The best thing an actor could do is disappear into the role and make us forget that we're seeing a performance in the first place.

But that also means that some of the best actors aren't so easy to recognize.

Some of the greatest working actors today seem perpetually overlooked. In their careers, some actors have consistently given critically-acclaimed performances, but have received little awards recognition or always seem shunted into small supporting roles in big blockbusters that don't do justice to their talent.

Here are the 17 most underrated actors in Hollywood. They're a mixture of young breakouts and Hollywood mainstays and, hopefully, they're all on their way to wider recognition.

SEE ALSO: How the best movie of the year so far, 'The Lost City of Z,' almost fell apart

Tessa Thompson was the breakout star of "Dear White People"— and now she's on the rise.

Thompson was hilarious in the 2014 cult favorite "Dear White People,"now turning into a television show without her, and then followed it up as the love interest in "Creed." Since then, Hollywood has offered her small roles in big features, like Charlotte in "Westworld" and Valkyrie in the upcoming "Thor: Ragnarok." But as "White People" showed, she can take on anyone as a main character.

Barry Pepper has been giving reliable performances for decades in movies like "Saving Private Ryan" and the "Maze Runner."

Pepper is one of those actors who's had a small role in everything. He's good at disappearing into a movie. But when he gets a big role, you can't stop watching him. His performance as an incompetent kidnapper in "True Grit" was hilarious, and he was solid as Robert F. Kennedy in "The Kennedys" miniseries, but he deserves more.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw has already played a superstar in "Beyond the Lights"— now she's ready to be one.

The actress had a breakout period in 2013 and 2014 with the indie darlings "Belle" and "Beyond the Lights." Since then, she's picked up some minor roles in high-profile movies like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Concussion," but her career has largely stalled. Hopefully, that will all change with her role in Ava DuVernay's "A Wrinkle in Time" next year.

Tina Fey's new NBC comedy, "Great News," premieres on Tuesday, and it arrives at a time when the president refers to respected media institutions as "fake news." But don't expect the show to address that — at least in its first season.

"We wrapped the show in October. The entire show was done before this surprise of 2017," Nicole Richie, who stars on "Great News," recently told Business Insider of the show's scheduling and Donald Trump's presidential win. "Going forward, I think dealing with that would be up to [show creator Tracy Wigfield]. But at the core, this is not a political show."

So if "Great News" isn't about current political news and isn't tackling President Donald Trump, what is the show about?

Executive produced by Fey and "30 Rock" producer Robert Carlock, "Great News" is set at a national cable news show. It stars Briga Heelan ("Undateable") as Katie, one of the show's producers, whose retired, overbearing mother Carol ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding's" Andrea Martin) lands an internship at the show. Nicole Richie plays the show's young cohost Portia opposite veteran newsman Chuck ("Best in Show" actor John Michael Higgins).

"The conversation that we're having in our show is really just about the generational gap of what is news, and how are we getting it to people," Richie said. "Do we have to make things aesthetically pleasing and bright and colorful and poppy? Or can we just give people the hard-hitting news and just the facts without some sort of opinion? And that's the biggest difference between my character and Michael's character, because he feels one way and I represent a younger audience who feels a totally different way."

In her actual life, Richie, 35, wouldn't consider herself to be the prime example of millennial tastes. But among the show's cast, she feels like she's the best bet.

"I have a few friends who are in their early 20s and I feel so old compared to them," she said. "They're talking about, like, 17 new apps that I've never heard of and social media this and social media that. I'm very late to the game when it comes to people my own age. But then I do the show and I'm around Michael and Andrea and they look at me like I'm young, hip, and cool. So I'm in this weird middle ground. I would say that I'm a healthy medium. I use social media, I'm probably the last millennial to get it, but I'm there."

And as for confronting today's political noise, Richie doesn't believe "Great News," or any TV show for that matter, could keep up.

"I think that the show can probably touch on today's news in a generic enough way," Richie told us. "I think probably for the future of TV, it's going to be impossible to keep up with the pace of the topical scandals that we're talking about."

Watch a trailer for "Great News" below:

SEE ALSO: 18 TV shows you're watching that are probably going to be canceled

DON'T MISS: Watch 'SNL' star Kate McKinnon's amazing 4-minute makeup transition between scenes

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NOW WATCH: 'You are fake news': Watch Trump attack a news reporter during his first press conference as president-elect

Caitlyn Jenner continued to defend her decision to vote for President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election despite his heavily criticized record on LGBTQ issues.

Jenner, the former Olympian and reality star, opened up about the decision to Seth Meyers on Tuesday night's "Late Night."

"I'm not a one-issue voter and obviously — I know, I’m not stupid — the Republican party does not do a good job when it comes to equality and the entire LGBT community. The Democrats are better there," Jenner said. "But for me, I've been around a long time, I'm probably more conservative. I believe in little things like the Constitution and freedom. I believe in minimal government... And so Republicans have done a better job in that direction."

When pressed by Meyers about whether she thinks Trump has done a "decent" job on other issues beyond LGBTQ rights, Jenner said, "In some ways, yes."

However, she hit Trump hard for his decision to roll back protections given to transgender students under President Barack Obama.

"I gotta keep an eye on these people," Jenner said. "Trump, who I talked to before [at] the inauguration, about a lot of LGBT issues when the whole North Carolina bathroom bill, all that mess. And I had talked to him about my feelings on that. All of sudden he gets into office and one of the first things he does, which he never should have done, is repeal the Title IX for equality for trans people in school. That was good federal guidelines for states to be able to follow, and I blasted him."

Jenner emphasized she will continue to fight for the transgender community while also sticking to her own political beliefs.

"My loyalty is not with Donald Trump," she told Meyers. "My loyalty is not with the Republican party. My loyalty is with my community, and I will fight for this community. So I did a blog on it, I did a video on it, and at some point I may talk to [Trump] about it."

She added that when she was recently asked if she would vote for Trump again, she said, "Wait a second, it's three and a half years away. There’s a lot that’s going to happen in that three and a half years and I'll make that decision at that point."

Meyers asked about reports that Trump asked Jenner to play golf after he became president. She said she refused the opportunity based on Trump's reversal of transgender protections, but added that she would talk to Trump "in private" about the issues that concern her.

As for the golf, she did get in a jab about Trump's athletic ability.

"I don't think he wants to get beat by a 67-year-old trans woman," Jenner said.

Watch the interview with Caitlyn Jenner on "Late Night" below:

SEE ALSO: All the 'Game of Thrones' deaths, ranked from least tragic to most tragic

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NOW WATCH: A famous Egyptian comedian explains what the Arab world thinks of Donald Trump

On Tuesday night's "The Daily Show," an impersonator of President Donald Trump, Anthony Atamanuik, interrupted Trevor Noah while he was discussing Trump's first 100 days in office and the proposed US-Mexico border wall.

"Don't try to be nice," Atamanuik's Trump told Noah. "I don't watch your show, but I've seen all the episodes, and you've said some very not nice things about me."

"Most of the time I just repeat your words, man," Noah said.

After some banter about how Trump would pay for the wall, Noah told Trump that he had to get back to what he was doing.

"I'm sure you're very busy as well," Noah said.

"No, I got nothing to do," Trump said. "I was gonna sleep under the desk."

Atamanuik's new show centering on his impression of Trump, "President Show," premieres Thursday night on Comedy Central.

Watch the segment:

SEE ALSO: Inside the insanely lavish Airbnb homes Drake and Lady Gaga stayed in for Coachella

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NOW WATCH: This is the worst part of Silicon Valley, according to the cast of ‘Silicon Valley’

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In a partnership that provides access to China, Netflix has signed a content licensing deal with video platform iQiyi, Tech in Asia reports.

The licensing agreement covers Netflix's original shows, allowing the US streaming service to distribute content in China for the first time, and by extension build its brand and audience in that territory.

China is a notoriously difficult market for Western companies to enter because of protectionist regulations, but it’s also one of the most lucrative internet markets. It has:  

• The world’s biggest internet population. In March 2017, internet users totaled 730 million, or a little over half of the country’s total population. Digital TV Research expects China to have 74 million SVOD subscribers by 2021, up from an estimated 40 million subscribers in 2016. And according to Media Partners Asia, China will account for 76% of the $35 billion in projected revenue that Asia Pacific’s online video sector will generate in 2021.
• A growing, free-spending middle class. Total household income in China is higher than in other emerging markets — including Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia — and discretionary spending in the country is on the rise, according to Credit Suisse and World Bank data cited by McKinsey. Internet penetration is also rising as rural China comes online and increases its purchasing power. In 2015, rural China accounted for 64% of online purchases, according to Credit Suisse.

The online video market in China is also mature and fiercely competitive. As you’d expected, it’s dominated by the country’s big three consumer internet companies. Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent (BAT) — which altogether account for nearly 70% of online video watch time. Baidu’s iQiyi commands 35% of the monthly time spent watching online video in China, compared to Alibaba’s Youku-Tudou at 22% and Tencent Video at 13%, according to iResearch data cited by Jefferies.

Some of Netflix’s content is already quite popular in mainland China too, so Baidu’s iQiyi also stands to benefit from this partnership. Netflix's original cartoon Bojack Horseman has amassed a cult following in China, and translated screenshots from the show are routinely relayed on the Chinese social network Weibo. The hit series House of Cards has also become popular in China, via a distribution deal with the internet company Sohu.  

Growth of subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) services in the US has slowed considerably over the last year as competition in the online video streaming space intensifies. Heavy hitters like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are increasingly squeezed by new competitors with exclusive content and niche video offerings.  

International markets, and specifically, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region will be paramount for both established SVOD players and new entrants looking to establish themselves in the successful video space.

The SVOD market in the APAC region is poised for explosive growth over the next five years due to increased mobile adoption, amplified broadband expansion, and enhanced purchasing power.

Dylan Mortensen, senior research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on subscription video on-demand that explores how slowing SVOD growth in the US will lead to a surge in the APAC region.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• While SVOD services are increasingly rooted among US households, growth is beginning slow. Growth in North American SVOD subscriptions is set to fall from 30% in 2014 to 4% by 2018.
• The best opportunity for continued growth lies in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The region had nearly 42 million SVOD subscribers in 2015, but could have up to 158 million by 2021.
• The increasing adoption of smartphones and mobile data is propelling growth in mobile video viewing across APAC, which is poised to outpace the rest of the world.
• Rising purchasing power in APAC underlines the opportunity for online video services. China and emerging Asian economies represent nearly two-thirds (63%) of global economic growth.
• Content creators and marketers stand to gain from SVOD’s push into the APAC region. Content creators can benefit from the surge in short-form video, while marketers can capitalize on advanced product placements.

In full, the report: 

• Forecasts SVOD subscribers in the APAC region.
• Explores the factors behind SVOD’s slowing growth in the US.
• Breaks down reasons why APAC is ripe for massive online video growth.
• Discusses who will benefit from SVOD growth in APAC.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

1. Subscribe to an All-Accesspass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. » START A MEMBERSHIP
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Stephen Colbert has gotten a lot of amusement out of President Donald Trump's White House, and that continued on Tuesday night's "Late Show" with a parody video tackling press secretary Sean Spicer.

The show turned Spicer, known for sometimes rowdy bouts with journalists, into a character in a CBS soap opera, splicing Spicer into some melodramatic daytime television. Basically, a lot of women tell Spicer that they're pregnant. He doesn't offer any sympathy.

The name of Colbert's fictional Spicer show? "The Bold and the Babbling."

It's worth noting that Spicer's real press conferences sometimes get higher ratings than actual soap operas. 

Watch Colbert's take on Sean Spicer below:

SEE ALSO: All the 'Game of Thrones' deaths, ranked from least tragic to most tragic

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NOW WATCH: Warner Bros. might have to pay $900 million if it can't prove ghosts are real

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones."

Television and movie adaptations of popular books are often heavily scrutinized for changes made to the original source material. So when showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss took on the task of adapting George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series — which totals nearly 5,000 pages — they had their work cut out for them.

Certain changes have resulted in major backlash from critics, but other additions to our favorite storylines have resulted in an added level of depth and entertainment. 

Scroll down for a look at the best scenes in the series that weren't in the books.

SEE ALSO: All the 'Game of Thrones' deaths, ranked from least tragic to most tragic

Arya serving as Tywin's cupbearer at Harrenhal.

In season two, Arya is captured and brought to Harrenhal. While this happened in the books, the lord she winds up serving is Roose Bolton, not Tywin Lannister. Book readers were pleasantly surprised to watch the budding relationship between Tywin and Arya instead. In episode seven, one scene in particular served to both humanize Tywin and reveal Arya's sharp intelligence and survival instincts.

Tywin cleverly instructs Arya to eat his hot meal — a gentle gesture that can be interpreted as him actually having her test his food for poison. Arya, who is posing as a lowborn, asks Tywin questions about war and in turn he tells her stories about old rulers. Tywin seems to know Arya isn't who she says, but is strangely affectionate toward her instead of suspicious. Instead of punishing her for lying, Tywin appears to be both impressed and amused by the young girl. 

Catelyn Stark telling Talisa a story about Jon getting sick when he was a boy.

In season three, after Catelyn learns that Winterfell was attacked and her sons Bran and Rickon are missing, she tells Robb's wife Talisa a story that was never included in the books. Catelyn explains how much she hated Jon as a baby, and how she prayed to the gods for him to die. Then, Jon fell ill and actually almost died. Catelyn — filled with remorse — made an internal promise to the gods. She swore she would love Jon and ask Ned to make him a true Stark if he lived. 

But when he got better, she went right back to hating him, and broke her promises. And now, years later, Catelyn blames herself for all the misfortune fallen upon her family. "I couldn't keep my promise," she says. "Everything that's happened since then, all this horror that's come to my family, it's all because I couldn't love a motherless child." This scene was both moving and character building, as Catelyn's complex relationship with her family is brought to the forefront.

That time Podrick is a revealed to be a sex god.

Not every added scene is completely depressing or serious, though. The showrunners opted to include a small but highly amusing side story about Podrick in season three. Tyrion takes Podrick to a brothel and gives him a bag of gold to spend as a way of thanking him for saving his life. But when Podrick returns, he gives the gold back to Tyrion, explaining that the prostitutes refused the money. 

Bronn and Tyrion eventually come to understand that Podrick was apparently so skilled in bed that the women refused to accept payment. Podrick, a meek and sometimes clumsy boy, being a secretly talented sex god proved to be a hilarious and endearing addition to the series. 

INSIDER just launched an exciting new project — a podcast!

"Showrunners" is a podcast that takes TV fans behind the scenes of today's biggest shows by interviewing the great storytellers of our time — the creative forces who are in charge of every tiny detail when it comes to your favorite TV show.

Subscribe to "Showrunners" on iTunes here, and listen to our first two episodes below. In our premiere season, INSIDER's editor-in-chief Nicholas Carlson and culture reporter Kim Renfro speak to an exciting lineup of guests including:

• Damon Lindelof — the showrunner of "The Leftovers" and cocreator of "Lost."
• Alec Berg — the showrunner of "Silicon Valley" previously known for his work on "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
• Bruce Miller — the showrunner of Hulu's new series "The Handmaid's Tale."
• Bryan Fuller and Michael Green — the two showrunners of "American Gods."
• Prentice Penny — the showrunner of HBO's "Insecure."
• And more to come!

Subscribe to "Showrunners" and be the first to hear new episodes each Monday beginning April 17. Our first two episodes, featuring Damon Lindelof and Alec Berg, are below.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: People are outraged by a Pepsi ad starring Kendall Jenner — here's how the company responded

Anthony Atamanuik wants his new late-night Comedy Central show in which he imitates President Donald Trump, "The President Show," to speak to both sides of the political aisle.

"The show is not about catering to the right. But it’s not about catering to the left either," Atamanuik told reporters at a New York City press event for the series on Wednesday. "It’s about saying, ‘Here is what this is. Here is what the players are. And here is how we see how all these things contribute to a lack of functional discourse that allows us to move forward.’ That would be the underpinning of our comedy show."

"The President Show" premieres on Thursday at 11:30 p.m. It imagines a scenario in which Trump bypasses the media, with whom he has had a contentious relationship, and does his own late-night talk show from the White House Oval Office. Like other late-night shows, it will include desk segments, field pieces, and guest interviews. Plus Vice President Mike Pence (played by Peter Grosz, who's also an executive producer) will be his sidekick.

Viewers may have first heard of Atamanuik from his recent public feud with "Saturday Night Live" Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin while both were lobbying to play the president at the upcoming White House Correspondents' Dinner.

In fact, though Baldwin has done by far the most visible Trump impression since the election, Atamanuik has honed his Trump impression for a long while, having taken it on a 41-city tour for the comedy show "Trump vs. Bernie."

'Like if you took Frank Sinatra and then threw him in a bog for 4,000 years'

Atamanuik says the most important part of his impression and the thing that separates his from the many others out there is that he believes he has figured out Trump's soul.

"He’s like if you took Frank Sinatra and then threw him in a bog for 4,000 years, then dredge that body out," he said, likening the president to a reanimated version of the singer. "And that would be Trump, with all the rotted charm. He fancies himself as a Rat Packer, but he’s really this insecure, almost dowager living in a mansion. He has this weird feminine quality to him that he tries to overcome with this sort of swagger-y masculinity."

For all his criticism of the president, Atamanuik would love for Trump to watch his new show and to come away having learned something.

"I would want him to watch and say, 'Oh my God, that’s how I come off? Oh my God, that’s who I am?'" the comedian said. "I would want, hopefully in this show, for him to say, 'Wow, Steve Bannon really is manipulating me. Really, my advisers are not helping me out.' I imagine Trump’s idea of the president comes from 'Dave' or 'The American President.' You know that’s what his view of being president is. It’s whatever movie he saw, right? So all you need to do is tell him, ‘Your movie is not working.’"

SEE ALSO: Trump impersonator Anthony Atamanuik just got his own late-night show on Comedy Central

DON'T MISS: 'Daily Show' veteran Jordan Klepper will replace Larry Wilmore's show on Comedy Central

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NOW WATCH: Chef José André reveals why he bailed on Trump's International Hotel in DC, and what it's like to sue the president

"The Simpsons" has never taken it lightly on Donald Trump, even before he was president. But now that Trump is in office, the show has gone even harder on him.

To mark Trump's first 100 days in office — his 100th day is Saturday — the show posted this clip on YouTube skewering the president.

The clip takes a glimpse inside the White House, where Sean Spicer has hanged himself with an "I Quit" sign on his suit jacket. Kellyanne Conway runs off, refusing to replace him as press secretary.

Not far away, Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner are choking each other, and all the while Trump is in his bedroom, in his pajamas, gushing about how great the first 100 days of his term have been.

The level of comedic detail is impressive. Notice the framed photo of Trump getting pumped behind the steering wheel of a truck — an actual photo of the president that went viral — along with books with titles like "The Little Book of Big Bombs" and "Florida on $10 Million Dollars a Day."

An aide appears and encourages Trump to read a bill that lowers taxes "for only Republicans" before signing it.

"Can't Fox News read it and I'll watch what they say?" Trump says.

When he's told no, the poodle that is his hairpiece wipes a tear from his eye with its tail.

The clip, which is only a little over a minute long, cuts to the Simpsons family at home watching these current events on TV. Marge is all out of Prozac, and Grampa is being hauled off to wherever he is from (he can't remember).

Watch the clip:

SEE ALSO: 35 movies coming out this summer that you need to see

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NOW WATCH: Watch the first trailer for ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

In the states of Mississippi and Alabama, Wednesday was a state holiday known as Confederate Memorial Day. And Trevor Noah had a lot to say about the occasion on Wednesday night's episode of "The Daily Show."

"Can I just say, that is f---ed up on so many levels," Noah said. 

While it's been 152 years since the end of the US Civil War, some Southern states on this day still honor those who died fighting to break away from the Union over, principally, slavery.

Noah imagined how the holiday could get very uncomfortable. 

"What are black people supposed to do on this holiday?" the host asked. "If you're a black person in one of these states, what are you supposed to do? You're just sitting around like, 'Man, this is some bulls---. So I either don't get the day off, or I support slavery? Man, I'll take the day off, but I'm watching BET the whole time.'"

Trevor pointed out that some people who celebrate Confederate Memorial Day acknowledge that it is racist, but "they just don't give a f---." 

You can watch the entire segment below:

SEE ALSO: 35 movies coming out this summer that you need to see

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NOW WATCH: A 'Top Chef' alum explains why you should use canned tomatoes in your sauce

Caitlyn Jenner is revealing secrets of the Kardashian family, as well as some of her own, while promoting her appropriately titled new book, "The Secrets of My Life."

In a new interview with Andy Cohen on Sirius XM, the former Olympian and reality star said that she knew that O.J. Simpson was guilty of murdering his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

“I knew he did it,” Jenner said. “There was three people at the crime scene. DNA evidence, three people at the crime scene. Pick a murderer. How hard is that?”

Jenner also explained that the 1995 trial was hard on the Kardashian family. She would know. Jenner married Kris in 1991, the same year Kris divorced Robert Kardashian. Although Robert was O.J. Simpson's friend and attorney, Kris was also good friends with Nicole and believed O.J. had murdered her. Jenner said that the trial was toughest on Kourtney and Kim Kardashian, the oldest of Kris and Robert's four children.

"At that time, where the hard part was during the trial is mostly Kourtney and Kimberly because they were a little bit older and their dad, who they love and adore, which they should, is on one side and we're on the other," Jenner said. "And so it was more tough on them than it was on us. We pretty much knew. We were just obviously very disappointed with the verdict."

Jenner also said that she feels Robert believed O.J. was guilty, as well, though he didn't say that specifically.

"Robert just said to me that 'I would have been okay if they got him in the first trial.' That's the only thing he ever said and that's about the closest he'll ever come, never saying he actually did it," Jenner said.

According to Jenner, that discussion took place during the 1998 civil trial, which found O.J. guilty of manslaughter.

SEE ALSO: Caitlyn Jenner challenges Trump on transgender bathroom rights 'disaster': 'Call me'

DON'T MISS: Here's why Caitlyn Jenner's first 4 children refused to appear on her E! reality show

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NOW WATCH: People miss the real reason O.J. Simpson got acquitted, says his lawyer Alan Dershowitz

The INSIDER Summary:

• "The Handmaid's Tale" is a new Hulu series starring Elizabeth Moss. 
• The show is an adaptation of Margret Atwood's novel of the same name.
• Atwood is involved in the show's production and made a cameo appearance in the pilot.
• She's the Aunt who hits Offred (Elizabeth Moss) on the side of the head.

Margaret Atwood's 1985 dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale" has been adapted by Hulu for a new series. Atwood recently wrote a column for the New York Times, reflecting on what "The Handmaid's Tale" has come to mean in the months since President Donald Trump was elected. 

In the column, Atwood explains that she makes a small appearance in the first episode of Hulu's adaptation.

"In this series I have a small cameo," Atwood wrote. "The scene is the one in which the newly conscripted Handmaids are being brainwashed in a sort of Red Guard re-education facility known as the Red Center [...] The Handmaids sit in a circle, with the Taser-equipped Aunts forcing them to join in what is now called (but was not, in 1984) the "slut-shaming" of one of their number, Jeanine, who is being made to recount how she was gang-raped as a teenager."

Atwood plays the role of one of the Aunts, and when Offred hesitates to participate in the slut-shaming, Atwood steps forward and hits the side of her head.

Offred, played by Elizabeth Moss, flinches in pain and then slowly raises her hand to point at Janine, choosing to participate in the ritual mental abuse rather than become a victim herself.

Here's the moment in GIF form:

In the New York Times article, Atwood said the scene was difficult to film.

"Although it was 'only a television show' and these were actresses who would be giggling at coffee break, and I myself was 'just pretending,' I found this scene horribly upsetting," Atwood said. "It was way too much like way too much history."

The power system in Atwood's novel relies upon women aiding in the control and abuse of other women — an idea taken from history and modern social behavior, not fantasy.

"Yes, women will gang up on other women," Atwood wrote. "Yes, they will accuse others to keep themselves off the hook: We see that very publicly in the age of social media, which enables group swarmings. Yes, they will gladly take positions of power over other women, even — and, possibly, especially — in systems in which women as a whole have scant power: All power is relative, and in tough times any amount is seen as better than none." 

The first three episodes of "The Handmaid's Tale" are now streaming on Hulu, and new episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays beginning May 3. 

SEE ALSO: Oscar winner Brie Larson talks about the roles she instantly rejects

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first three episodes of "The Handmaid's Tale."

Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel "The Handmaid's Tale" has been adapted into an original TV series for Hulu. Starring Elizabeth Moss and Alexis Bledel, the show takes audiences into a harrowing world that feels almost too close to home. Showrunner and executive producer Bruce Miller took the lead on adapting Atwood's novel, and has made some significant changes along the way.  

We'll be updating this article with more changes as new episodes air, but for now, here are the biggest differences from the book as of episode three.

We never learn Offred's real name in the book, but the show identifies her as June at the end of episode one.

Atwood recently wrote a column for the New York Times where she addressed how fans have guessed that Offred's name is really June. "That was not my original thought but it fits, so readers are welcome to it if they wish," Atwood said.

INSIDER spoke with Bruce Miller, the showrunner of "The Handmaid's Tale" about the choice to include Offred's name as June in the first episode. 

"A long time ago, I had read some theories about what her name was," Miller said. "I just thought the character's name was June [...] so I just used it not knowing whether Margaret intended it or not."

Miller went on to explain why he thought Offred needed another name.

"It's an important thing that she has a name because part of the show is that she's not going to let that go," Miller said. "She is strong and stubborn — even though she has to be content looking and silent and meek — and keeping ahold of her identity was such an important part [and she] needed the name to do it."

In the book, all of the characters are white and people of color have been "resettled" to other areas of the country.

Hulu's version of "The Handmaid's Tale" has a more diverse cast of characters, including June's best friend Moira and her husband Luke. This was another choice Miller made when he sat down to adapt the book. During an interview for INSIDER's new podcast, "Showrunners," Miller explained his thinking. 

"It was because it did feel a little bit dated," Miller told INSIDER. "The other thing is honestly, in this day in age, what's the difference between making a TV show about racism and making a racist TV show? I really didn't know. It's a distinction without a difference. They look the same on television. It's white people's problems."

Serena Joy's character is much older in the book.

In Atwood's novel, Serena Joy's age is never explicitly stated but she's described has having arthritis and uses a cane throughout the book, and Offred internally wonders if she dyes her hair blond to cover up the grey. 

But the show's version of Serena is played by 34-year-old Australian actress Yvonne Strahovski. Once again, Miller explained the reasoning to INSIDER.

"I felt that it was a more active dynamic if Serena Joy felt like this person was usurping her role not only as the reproductive object of the house but gradually taking away the wifely duties, the intimate duties, the romantic, sexual duties,"  Miller said. "That was kind of my thinking from the start, but then something I didn't expect to happen is that Yvonne [Strahhovski] and Elizabeth [Moss] are close. You get that little vibe once in a while that in another situation they could be friends. It is the creepiest thing."

To hear more from Miller about "The Handmaid's Tale,"subscribe to "Showrunners" on iTunes and listen to our new episode premiering Monday May 1.

The 911 call from the fatal accident involving former“Bachelor” Chris Soules and a tractor driver reveals what happened in the moments after the collision early Tuesday morning.

“I rear-ended a guy on a tractor,” a winded and emotional man who identifies himself as Soules admits to the dispatcher. When asked who is injured, Soules replies, “the man on the tractor.” He then confirms both the tractor and the driver are in the roadside ditch.

“He’s not conscious,” Soules describes the victim, adding “he doesn’t appear” to be breathing.

When asked if he knows how to do CPR, Soules replies, “No I don’t.” He is then heard asking unidentified bystanders if they know CPR. “Anybody know how to do CPR,” the reality TV star is heard asking repeatedly.

Soules then says he can feel the victim’s pulse and that he’s bleeding from the mouth before abruptly asking, “Can I call you back?” The five-minute call ends at that point.

As previously reported, Soules was arrested early Tuesday morning, charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

The tractor driver, identified as Kenneth Mosher, was transported to a local hospital and died from his injuries.

Soules appeared at the Buchanan County Courthouse for his arraignment on Tuesday morning. He was released from Buchanan County Jail after posting a $10,000 bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 2.

TMZ originally posted audio from the 911 call.

SEE ALSO: 'The Bachelor' star Chris Soules was arrested after a fatal car crash

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for "The Handmaid's Tale" through episode three, including details from the book not yet featured in the show.

Hulu's new drama series "The Handmaid's Tale" premiered on April 26. The show was adapted for TV by showrunner Bruce Miller, who was a longtime fan of the Margaret Atwood novel upon which it's based. 

Among the many changes made to the original book, one of the most noticeable is how two characters — Serena Joy and Commander Waterford — are played by much younger actors than expected. 35-year-old Australian actress Yvonne Strahovski plays Serena, while 46-year-old Joseph Fiennes was cast as the Commander. 

In the book, both Serena and the Commander are presumed to be middle-aged or older, with arthritis and graying hair. In an interview with INSIDER for our new "Showrunners" podcast, Bruce Miller explained the reason for the younger characters, in particular Serena Joy.

"That was another big decision and certainly something I talked extensively with Margaret [Atwood] about," Miller said. "Serena Joy in our story is younger. Long before we started casting, I was thinking about that. When I saw the original movie, it was Faye Dunaway, who was quite old at that point. In the book, they don't name the age of Serena Joy, but she's seemingly elderly. She has a cane, she's got arthritis, she's got gray hair. I felt like in the novel there's only so much of the dynamic between Serena Joy and Offred that you're going to see, but in a TV show it's going to go on and on and on hopefully for years."

For Miller, it was a more interesting dynamic between a wife and her Handmaid — a women who has been forced into procreational servitude under the assumption that the wife is infertile. 

"The element that was missing for me was the direct competition between the two women," Miller said. "Because with an older Serena Joy, she wants something so badly that she felt like she should have had in the past, but she's past that point now. She's older, and she's using this young woman to try to get that. I felt that it was a more active dynamic if Serena Joy felt like this person was usurping her role not only as the reproductive object of the house but gradually taking away the wifely duties, the intimate duties, the romantic, sexual duties."

"Then something I didn't expect to happen is that Yvonne [Strahovski] and Elizabeth [Moss] are close," Miller said.

Strahovski and Moss are just one year apart in age, which creates a whole new potential for relationships between them. "You get that little vibe once in a while that in another situation they could be friends," Miller said. "It is the creepiest thing."

And the new layers of their relationship and potential for new scenes in the show doesn't stop there.

Warning: Spoilers from the books below.  

Having a younger Serena Joy means Miller has more narrative avenues in the future if a second (or third or beyond) season is greenlit by Hulu. 

"At some point you find out Serena Joy is not sterile," Miller said. "If it's the Commander [who is sterile] and Serena could be fertile, that opens up a whole lot of doors for us story-wise. When you work in TV, you're always trying to think of just filling up your bag with tennis balls because you don't know when you're going to have to play tennis with them. You always want all sorts of interesting stuff to be happening."

As Miller said, aging down Serena Joy was already the plan before they started auditioning for the show. Then Strahovski came in, and cemented the idea in Miller's mind.

"She was so astonishing in her audition," Miller said. "She made me feel sorry for Serena Joy, which is seemingly an impossible task. I felt bad for her. She was so wonderful and terrifying. And she's quite tall, so that works really well with Lizzie who is more small. Serena Joy wears heels and Lizzie doesn't. To have this towering viking standing over her ... she's physically intimidating."

Serena Joy has a particularly physically aggressive scene with Offred at the end of episode three. After believing Offred was pregnant and treating her with over-the-top kindness, Serena Joy loses her temper when she hears that Offred's period started. Serena throws Offred to the ground before diving to the ground right next to her face, making sure her fury is understood.

Miller said that scene was improvised by Strahovski.

"She said, 'I think I'm going to try something on the first take,'" Miller said. "Yvonne [Strahovski] just got right down in her face and it's terrifying. It's such a great moment. Imagine if you were the cameraman not knowing that was going to happen, which he didn't. Then he's like kneeling down on the ground shooting and all of a sudden Yvonne [Strahovski] comes barreling in. It was amazing."

The improvisation paid off. 

"The [footage] we used was the first take that we had," Miller said. "God bless our cameraman. If you see the shot, it does not shake when she comes in. She dives at you like a linebacker, and he doesn't go, 'Ah!' — which is what I would do."

That scene is one example of why having a younger Serena can pay off. The Serena Joy from the books, in pain with arthritis and using a cane, wouldn't have been able to dive to the floor and scream in Offred's face.

"I think that's the vibrancy that you get from having a younger [Serena]," Miller said. "Just the physical intimidation. Yvonne is a whip-strong woman. Lizzie [Elizabeth Moss] is also quite strong. The two of them together, you feel like, 'I'd love to see them go toe-to-toe in a cage match.'"

You can read about more changes Miller made to the original story here, and make sure to subscribe to "Showrunners" to hear the full interview with Miller when it premiere on May 1.

Join the conversation about this story »

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It's about that time when television networks decide which shows have to go and which get another round. The pilot shows are being reviewed, and announcements will trickle in over the next few weeks.

And while the people behind the shows are awaiting the networks' decisions, viewers are also feeling the tension. Will your favorite show head to the TV graveyard or get another year of life?

Exhale. That question has been answered for many of your favorite shows. Business Insider has compiled an exhaustive list of the shows that have already been renewed for another season and will air during the 2017-2018 TV seasons.

The following list includes all the scripted shows that the broadcast networks have ordered for another year and a selection of the most popular scripted offerings on the cable and streaming networks.

Here are your favorite shows getting another season:

SEE ALSO: 10 TV shows people think are about to be canceled

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"The 100" season five (The CW)

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" season two (Netflix)

"American Horror Story" season seven (AMC)

HBO's "Game of Thrones" naturally has to make some changes from the books when adapting them to a television show. That's the nature of the medium.

Business Insider has previously compiled the biggest plot changes from the books to the show, including how Tyrion Lannister looks quite different on the small screen.

However, as July and the hotly anticipated season seven approach, we've also rounded up 30 differences (in no particular order) that you might not have noticed unless you've really read the books carefully.

Warning: There are book and show spoilers in this post so read at your own risk.

Here are the differences between the "Game of Thrones" books and show you may not have noticed:

SEE ALSO: HBO just unveiled a peek at 15 new character looks for 'Game of Thrones' season 7

Everyone's favorite sellsword Daario Naharis looks way different in the books as opposed to the show.

In the the books Daario Naharis is much more flamboyant, taking after his Tyroshi roots. The Tyroshi are known for dyeing their hair bright colors and wearing bright clothes. Daario is described in the novel "A Storm of Swords" as having a blue trident beard and bright blue, long hair, with a gold mustache and one gold tooth. While both Ed Skrein and Michiel Huisman have done an outstanding job of playing the character in seasons three and four through six, respectively, they aren't exactly what George R.R. Martin had in mind.

Missandei isn't having an almost-romance with Grey Worm any time soon in the books, because she's only 10!

Daenarys refers to Missandei often in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series as her "little scribe," because the girl is so small. When she's introduced in the show during season three, she appears to be much older. Her age is unconfirmed in the show, but you can take your own guesses based on her picture here. Also the slavers of Astapor offer her with no prompting in the book "A Storm of Swords." In the show during season three, Daenerys demands they give her Missandei (as a gift).

Mance Rayder is still alive in the books, kind of, despite being burned alive on the show. Well, he's mostly alive. He was still burned at the stake.

In the book "A Dance with Dragons" and in season five of the show, Mance Rayder is burned alive at the stake. But, in the book, Melisandre does some red-priestess magic to switch Mance Rayder and the Lord of Bones' (aka Rattleshirt's) body. You remember the Lord of Bones, right? He wore... bones... lots of them. Anyways, Stannis wanted to burn Mance Rayder, but Melisandre thought Mance Rayder would still be useful later on, so she wanted to keep his soul alive. She clearly didn't share the same thoughts about the Lord of Bones. It's really quite complicated and you should read "A Dance with Dragons" to get a full description of it but for right now: Mance = alive, Rattleshirt = dead.

The calendar is changing to May and that means a new crop of movies and TV shows to stream. 

This month's highlights include purchase (and soon to rent) titles like Jordan Peele's hit "Get Out,""John Wick: Chapter 2," and season 3 of Hulu's "Casual."

Here's everything coming to your favorite streaming platforms. We've highlighted some standouts in bold:

SEE ALSO: 35 movies coming out this summer that you need to see

iTunes

Available May 2

“xXx: Return of Xander Cage”
“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”
“I Am Not Your Negro”
“The Comedian”

Available May 9

“Get Out”
“The Great Wall”

Available May 16

“The Shack”
“Fist Fight”
“Before I Fall”

Available May 23

“John Wick: Chapter 2”
“The Lego Batman Movie”

Amazon Prime

Available May 1

“A Christmas Story” 
“A View to a Kill”   
“Amhi Jaato Amucha Gava”  
“Anolkhi”    
“Arrowhead”        
“Asha Jaoar Majhe” (Labor Of Love) 
“Bad Influence”  
“Bait Shop”      
“Bala Gau Kashi Angaai”  
“Cabin Fever” 
“Cabin Fever 2” 
“Catacombs” 
“Cecil B. Demented”            
“Chuck & Buck”  
“Daagdi Chaawl”
“Dark Blue”   
“Devta”    
“Dr. No”  
“Fatal Instinct”   
“For Your Eyes Only”  
“From Russia with Love”
“Goldeneye”
“Gone with the Wind”
“Jyotibacha Nawas”     
“Khichdi”    
“Law of The Lawless”
“License to Kill”
“Life is Beautiful” 
“Maximum Security”
“Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear”
“Moonraker”
“Mumbai Pune Mumbai 2”
“Naked Gun 2 &1/2: The Smell of Fear”
“Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult”
“Naked Gun from the Files of Police Squad”
“Nick of Time”
“No Way Out”
“On Her Majesty's Secret Service”
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles”
“Pride”
“Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown”
“Repo! The Genetic Opera”
“School Ties”
“Siddharth”
“Small Soldiers”
“Star Kid”
“Sucker Punch”
“Teenkahon”
“The Bad News Bears" 
“The Doors”
“Thunderball”
“Tomorrow Never Dies”
“Winter's Bone”
“The Wizard of Oz” 
“WellieWishers” (Season 1) 

Available May 2

“Vikings (Season 4b)  

Available May 3

“Denial”

Available May 4

“Youth in Oregon”
“A Fistful of Dollars”

Available May 5

“Manchester By The Sea” (Amazon Original)

Available May 6

“The Ardennes”

Available May 7

“Jackie Brown”

Available May 12

“I Love Dick” (Amazon Original, Season 1)   
“A Hologram for the King”

Available May 19

“Me Before You”

Available May 20

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”
“12 Monkeys” (Season 3)

Available May 21
                                       
“Boardwalk Empire” (Season 5)
“Moonlight”
Paradise Lost 2: Revelations”

Available May 24

“Seasons”
“Tomake Chai”

Available May 26

“Dino Dana” (Amazon Original, Season 1)

Available May 27

“Poldark” (Season 2)   
                                                                    
Available May 28

“The Duel”

Available May 31

“Animal Kingdom” (Season 2)

Hulu

Available May 1
 
“48 Hrs.”
“Another 48 Hrs.”
“Arrowhead”
“A View to a Kill”
“The Bad News Bears”
“Bad Influence”
“Bait Shop”
“Barbershop”
“Barbershop 2: Back in Business”
“Beauty Shop”
“Big Fish” 
“Cabin Fever”
“Cabin Fever 2”
“Catacombs”
“Cecil B. Demented”
“Chuck & Buck”
“Clue”
“Coming to America”
“Dark Blue”
“The Doors”
“Dr. No”
“Fatal Instinct”
“For Your Eyes Only”
“Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home”
“Free Willy 3: The Rescue”
“From Russia with Love”
“Gladiator”
“Goldeneye”
“Law of the Lawless”
“License to Kill”
“Life is Beautiful”
“Line of Duty” (Season 4)
“Maximum Security”
“Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear”
“Moonraker”
“Naked Gun 2 & ½: The Smell of Fear”
“Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult”
“Naked Gun from the Flies of Police Squad”
“Nick of Time”
“No Way Out”
“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles”
“Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown”
“Repo! The Genetic Opera”
“School Ties”
“Small Soldiers”
“Star Kid”
“Sucker Punch”
“Thunderball”
“Tomorrow Never Dies”
“Winter’s Bone”
 
Available May 2
 
“Vikings” (Season 4b)
“Jackson” 
“Bodyguards: Secret Lives of the Watchtower Men”
 
Available May 3
 
“Outsiders” (Season 2)
 
Available May 4
 
“A Fistful of Dollars”
 
Available May 5
 
“Flubber”
“The Recruit”
“What About Bob?”
 
Available May 6
 
“Batman & Bill” (Hulu Original)
“Hardcore Henry”
“The Red Pill”
 
Available May 7
 
“Billions” (Season 2 Finale)
 
Available May 9

“All We Had”
 
Available May 12
 
“A Hologram for the King”
“Extraterrestrial”
 
Available May 13
 
“Bad Moms”
“Me Before You”
 
Available May 14
 
“Blue Caprice”
 
Available May 15
 
“The Next Step” (Seasons 3 & 4)
“He Got Game”
 
Available May 18
 
“Downward Dog” (Series Premiere)
“Underground” (Season 2)
 
Available May 19
 
“The Last Ship” (Season 3)
“Before I Disappear”
 
Available May 20
 
“Becoming Bond” (Hulu Original)
“Bakery in Brooklyn”
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”
 
Available May 21
 
“Twin Peaks” (Season 3 Premiere)
“Firestorm”
 
Available May 23
 
“Casual” (Hulu Original, Season 3 Premiere)
 
Available May 28
 
“American Muscle”
“A Perfect Man”
“The Duel”
 
Available May 30
 
“Sex & Drugs & Rock&Roll” (Season 2)
 

Donald Trump has set a record for signing the most executive orders in the first 100 days of a presidential term since World War II. And Stephen Colbert wonders if Trump knows what he's signing.

Thursday's "Late Show" audience responded with moans when Colbert mentioned Trump's recent signing of an executive order to review the country's national monuments for potential development, which could open them up to drilling, logging, and mining.

“Guys, he’s just trying to do the right thing,” the late-night host said, shouting over the boos, "because it’s important that we finally find out how much oil is in Lincoln’s eyeball.”

The show then played a clip from the press conference for the order in which Trump said, "Sometimes, I look at some of the things I'm signing." Colbert then took the statement at face value.

“Sometimes he looks at the things he’s signing?” the host said. “Sometimes? Just randomly? Not all the time? Has anyone tried putting a resignation letter in front of him? It’s worth a shot.”

In a spoof of the order, "The Late Show" also produced a sketch in which the presidents honored on Mount Rushmore react to Trump's order to review national monuments.

Watch the videos below:

SEE ALSO: A Trump impersonator with a new show thinks he unlocked the secret to the president

DON'T MISS: Stephen Colbert thanks Trump for his first 100 days: He's 'done a lot for me'

Join the conversation about this story »

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