How Mattea Conforti Brought Becka to Life
The actress reflects on her journey from Broadway to The Testaments, the emotional complexity of Becka, and the lessons that continue to shape her career.
What began as an ordinary day at Harvard University quickly became a life-changing moment for actress Mattea Conforti. Walking into class during her freshman year, she received a phone call from her agents with the news every young performer dreams of: she had been cast as Becka in The Testaments, the highly anticipated sequel series to The Handmaid’s Tale. The role would not only introduce her to audiences around the world, but also mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her career. Since the series premiered, viewers have been captivated by Becka’s emotional complexity, quiet resilience, and evolving relationships, making her one of the show's most talked-about characters. We sat down with Conforti to discuss landing the role, bringing Becka to life, and what lies ahead for both her and the world of The Testaments.
For Conforti, the process wasn’t something that necessarily arrived overnight. Long before stepping into the world of Gilead, she was already building a foundation as a performer on Broadway appearing in productions like Matilda where she developed a deep appreciation for storytelling at such a young age. “Being on Broadway taught me so much discipline from such a young age,” Conforti tells me. “It taught me how to work with others since it's such a heavy ensemble production. The show wouldn’t be the same without all the children and everyone in it. I really had to learn about the importance of collaboration and supporting other performers.”
Those early lessons stuck with Mattea as she transitioned from stage to screen. While theater taught her to perform for the back row, television required a different kind of vulnerability – one built on subtle expressions and intimate moments. By the time the audition for the testaments came around, Mattea had already spent years and years honing her craft, and preparing for the opportunity. What began as an audition for Shunammite eventually led her to Becka, a character whose emotional complexity immediately drew her in. “The challenge was understanding all the different things she’s carrying at once and then suppressing them because that was the reality of Gilead.” she says. “There are so many layers to her,and every scene required me to ask myself what she was internalizing in those moments,.” This is what drew Mattea to the role.
Inevitably, that emotional intensity extended beyond performance itself. The world of the testaments required long days of navigating the heavy material but Conforti emphasizes that the environment off camera helped ground the experience. ““Everyone—from the cast to the crew to our writers and producers—was looking out for each other,” she says. “We also had many people from The Handmaid’s Tale working on the show, so they understood the emotional demands of this world.”
That support system, she adds, made all the difference in how she approached the work day to day. “Ironically, the set was the complete opposite of the show itself. It was such a fun, lighthearted environment, and that’s what made going to work every day so enjoyable.”
As the series builds toward its most pivotal emotional beats, the relationship between Becka and Agnes becomes its grounding force—an anchor amid the surrounding tension. For Conforti, their dynamic wasn’t approached as something constructed for drama, but rather something rooted in emotional truth. “Ultimately, it’s a story about love, acceptance, and unconditional support,” she says. “These girls are always going to be there for one another, no matter what.”
Looking back on the experience as a whole, Conforti often returns to the early influences that shaped her approach to storytelling. Among them, her time in Matilda stands out not just as a formative role, but as a foundational education in performance. The discipline of stage work, she notes, continues to inform how she navigates every new project, even years later.
Looking ahead, Conforti is already thinking about where Becka’s journey could go next, particularly as the series continues to expand its emotional and political stakes. “I’d love to explore her life as a wife because that’s something she never wanted,” she says. “I’m curious to see how she navigates that reality. I’d also love to see her become more involved with Mayday and have more honest conversations about who she is and what she’s feeling.” For her, the character’s evolution lies in those quieter internal shifts just as much as the external ones.
Outside of The Testaments, Conforti’s ambitions remain rooted in the same place she first fell in love with performing. “I’d love to return to musical theater and eventually do a movie musical,” she shares. “I’ve always been fascinated by how musical performances are captured on screen compared to the stage.” It’s a space where her early Broadway foundation and screen experience feel poised to intersect again.
Even as she looks forward, she continues to carry lessons from those formative years in theater. One in particular still lingers from a vocal coach she worked with during Matilda. “Nervousness and excitement are the same feeling,” she recalls. “The only difference is how you choose to think about it.” It’s a mindset that has followed her through auditions, live performance, and now a breakout television role.
The Testaments is just the start for Mattea Conforti. Between continued stage work and inevitable forays into the realm of screen, her talent, curiosity and drive will have viewers eagerly anticipating what she does next.
