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Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara tell us everything about the addictive show Imperfect Women
Apple TV is about to make a splash with Imperfect Women, an eight-episode psychological thriller show created by Annie Weisman. Adapted from a novel written by British journalist and author Araminta Hall, it explores a complex female friendship against the backdrop of a murder investigation. Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara star as the lead characters of the show, coming out on March 18th, 2026. The three actresses open up to Numéro about the making of the series.
By Violaine Schütz,
and The Editorial Team.
Published on 27 February 2026. Updated on 16 March 2026.
Elisabeth Moss, Kate Mara and Kerry Washington, stars of Imperfect Women
When two queens of American television decide to join forces, the result is bound to turn heads. Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale, Mad Men, Top of the Lake) and Kerry Washington (Scandal, Django Unchained, Little Fires Everywhere) both star in and are executive producers on Imperfect Women. This new Apple TV series will unveil its first two episodes on March 18th, 2026. Fellow actress Kate Mara (Fantastic Four) completes this explosive trio.
Adapted from Araminta Hall’s 2020 novel of the same name, the series opens with the murder of a wealthy woman, Nancy Hennessy (Kate Mara). She leaves behind two best friends, a husband, a daughter and a lover whose identity remains unknown. The tragedy shatters years of friendship between three women. As the investigation unfolds, long-buried secrets and betrayals begin to resurface…
However, there are some changes in the Apple TV adaptation. The plot of this psychological thriller – which should appeal to fans of Desperate Housewives, The White Lotus and Big Little Lies – no longer takes place in England, but in Los Angeles. The new setting adds a touch of glamour, a sexy sheen and a sense of fun to a story full of plot twists, romance, humour and mysteries, told through multiple perspectives.
A project led byThe Handmaid’s Tale actress
It was Elisabeth Moss, a passionate fan of the novel, who launched the project. She acquired the rights to the novel through her production company, Love & Squalor Pictures, before asking Kerry Washington to adapt it. The star of The Handmaid’s Tale was drawn to the idea of portraying female friendship in a genuine way. What attracted her was the possibility of exploring that feeling in a unique manner. Indeed, both the book and the series analyse both the positive and darker aspects of this particular bond. The show delves into the negative sides and the hidden secrets of a twenty-year-long friendship.
“That’s what struck me immediately when I read the book. I read it in 2019, then I decided to buy it and turn it into this series. What I loved most was the reflection on friendship, the exploration of that bond, and that it felt so genuine. We rarely talk about how friendships actually work, and about the fact that sometimes you confide in one friend and not in another. Because you know that friend might be a bit critical. And sometimes that can also be a very positive thing,” the actress, who directed one of the episodes, explained at a press conference.
An addictive show about female friendship
“There are friendships that give you something you truly need, but this one gives you something else, and that’s perfectly fine. I loved the idea of exploring the idea that female friendships aren’t always perfect and don’t simply consist of spending time braiding each other’s hair. There were real people involved,” she added.
Kate Mara was also drawn to that aspect. “It’s interesting to be able to play with the complexity of human beings and to talk about the complex relationships we can have with our closest friends. I feel like I haven’t really had the chance to explore that kind of relationship through the projects I’ve worked on. Most of them focused on romantic or family relationships, but not necessarily on friendships,” she shared during the press conference.
A feminist show
What also resonated with Kerry Washington in this project was the fact that “we don’t often have the opportunity to explore stories about women and friendships that have developed over a long period of time. It’s tied to the fact that we are actresses of a certain age who are able to produce and create stories about women our age. That means there’s lived experience, a depth that we can add to it.”
The actress then added: “This show says many things. One of the main aspects is that it’s a thrilling adventure full of twists and turns, where you never quite know who is telling the truth, who is betraying whom, and who is sleeping with whom. But by the end of the day, you realize that you have a huge power when you have the courage to reveal the truth. And that true intimacy lies on the other side of the fear of being who you really are.”
One of the project’s great strengths as a feminist work is that it highlights complex female characters who prove to be imperfect without being demonized. “Putting women and their stories at the centre, rather than reducing them to mere accessories in a male-driven narrative, is important. That idea is essential. I also enjoy playing supporting roles, but when I play leading characters, I want to find complexity at the heart of both the character and the story. I love the fact that in this series there are three women who occupy the core of this narrative at different moments. The title reflects that complexity in terms of imperfection. Our characters pretend, and then we reveal the truths hidden behind those facades, which is really fascinating,” Kerry Washington noted during the press conference.
Imperfect Women, created by Annie Weisman, coming out on March 18, 2026, on Apple TV.
