The 'Mad Men' Cast on How Their Characters Have Changed
The ’60s were an era of sweeping change… and the characters on Mad Men certainly reflect that. (Just look at those sideburns!)
With AMC’s Emmy-winning drama about to begin its final episodes, Yahoo TV sat down with the cast to find out how their characters have evolved over the past seven seasons. In the clip above, stars Jon Hamm, John Slattery, January Jones, Christina Hendricks, and Kiernan Shipka and creator Matthew Weiner reflect on their respective journeys and which scenes and episodes best epitomize their characters.
Related: ‘Mad Men’: Your Season-By-Season Catch-Up Guide
Hamm tells us the key to understanding the enigma that is Don Draper lies way back in the pilot: “Don’s creativity, his confidence, his dissatisfaction, his manipulation, his self-awareness or lack thereof, his ability to nap… I think it’s all there.” Jones points to the Season 1 scene where Betty reaches out to neighbor boy Glen as a perfect example of “how emotionally immature she is, and how alone she feels.”
Hendricks thinks her character, office manager Joan Holloway, has come a long way: “We’ve seen this woman have a baby, get a divorce, move up in the ranks at work… I think she’s a character who learns from her mistakes.” And Weiner has a quick answer for which character has changed the most: Don’s daughter Sally, played by Shipka, who was all of 7 years old when the pilot aired. C’mon, Matt, that’s cheating!
The final episodes of Mad Men premiere Sunday, April 5 at 10 p.m. on AMC.
