Five Fast Facts About The Handmaid’s Tale Star Ann Dowd

Fans of The Handmaid’s Tale love Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia, but there is so much more to the actress. She has been in countless shows over the course of her career. From her big family upbringing to her history with Law & Order, here are five fast facts about the 63-year-old.

In The Beginning 
Dowd grew up in Massachusetts and is one of seven children. She has siblings Kathleen, John, Elizabeth, Clare, Deborah, and Gregory. In fact, her mother raised all seven kids after their father passed away when Dowd was in high school. Her grandfather, James “Kip” Dowd, played major league baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Law & Order Expert
A lot of actors have appeared in a Law & Order episode over the course of their career, but Dowd is one of the few who have been on four different Law & Order franchises! She was in Law & Order a few different times as different characters, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Law & Order: Trial By Jury.

Triple Threat
Not only has Dowd been in a number of movies and television shows, but she’s also a Broadway actress! In fact, she has been on Broadway three different times: Candida, Taking Sides, and The Seagull

Emmy Winning Actress
Dowd has been working in Hollywood for decades and has been in great shows over the course of her career, but she only just won her first Emmy in 2017! She snagged the statuette for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama thanks to her role as Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale.

Getting Personal
Dowd has been married to her husband, Lawrence Arancio, since 1984, and he is an acting coach (which must be very helpful). The couple has three children together.