Which actor plays the Commander in the 1990 film adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale?

Robert Duvall plays the Commander in the 1990 film adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale.

The film was directed by Volker Schlöndorff and adapted from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel. Duvall is credited as Fred Waterford, commonly identified in the story as the Commander. Natasha Richardson plays Kate, the film’s version of Offred, while Faye Dunaway plays Serena Joy and Aidan Quinn plays Nick.

This adaptation differs substantially from the novel. Harold Pinter wrote the screenplay, and the film gives its protagonist the name Kate rather than keeping her known only by the patronymic “Of-Fred.” It also changes elements of the ending and the Commander’s fate, which can cause confusion when comparing the film with the book or Hulu series.

Duvall’s performance belongs specifically to the 1990 feature film, not the later television adaptation. The film was the first screen adaptation of Atwood’s novel; Hulu’s series began in 2017 with a different cast and expanded storyline.