, she characterized the experience as horrible. She also mentioned that she’s glad the relationship is over and that they didn’t have children together.
4. Elisabeth Moss Is A Self-Proclaimed Feminist
Playing strong female characters has been a staple of her career. However, Moss considers herself more than just a feminist. In an interview with Vulture, Moss says that they are “just interesting human stories“.
Moss mentions in that same interview that she has always been a feminist. She says that she wasn’t raised to think women couldn’t do the same things as men. Both of her parents are musicians and have quite progressive values, according to Moss. She has also advocated for equal pay among actors.
5. The Star Was Born Into Scientology
Here’s something quite interesting about Moss. The actress was brought up as a Scientologist. She’s famously been very private about her beliefs and personal life. Even more, she mentioned that she doesn’t want other people to be distracted by that when they watch her perform.
Nevertheless, the fact that she’s a Scientologist has been criticized. Mainly because the character she plays in The Handmaid’s Tale is oppressed by a religious cult. However, she has dismissed this comparison and credited her own religion as an important part of her upbringing. She also stresses that it’s one of the reasons she learned to be a great communicator.
6. Moss Has Won Two Emmys
Just approaching her third decade in the industry, Moss is known for her incredible body of work. She also has an impressive 12 wins and 58 nominations for various awards to show for it. Quite impressively, she’s won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for The Handmaid’s Tale and another Golden Globe for Top of the Lake.
The actress also bagged two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Mad Men — she was nominated 23 times. Finally, she also won an award from the Hollywood Critics Association for her role in the movie The Invisible Man. No one can deny the talent Moss has, and she’s pretty much poised to get an Oscar at some point if she continues with the strong performances.