The Beginnings
She is 35 and has dual American and British nationality. Moss was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in a home where art has always been valued. Initially, she had aspirations of becoming a professional dancer, and, even though she studied ballet, she finally gave up on a career in this field to start acting. In 1990, she appeared in the miniseries “Lucky/Chances.” What had brought the then 17-year-old Elisabeth Moss recognition was the part of Zoe Bartlet, the President’s youngest daughter, on the White House TV drama “The West Wing.” At that moment, she was certain that she would go this path, even though she has been landing various screen parts since her childhood. The TV show “Mad Men” opened for her the way to a successful career. In 2007, she was cast as the bold Peggy Olson, and she later picked up five Emmy nominations for the role. The show itself was honored with multiple awards, including five Golden Globes, two BAFTAs, and 16 Emmys.
Mad Woman
Despite the fact that theoretically, the lead character in the iconic TV show is Don Draper, it is Peggy Olson who can boast all the characteristics of the central figure. Why? Because throughout the seven seasons, two divorces, and eighteen affairs, Draper remains the same person. He doesn’t change. And Peggy the secretary undergoes an unprecedented transformation. This evolution defines her and makes her become a positive character. Initially shy and stiff, the secretary finally turns out to be strong, capable, and intelligent enough to establish her position and get recognition in the men’s world of advertising agency players. We are in America of the 1960s. Peggy not only has to smoke like a chimney but also she must learn the rules of the game and face the chauvinism and cultural clichés to break through the glass ceiling. How could such character not be liked by feminists?
Values
She was raised in the belief that she has the same rights as men. She has never been the subject of chauvinistic comments, which happens all the time in “Mad Men.” When asked if she is a feminist, she replies that she was born as one. It has never been anything unique for her. Actually, it was the journalists who showed her that Peggy developed into a feminist icon. Her role in “The Handmaid's Tale” created by Bruce Miller based on the novel by Margaret Atwood also sparked debate on the political situation of women in America and around the world. This terrifying dystopia shows the future of the world, in which women are deprived of fundamental rights and brutally subjugated to the regime of the orthodox authorities. The psychologically complicated character moved Moss to the league of actresses that are capable of handling the most ambitious acting challenges.
Success Story
This year, she also played the role of an American journalist who gets involved in a fling with the director of a contemporary art museum in Ruben Östlund’s Cannes Palme d’Or-winning satire “The Square.” The actress revealed in interviews that she feels comfortable playing women who don’t really show their true colors right from the start. Their potential is often undervalued, while they slowly emerge from the background to show their true strength and inner truth. In a mystery drama “Top of the Lake” created by Jane Campion in 2013, she was cast as Detective Robin Griffin who investigates the death of an unidentified girl and deals with inner chaos. This role won her a Golden Globe, and the series received six Emmy nominations. The drama comes back with season two, in which Moss is joined by Nicole Kidman. One must admit, she has a nose for great screenplays, it’s the main reason for her to take a part. For an emotionally challenging role does not come into existence in free space.
