Who is Timothy Simons? Meet the actor who plays Commander Bell in The Handmaid's Tale season 6

Premiere Event For Season 6 Of Hulu
Timothy Simons attends Hulu's premiere of The Handmaid's Tale season 6 at TCL Chinese Theatre (Photo by Savion Washington/WireImage)

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 started streaming on Hulu on April 8, 2025. The first three episodes dropped together. New episodes come out every Tuesday. The finale is set for May 27, 2025.

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The plot continues to center around June Osborne (played by Elisabeth Moss) as she pushes back against the rule of Gilead. Familiar faces return this season, including Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski), Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford), Nick Blaine (Max Minghella), and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd). A new character, High Commander Wharton, is introduced and portrayed by Josh Charles.

In The Handmaid's Tale season 6, viewers meet a new character, Commander Bell. He is part of Gilead’s top ranks. His actions reflect the dark and abusive system that the show is known for. He is played by Timothy Simons. You might know him from Veep. This role is a big shift from his usual work.

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Simons appears as Bell in The Handmaid's Tale season 6 episode 4, titled Promotion. In this role, he is not funny or lighthearted. He plays a man who is cold, powerful, and dangerous. The character adds new tension to the story. Simons’s performance helps deepen the show's message about power and control.


Who is Timothy Simons?

Timothy Simons speaks during Collective by 92NY (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Timothy Simons speaks during Collective by 92NY (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Timothy Simons is an American actor. He was born on June 12, 1978, in Readfield, Maine. He studied theater at the University of Maine. After college, he acted in plays and then moved to Chicago. There, he improved his skills. In 2008, he moved to Los Angeles.

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He became well known for playing Jonah Ryan on Veep. That role ran from 2012 to 2019. He received five nominations for his role in the show and was part of the cast that won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series. The show was a political comedy. His character was often rude, but very memorable.

Simons has acted in movies like The Interview, The Boss, Draft Day, and Christine. On TV, he has been in Looking for Alaska and Common Side Effects. He also plays Tantalus in Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+. He worked on podcast series like Nature Talks to Itself and Big Envelopes.

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He is married to Annie Simons and together they have two children. He takes on a wide range of roles, from funny to serious. Playing Commander Bell in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 shows another side of his acting, marking a dramatic shift for the commander bell handmaid's tale actor known mostly for comedic roles.


Commander Bell's role and impact in The Handmaid's Tale season 6

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Commander Bell is a senior official in Gilead. He first appears in The Handmaid's Tale season 6 episode 4, called Promotion. He suggests that other Commanders visit Jezebel’s, a secret brothel. This moment shows how corrupt Gilead’s leaders are. They say they are moral but act in cruel and selfish ways.

At Jezebel’s, Bell treats women poorly. He targets Janine, a character who has suffered a lot already. His actions lead to serious consequences. Bell’s behavior shows how people in power can hurt others without facing punishment.

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He is not just a new bad guy. His role shows how deep the cruelty runs in Gilead. Bell doesn’t shout or rage. He is calm, but his actions speak volumes. Timothy Simons plays him in a quiet but chilling way. This fits the show’s style, where horror often happens in silence.

Bell adds to The Handmaid's Tale season 6's message. He reminds viewers how abuse can hide behind rules and structure. He helps the story show how hard it is to fight systems that protect the powerful.

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Edited by Urvashi Vijay More
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