Who is Elisabeth Moss?

Elisabeth Moss , born on July 24, 1982, is an American actress and producer. She gained recognition for her roles in top-rated television series such as The West Wing (1999–2006), Mad Men (2007–15), and The Handmaid’s Tale (2017– ). For her work, she has received the nickname "the queen of peak TV". In 2009, Moss married Fred Armisen, though they divorced in 2011. Moss's awards include an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2017), an Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series (2017), a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama (2018), and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (2014).

What are some of the most famous TV shows or movies she has starred in?

Elisabeth Moss is an American actress celebrated for her roles in top-rated television series. She gained recognition as Peggy Olson in Mad Men (2007–15), earning six Emmy nominations. Moss also starred in Jane Campion’s crime series Top of the Lake (2013, 2017). After Mad Men , she starred in Chuck (2016), The Seagull (2018), Jordan Peele’s horror film Us (2019), The Invisible Man (2020), and Shirley (2020). Her role as Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale (2017– ) earned her an Emmy Award for acting and co-producing. Earlier in her career, Moss was also in The West Wing (1999–2006).

Which character did Elisabeth Moss play in the TV series 'Mad Men'?

Elisabeth Moss played Peggy Olson in the TV series Mad Men . The show, which aired from 2007 to 2015, was praised for its representation of social life in the 1960s. Peggy Olson starts as Don Draper's secretary but becomes a proficient copywriter at Sterling Cooper. Moss's portrayal of Olson earned her six Emmy Award nominations.

What is 'The Handmaid's Tale' and what role does Elisabeth Moss have in it?

The Handmaid's Tale , a dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood published in 1985, envisions a future theocratic American country where women are categorized in a strict hierarchy. The story follows Offred, a Handmaid whose purpose is to bear children for infertile wives. Elisabeth Moss stars in the television series adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale , for which she has received much praise. In the series, Moss portrays Offred, earning her an Emmy Award for acting and co-producing in 2017. The series itself was named best drama that same year.

Has Elisabeth Moss won any major awards for her acting performances?

Elisabeth Moss has received several major awards for her acting performances. For her role in The Handmaid's Tale , she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2017. That same year, she also won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series as a co-producer for The Handmaid's Tale . In 2018, Moss won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama for The Handmaid's Tale , and in 2014, she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Moss is known as "the queen of peak TV" due to her roles in top-rated television series such as The West Wing , Mad Men , and The Handmaid’s Tale . Her portrayal of Peggy Olson in Mad Men earned her six Emmy Award nominations.

How has Elisabeth Moss influenced or contributed to the acting world?

Elisabeth Moss, born on July 24, 1982, is an acclaimed American actress and producer celebrated for her roles in top-tier television series. She gained the title "queen of peak TV" due to her performances in The West Wing (1999–2006), Mad Men (2007–15), and The Handmaid’s Tale (2017– ). Moss has received six Emmy Award nominations for her restrained and relatable portrayal of Peggy Olson in Mad Men , a character who evolves into an accomplished advertising copywriter, solidifying her status as a star. In 2017, she won an Emmy Award for both her acting and co-production work on The Handmaid's Tale , which also won for best drama.

Elisabeth Moss

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Images

Jay R. Ferguson, Elisabeth Moss, and Ben Feldman stand together in 1960s attire in an office scene from the television series Mad Men.

The main cast of Mad Men season 1 poses in 1960s business attire in a dimly lit office with gold blinds, some seated and some standing around a table.

Six main cast members from Mad Men season 3 stand in two groups against a white background, dressed in 1960s formal attire, with three women in dresses and three men in suits.

Main cast of Mad Men stands in 1960s attire inside an office, with Don Draper (Jon Hamm) in a suit at center, surrounded by five women in colorful period dresses.

Sydney Sweeney, in gray clothing, sits on a sofa facing Elisabeth Moss, dressed in a red dress and white bonnet, in a scene from The Handmaid's Tale.

Quick Facts

In full:: Elisabeth Singleton Moss

Born:: July 24, 1982, Los Angeles, California, U.S. (age 44)

Awards And Honors:: Emmy Award (2017); Emmy Award (2017): Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series; Emmy Award (2017): Outstanding Drama Series; Golden Globe Award (2018): Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama; Golden Globe Award (2014): Best Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Notable Family Members:: spouse Fred Armisen

Married To:: Fred Armisen (2009–2011)

Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In):: "Batman: The Animated Series" (1993); "Lucky Chances" (1990); "Mad Men" (2007–2015); "Mad to Be Normal" (2017); "The Missing" (2003); "Freakazoid!" (1995); "The Seagull" (2018); "Mumford" (1999); "Top of the Lake" (2013–2017); "The Invisible Man" (2020); "Virgin" (2003); "Light of My Life" (2019); "Medium" (2007); "Listen Up Philip" (2014); "Temptation" (2003); "Heart of America" (2002); "A Buddy Story" (2010); "The Square" (2017); "Darling Companion" (2012); "Girl, Interrupted" (1999); "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" (2009); "The West Wing" (1999–2006); "Animaniacs" (1993); "Suburban Commando" (1991); "Us" (2019); "Imaginary Crimes" (1994); "Meadowland" (2015); "West of Here" (2002); "High-Rise" (2015); "Fear Itself" (2008); "Day Zero" (2007); "A Thousand Acres" (1997); "Truth" (2015); "The Bleeder" (2016); "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" (2005); "Separate Lives" (1995); "The Old Man & the Gun" (2018); "The Handmaid's Tale" (2017–2019); "On the Road" (2012); "The Kitchen" (2019); "Invasion" (2005–2006); "The Practice" (2003); "The Joyriders" (1999); "Anything But Love" (1991); "The Last Supper" (1995); "El camino" (2008); "Queen of Earth" (2015); "Her Smell" (2018); "Shirley" (2020); "Anywhere But Here" (1999); "Picket Fences" (1992–1995); "Johnny Bago" (1993); "Mercy" (2009); "Bittersweet Place" (2005); "Smoking Nonsmoking" (2011); "Once Upon a Forest" (1993); "The Simpsons" (2013); "Get Him to the Greek" (2010); "The Free World" (2016); "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (2006); "The One I Love" (2014); "New Orleans, Mon Amour" (2008); "Ghost Whisperer" (2007); "Grey's Anatomy" (2007)

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Elisabeth Moss

American actress and producer

Also known as: Elisabeth Singleton Moss

Written by

Patricia Bauer

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Sep. 26, 2026 •History

Childhood

Moss grew up in Los Angeles in a musical home. Her British father was a jazz musician and manager, and her American mother played blues harmonica. Moss was homeschooled, and she began acting on television as a child, first in Bar Girls, a pilot for a series that was not picked up, and in the miniseries Lucky Chances, both in 1990. She also studied ballet and traveled to New York City in her early teens to enroll at the School of American Ballet, but she later decided to focus on acting.

Early roles: Girl, Interrupted and The West Wing

In 1991 Moss made her film debut, appearing in the Hulk Hogan vehicle Suburban Commando. Three years later she was cast in her first major movie, Imaginary Crimes, playing the younger daughter of a con man (Harvey Keitel). Moss continued to appear on television. She played Baby Louise in the TV movie Gypsy (1993), a biography of burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee, and had a recurring role (1992–95) on Picket Fences. She also starred in the TV movie Escape to Witch Mountain (1995).

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Although mostly cast in small parts in minor films, Moss had a supporting role in Girl, Interrupted (1999), which also featured Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. Moss first gained wide notice for playing Zoey Bartlet, the president’s daughter, in the acclaimed series The West Wing (1999–2006).

Mad Men and The Handmaid’s Tale

Almost immediately after The West Wing ended, Moss was cast as the ambitious secretary Peggy Olson in the iconic 1960s-set series Mad Men (2007–15). Her restrained and relatable portrayal of a character who evolves into an accomplished advertising copywriter earned her six Emmy Award nominations (2009–13, 2015) and made her a star. During that time she continued to appear in movies—notably playing Galatea Dunkel/Helen Hinkle in On the Road (2012). In addition, she starred as a detective in Jane Campion’s crime series Top of the Lake, which aired in 2013 and 2017.

After the conclusion of Mad Men, Moss starred with Liev Schreiber in Chuck (2016), a biography of boxer Chuck Wepner; took on the role of Masha in The Seagull (2018), a film version of Anton Chekhov’s play; appeared with Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke in Jordan Peele’s popular horror film Us (2019); starred in the sci-fi thriller The Invisible Man (2020); and portrayed writer Shirley Jackson in Shirley (2020). She also starred in another landmark TV series, The Handmaid’s Tale (2017– ), which was inspired by Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel. Moss drew praise for her subtle and complex portrayal of Offred, and in 2017 she earned Emmy Awards for her acting in and coproduction of the series (which was named best drama). Her other TV credits during this time include the spy miniseries The Veil, in which she played an MI6 agent.

Theater

In addition to her copious screen work, Moss made her Broadway debut in a 2008 revival of David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow and was nominated for a Tony Award for starring in a 2015 revival of The Heidi Chronicles. She also appeared onstage in London’s West End in a 2011 production of Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour.