Mad Men Cast Biographies

JON HAMM “Don Draper” Jon Hamm plays the lead character of ‘Don Draper’ in the award-winning, critically-acclaimed AMC original series “Mad Men,” created by Matthew Weiner, about the professional lives, social mores and sexual exploits of advertising executives on Madison Avenue circa 1960. Among his many accolades for his performance

JON HAMM
“Don Draper”

Jon Hamm plays the lead character of ‘Don Draper’ in the award-winning, critically-acclaimed AMC original series “Mad Men,” created by Matthew Weiner, about the professional lives, social mores and sexual exploits of advertising executives on Madison Avenue circa 1960. Among his many accolades for his performance on the show, Hamm won the 2008 Golden Globe® Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama, and has been nominated for an Emmy® Award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Screen Actors Guild® Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (the cast received the award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series at the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards).

Hamm will next be seen starring opposite James Franco, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, and David Strathairn in the indie feature Howl, about poet Allen Ginsberg, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.

Hamm recently starred opposite Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates in the sci-fi remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still directed by Scott Derrickson. He also completed work on the independent thriller The Boy in the Box, with Josh Lucas. Additional film credits include Kissing Jessica Stein, We Were Soldiers and Space Cowboys.

Hamm recently completed a three-episode arc on the Emmy-winning comedy, “30 Rock,” in which he played a love interest to Tina Fey, as well as a critically acclaimed hosting debut on “Saturday Night Live.” Other television credits include the popular Lifetime television series “The Division,” as well as “What About Brian,” “The Unit,” “Numb3rs” and “CSI Miami,” among others. He landed his first big role in the NBC series “Providence” where a cameo performance turned into an 18-episode run.

Hamm received BA in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/07/27/mad_men_betty_300.jpgJANUARY JONES
“Betty Draper”

January Jones stars in AMC’s critically acclaimed Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG® Award- winning series, “Mad Men.” Set in the 1960s, Jones portrays ‘Betty Draper,’ a wife and young mother of high-powered, philandering advertising executive, ‘Donald Draper,’ played by Jon Hamm. Her performance in this role earned her a 2009 Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama.

Jones can next be seen in The Boat That Rocked, written and directed by Richard Curtis. The film is a period comedy about an illegal radio station in the North Sea in the 1960s. Jones stars opposite Academy Award®-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman and Academy Award-nominated Kenneth Branagh. The film was released in the UK on April 3, 2009 and will be released domestically on August 28, 2009.

In 2006, Jones starred in the critically acclaimed festival hit Swedish Auto. Jones portrays a woman torn between caring for her mother and leaving an abusive home. Also in 2006, she portrayed the real life character ‘Carol Dawson’ in Warner Brothers’ We Are Marshall. The McG-directed film stars Matthew Fox and Matthew McConaughey as the coaches of the Marshall College football team who died in a plane crash.

Jones is revered for her critically lauded performance in Sony Classics’ Three Burials of Meliquiades Estrada for director and actor Tommy Lee Jones. She portrays a young woman married to a border cop who accidentally murders an illegal immigrant. The film debuted to rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.

Jones previously starred in Universal’s American Wedding; Sony’s Anger Management alongside Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson; Universal’s Love Actually with Colin Firth and Keira Knightly; MGM’s Bandits with Billy Bob Thorton, Bruce Willis and Cate Blanchett for Director/Producer Barry Levinson; and Miramax’s Full Frontal directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Jones currently resides in Los Angeles.

VINCENT KARTHEISER
“Pete Campbell”

Vincent Kartheiser was born in Minneapolis, MN. Having appeared in many television shows including, “Sweet Justice” and “ER,” he is best known for his work on the hit FOX show “Angel” for the role of ‘Connor.’ He has also appeared in over a dozen features including, MGM’s Crime and Punishment in Suburbia directed by Rob Schmidt opposite Monica Keena; Larry Clark’s Another Day in Paradise for Trimark opposite James Woods and Melanie Griffith; and Dandelion (Sundance 2004) opposite Taryn Manning. When not acting, Kartheiser enjoys playing billiards, rock and mountain climbing and reading. He was named after Vincent Van Gogh and grew up surrounded by his works.

ELISABETH MOSS
“Peggy Olson”

Elisabeth Moss made her screen debut at the age of six and has been acting steadily honing her skills ever since. She has worked with some of Hollywood’s greats and has landed coveted roles in an array of film, television and theater projects for which she has received critical acclaim.

Moss currently stars on AMC’s Emmy® and two-time Golden Globe® Award-winning drama series “Mad Men,” set in the 1960s Madison Avenue advertising world. She plays ‘Peggy Olson,’ who has evolved from an ambitious yet naive secretary to a junior copywriter for ad executive ‘Donald Draper’ (Jon Hamm). For her performance, Moss was individually nominated for a 2009 Screen Actors Guild® Award in the category of Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She and her fellow cast mates won a 2009 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Moss garnered rave reviews for her Broadway debut in the revival of David Mamet’s Hollywood satire “Speed-the-Plow.” She played the female lead role of ‘Karen,’ a temp secretary who works for a movie producer (Jeremy Piven, followed by William H. Macy). The Los Angeles Times’ Charles McNyulty proclaimed, “Moss is a revelation, capturing not just Karen’s corporate cluelessness, but also her calculating quixotic strength.” The show opened on October 23, 2008 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and ended its successful run on February 22, 2009.

Most recently, Moss has been cast to star alongside Jonah Hill and Russell Brand in producer Judd Apatow’s Get Him to the Greek for Universal Pictures. Moss will star as ‘Daphne Binks,’ the sweet and beautiful girlfriend of ‘Aaron Greenberg’ (Hill). Writer Nick Stoller will also direct. Production is currently underway in Los Angeles. She will also star alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant in the romantic comedy Did You Hear About the Morgans?, which will be released in December. She plays the controlling executive assistant to Parker’s character. The screenplay was penned by Marc Lawrence (Music and Lyrics, Two Weeks Notice), who is also directing.

Her feature credits include director Ron Howard’s The Missing with Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones; director James Mangold’s Girl, Interrupted with Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder; Writer/Director Lawrence Kasdan’s Mumford; A Thousand Acres opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Michelle Williams; Bittersweet Place opposite Seymour Cassel; The Joyriders with Martin Landau; and Imaginary Crimes with Harvey Keitel.

Moss was nominated for a 2004 Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress for her starring role in the independent feature Virgin. She made her singing debut in Writer/Director Marc Erlbaum’s comedy Buddy Gilbert Comes Alive. She has also wrapped production on the independent films Day Zero with Elijah Wood and Chris Klein; Director Michael Almereyda’s New Orleans, Mon Amour; and El Camino with Leo Fitzpatrick.

In 2006, Moss completed her seventh season on NBC’s “The West Wing,” where she played ‘Zoey Bartlet,’ the daughter of the President (Martin Sheen). She had a recurring role on ABC’s “Invasion,” and she has guest-starred on such shows as NBC’s “Fear Itself,” “Medium,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: Trial By Jury”; and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Practice.”

Moss’ impressive repertoire of television credits also includes a co-starring role opposite Susan Sarandon in HBO Pictures’ off-beat road comedy, “Earthly Possessions,” directed by James Lapine. She played a young ‘Ashley Judd’ in the CBS mini-series “The Judds: Love Will Build a Bridge,” and she starred with Bette Midler in CBS’s remake of “Gypsy,” in the role of a young ‘Gypsy Rose Lee.’

She made her stage debut in 2002 in the title role of ‘Franny’ in Richard Nelson’s “Franny’s Way” at the Atlantic Theater, and she reprised the role for the Los Angeles premiere of the play at the acclaimed Geffen Playhouse.

Moss was born and raised in Los Angeles and trained in ballet since the age of five. She went on to attend a number of prestigious ballet schools including the School of American Ballet in New York and also studied with Suzanne Farrell at the Kennedy Center.

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS
“Joan Holloway”

With a body of work that encompasses television and film, Christina Hendricks is quickly positioning herself as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after talents as her career continues to evolve with exciting and challenging projects.

Hendricks stars in the critically acclaimed AMC drama “Mad Men,” about the lives of the ruthless men and women who work in the competitive world of Madison Avenue advertising during the 1960s. Hendricks has received critical acclaim for her flawless portrayal of ‘Joan Holloway,’ the brash and sassy office manager at the Sterling Cooper advertising agency. “Mad Men” has won the Golden Globe® for Best Television Show Drama, the Emmy® Award for Best Drama and the SAG® Award for Best Ensemble Cast.

Hendricks began her career as the opportunistic, career climbing intern on Showtime’s “Beggars and Choosers,” which led to a production deal with John Wells. Her other television credits include starring with Taye Diggs in the comedy “Kevin Hill,” the TNT original series “The Big Time,” and ABC’s “The Court” in which she starred opposite Sally Field. Hendricks had a recurring role on the extremely successful drama series “ER” and also recurred on Joss Whedon’s “Firefly,” “Life” and “Notes From the Underbelly.” Additionally, Hendricks has guest starred on some of primetime’s highest rated shows including “Cold Case,” “Without a Trace” and “Las Vegas.”

In film, Hendricks recently joined the cast of Hyde Park Films’ independent drama Leonie. The film is based on the life story of Leonie Gilmour (Emily Mortimer), the American wife of Japanese writer Yong Noguchi and mother of designer/sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Hendricks portrays Leonie’s lifelong friend Catherine. Her other film credits include La Cucina, South of Pico and Driving Lessons with Dermot Mulroney and Hope Davis.

A native of Idaho, Hendricks a currently resides in Los Angeles.

JOHN SLATTERY
“Roger Sterling”

John Slattery is a respected actor in the Hollywood community and a veteran of TV, film and stage.

This year, Slattery was nominated for an Emmy® Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of ‘Roger Sterling’ in the critically acclaimed AMC series “Mad Men.” The show became the first basic cable program to win Best Drama Series at the 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Slattery has appeared on the big screen in numerous films including, most recently, Clint Eastwood’s critically acclaimed Flags of Our Fathers; Mike Nichols’ Charlie Wilson’s War; and Terry George’s Reservation Road.

Additional film credits include Mona Lisa Smile opposite Julia Roberts for director Mike Newell; Thomas McCarthy’s The Station Agent; Joel Schumacher’s Bad Company; and Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic.

Slattery is instantly recognizable from his roles on television as well. Most recently, in addition to co-starring for two seasons on “Mad Men,” he had a substantial story arc as ‘Victor Lang’ on the hit ABC series “Desperate Housewives.” In 2007, Slattery was nominated as part of both shows’ ensemble casts for the SAG® Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble.

His additional TV credits include the ABC series “Homefront,” the comedy series “Ed,” HBO’s “K Street” and the drama “Jack & Bobby.” He has also been seen in highly memorable guest appearances on “Sex & The City,” and “Will & Grace.”

In theater, Slattery has appeared on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Rabbit Hole,” for which he was nominated for a Drama League Award, the Broadway revival of “Betrayal” and opposite Nathan Lane in Neil Simon’s “Laughter on the 23rd Floor.” His Off-Broadway credits include the original production of “Three Days of Rain,” which earned him the LA Drama Critics Award and a Drama Desk nomination.

Slattery is a Boston native who currently resides in New York City with his wife and son.

BRYAN BATT
“Salvatore Romano”

The 2008 SAG® Award-winning actor Bryan Batt is series regular ‘Salvatore Romano’ in the critically acclaimed, multi award-winning dramatic series “Mad Men.” Batt has received rave reviews for his nuanced performance in the brilliantly written and ever stylish series, which encompasses the steamy world of 1960s Madison Avenue.

In addition to “Mad Men,” Batt will appear in the new Judd Apatow/Adam Sandler film Funny People set for release July 31.

Batt is also a Broadway veteran, civic activist, designer, and co-owner of HAZELNUT, a fine gift and home accessories shop in his home town of New Orleans. HAZELNUT has been featured in The New York Times, House Beautiful, and Southern Accents. Batt has recently appeared on CNN, “Martha Stewart” as well as “Regis & Kelly.” His debut book, an irreverent “memoir” entitled She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Mother, is set for a spring 2010 release published by Harmony Books, a division of Random House.

This charming and diversified southern gentleman lives tri-coastally, splitting his life between New York, Los Angeles, and New Orleans.

MICHAEL GLADIS
“Paul Kinsey”

Michael Gladis has spent the last seven years in New York City acting in the theater as well as in film and on TV. Some of his on-camera credits include roles in K-19: The Widowmaker, a recurring role on “Third Watch,” as well as guest starring roles on “Life,” “Hack,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” and “Hope and Faith.”

His extensive theatrical experience includes the revival of “5th of July” at the Signature Theater; the smash hit “Baal” at the Flea Theater; the Best in the 2004 NY Fringe Festival’s “Dog Sees God;” a national tour of “Romeo & Juliet;” as well as “The Main(e) Play” and “’Nami,” both with his theater company Partial Comfort Productions, amongst many others.

AARON STATON
“Ken Cosgrove”

Aaron Staton is a 2004 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater. After making his Broadway debut in “Mamma Mia!” he went on to star in the title role of the Manhattan Theatre Club production of “The American Pilot,” which garnered critical acclaim.

He has appeared in the films August Rush from Warner Bros., directed by Kristen Sheridan and The Nanny Diaries from The Weinstein Co. and directed by Shari Berman and Robert Pulcini.

RICH SOMMER
“Harry Crane”

Rich Sommer’s extensive stage credits include ‘Todd’ in “Far Away;” ‘Mike’ in “A Lie of the Mind;” and ‘William Gibbs’ in “Off the Map.” He has several national commercials to his credit and is set to appear in the upcoming NBC miniseries “The Storm” premiering in July. Sommer made a guest appearance in Season 5 of “The Office” as Pam’s art school classmate, ‘Alex.’ He made his feature film debut as Anne Hathaway’s drinking buddy ‘Doug’ in The Devil Wears Prada.

He is a student, performer and teacher of improvisation and received his training and experience with The Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis and the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York. Sommer received his Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. He went on to study at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, where he received both his Master’s Degree in Acting and his lovely wife, Virginia. They live in Los Angeles with their tiny daughter, Beatrice.

ROBERT MORSE
“Bertram Cooper”

Robert Morse won Tony® Awards for both Best Actor in a Play and Best Actor in a Musical. His musical award came in 1962 with his unforgettable performance as ‘J. Pierrepont Finch’ in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Frank Loesser/Abe Burrows/Bob Fosse musical (and reprised in the film version) of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” His dramatic nod came in 1990 with his triumphant portrayal of Truman Capote in the tour de force, one-man show, Tru. The PBS presentation of “Tru” later earned him a 1993 Emmy® Award as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special as well.

On television, Morse appeared in a continuing role in the medical drama “City of Angels,” and in an Oliver Stone miniseries “Wild Palms,” among various memorable TV guest appearances.

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