It’s hard to imagine now, but when the pilot episode of Mad Men aired in 2007, nobody knew
who John Hamm was. Christina Hendricks? Never heard of her.
And which one is Elisabeth Moss, again? The series changed their lives forever.
Some no longer had to moonlight as porn industry workers. Others think dating is overrated.
Some met the love of their life on the set of Mad Men. Some got married and divorced
while working on the show. Some have denounced the extravagant actor lifestyle… and filmed
some truly weird commercials. Are you ready to catch up with your favourite
actors from your favourite TV show? The cast of Mad Men - what are they up to these days?
We will gladly help you with this … right after you subscribe to RumourJuice YouTube
channel!
Jon Hamm “Jon Hamm goes incognito while wearing a
baseball cap and a scarf around his face in California.” You know you’re famous when
your shopping trip ends up being news. But in 2007, Jon Hamm was a struggling actor who
had to compete with over 80 candidates to get the role of Don Draper.
Jon Hamm recalls how other actors easily got their roles at the first attempt. Meanwhile,
there was a little more resistance when it came to him. The show’s creators eventually
flew him to New York and took him for a drink. That’s when they realized he had star potential,
so they let him know he got the job. Hamm hasn’t looked back ever since, booking
one awesome project after the other. Despite his busy career, the actor hasn’t forgotten
his old Mad Men co-stars. He revealed recently that they still keep in touch!
As for romantic relationships, Hamm is currently… single. He was in a long-term relationship
from 1997 to 2015, but sometimes, things just don’t work out.
Nowadays, he is busy helping those affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 by… participating
in celebrity poker tournaments. Together with other Hollywood big names like Ben Affleck,
Matt Damon, Adam Sandler, Bryan Cranston, Tobey Maguire, he raised $1.75 million for
Feeding America, a nonprofit organisation that distributes food to those in need.
Hamm knows a lot about struggle. His parents died when he was still young. At 24, he moved
to LA with just a car and $150 in his pocket to start a new life. Before becoming Don Draper,
Hamm was looking for ways to make money. So when an opportunity arose to work as a set
dresser for adult-oriented movies, he agreed. It was a job and it paid the bills.
We can say with confidence: You made it, Jon!
Elisabeth Moss The actress who perfectly embodied Peggy Olson
almost became a professional dancer and studied ballet! Luckily, she did catch that acting
bug. And she was the first person to audition for
the role of Peggy. A couple of years down the road, the Mad Men creator showed the actors
their own audition tapes - Moss found her hilarious.
“I don't look anything like Peggy [in the tape]. I'm 23, blond, tan. I look like I just
walked off of the beach.” Moss is now most famous for two things: her
roles in Mad Men and other hit shows like The Handmaid's Tale; and for being involved
with the notorious Church of Scientology. She was actually raised in a family of Scientologists.
When she gets asked whether her pro-feminist, pro-LGBT and political views clash with her
religion, Moss is quick to defend her beliefs. "I am obviously a huge feminist and huge supporter
of the LGBTQ community and believe so strongly in people being able to do what they want
to do, to love who they want to love, to be the person that they want to be."
A seemingly private person, Moss found herself in the spotlight in 2009 when she married
Comedy King, Saturday Night Live actor Fred Armisen. Even more attention was paid to her
when she divorced Armisen in less than a year. Moss says she learned so much during the time
she was married in terms of who she was and what she really needed. However, the separation
didn’t appear to be amicable. Moss had some choice words to say about her ex-husband.
"One of the greatest things I heard someone say about him is, 'He's so great at doing
impersonations. But the greatest impersonation he does is that of a normal person.' To me,
that sums it up," the actress told Page Six. In 2014, she described her relationship with
Armisen as (quote) “extremely traumatic and awful and horrible.”
Moss has obviously moved on, but vowed to keep her love life private.
Vincent Kartheiser “I only auditioned for Pete [Campbell].
My agents aren’t delusional enough to think that I’m a Don Draper,” actor Vincent
Kartheiser says humorously. We agree to disagree: both Don Draper and
Pete Campbell are stunning gentlemen, each in their own way. If that weren’t true,
KFC wouldn’t have chosen Kartheiser to portray the legendary Colonel Sanders... And describe
him as (quote) “a young actor with lots of hair and flair. Vincent’s vintage good
looks and piercing blue eyes made him perfect for the role.” A weird career choice and
a weird compliment, but still a compliment? As for his personal life, Kartheiser is perfectly
content. He started dating his Mad Men co-star Alexis Bledel in mid-2012 - however, they
were all professional about it and only got together when season five of the show wrapped.
The pair laid low and weren’t public about their relationship, engagement, subsequent
marriage... and even the birth of their son. In a similar fashion, the actor revealed in
a 2010 interview that he doesn’t like the extravagant lifestyle of Hollywood celebrities
and prefers a simple life. Which he is enjoying with his wife and their son.
Kartheiser has had a few acting gigs since his Mad Men days, but, unfortunately, we don’t
see him that often in new projects.
January Jones January Jones is a successful actress, well-known
beyond the role of Mrs. Draper on Mad Men. Her personal life, however, remains heavily
guarded. In 2011, she gave birth to her son - but chooses
not to name the father. In 2017, she told E! News that dating was overrated.
"After I had Xander, I went on a couple of dates and I was like, 'I'd rather be at home
sleeping, watching TV or hanging out with my kid.',“ the actress confessed.
Nothing seems different in 2020 - the actress is enjoying her life as a single mom.
Does all of this make January Jones seem … unapproachable? Some of her former Mad Men co-stars certainly
think so. Actor Jared Gilmore played Jones’ son, Bobby Draper, in Mad Men. The guy decided
to leave the show to be in Once Upon a Time, so he had to be replaced. Gilmore warned his
on-screen successor to be careful around January Jones.
“She’s not as approachable as the others,” he explained. “She's really serious about
what she does. Everyone else is so nice." While the “serious” part isn’t concerning,
the “not nice” implication is. And here’s what happened when the actress
met fellow actor Zach Galifianakis for the first time. The two were at a party, and Jones
invited Galifianakis to sit at her table. They talked for about 10 minutes.
“And she goes, 'I think it's time for you to leave now.' So I say, 'January, you are
an actress in a show and everybody's going to forget about you in a few years, so be
nice,' and I got up and left." Interestingly enough, Jones called Gaifanakis
the most naturally funny man she’s ever met. Talk about first impressions.
Christina Hendricks When her agents told her she wouldn’t make
them any money if she went ahead with Mad Men, Christina Hendricks simply fired them.
“I was up for another pilot, and I chose Mad Men. The [agency I was with] was like,
‘It's on AMC, it's a period piece, it's never going to go. Are you crazy?”
Joan Holloway had quite a journey on Mad Men! It wasn’t Christina Hendricks’s first
role, but it definitely catapulted her to stardom. Stardom means constant scrutiny - and
it’s impossible not to notice that Hendricks is an exceptionally beautiful woman. However,
she has criticized the way women are valued for their bodies and not their talents.
"I was working my butt off on [Mad Men] and then all anyone was talking about was my body,"
she fumed in 2010. When a reporter tried to talk about her being “full-figured,” the
actress told him off. In 2019, Hendricks divorced her husband, fellow
actor Geoffrey Arend, after ten years of marriage. By the way, they reportedly met thanks to
Vincent Kartheiser, Hendricks’s Mad Men co-star. In January 2020, the actress travelled
to Ireland to have some me-time. She was spotted relaxing in an 800-year-old castle that was
turned into a jaw-dropping five-star hotel. She had an unforgettable time taking walks
with the castle's resident wolfhounds, and tried her hand at falconry. No mad men in
her life, just lovely animals and faithful falcons.
Kiernan Shipka Sally Draper remembers that when she was younger,
she only knew about Sally scenes. She only started participating in table reads when
she got older. Kiernan Shipka quite literally grew up right before our eyes!
And she grew up into one promising and hard-working actress, no less.
Her Chilling Adventures of Sabrina co-stars often praise her professionalism.
In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, Shipka said she wants to become
a role model for young people, and especially young women. But she understands the importance
of being authentic. “We all have our struggles, and I never
want to give out this highlight reel that is unattainable. For me, it’s important
to be transparent.” But Shipka definitely knows how to have fun:
she is responsible for throwing parties and get-togethers for the tight-knit cast of Sabrina.
They have game nights and sing karaoke. Shipka is friends with many Hollywood’s
youngsters. She has a brother-and-sister-like bond with heartthrob Timothée Chalamet.
Any boyfriends? “I keep my romantic life mysterious,”
Shipka says. “It's more fun for the people.”
It’s great to see all these Mad Men stars doing so well, isn’t it? Who is your favourite
cast member, and why? Share in the comments section below!