Elisabeth Moss was already the star and an executive producer on "The Handmaid's Tale." But this season, she also became a director, helming three episodes.

Although those episodes marked her official directorial debut, she first stepped behind the camera several years ago while making Alex Ross Perry's 2015 indie film "Queen of Earth," which she also produced. Moss and Perry, a frequent collaborator, traded off directing duties for part of one scene, which was enough to pique the actor's interest in expanding her career.

"I mean, we were just joking around," Moss said. "But it was actually the first time that I was like: 'Ooh, I like this. This is fun.' "

While shooting "Top of the Lake: China Girl" (2017), she looked to writer and director Jane Campion as a mentor. One of Campion's secrets was keeping calm.

"She's always taught me that it's a very important part of directing. If a director seems anxious, stressed, or like they don't know what they're doing, everyone on set feels it."

Moss also sought advice from Wes Anderson (with whom she worked on "The French Dispatch"), Taika Waititi (who directed her in the forthcoming "Next Goal Wins") and Martin Scorsese (who moderated a panel for her film "Shirley").

"Of course if I've got Martin Scorsese on the line, I'm going to ask him for directing advice!" Moss said with a laugh.

Show's veterans helped

She also solicited advice from frequent "Handmaid's Tale" directors Daina Reid and Mike Barker, who had done so much to establish the show's mood and aesthetic. And she started thinking about how she might approach her character, June, as a director, not only as the actor playing her.

"It felt like, OK, if I'm going to do this, it should be on something that I know very, very well," she said. "I'm hyper-involved in every element of that show as an executive producer and as an actor, so it felt like something that was organic and would have the best chance for success.

"We thought about having me direct in Season 3, but it just ended up being too difficult. I actually was the one who pulled the plug on it, because I put on my EP hat and was like, 'This isn't working for the show.' I have very few days on 'The Handmaid's Tale' where I'm not on set as an actor, and for my first episode as a director, we really wanted to make sure we had enough prep time."

Directing turned out to be something of a natural talent.

"I think I never realized this until I had directed a few episodes: I think like a director. I think about the edit. I think about the cut. I think about where we're going to use which shots. I have always been aware of the more global picture of a scene or a project, as opposed to just coming in and only focusing on my lane.

"I've found it helpful to understand why we're doing what we're doing, why the camera is where it is, what the scene is in the story. When you are actually the director, you are able to voice the things that you are thinking about. I really enjoy that."