Growing Up on "Mad Men"

A Conversation With Matthew Weiner and Kiernan Shipka







Matthew Weiner, the creator, writer, producer and occasional director of “Mad Men,” paid no heed to the old showbiz adage: “Never work with children or animals.” And it’s a good thing. Otherwise, television audiences would have missed out on the astonishing transformation of Sally Draper, the character played by the actress Kiernan Shipka, from an adorable girl of 6 with a few cameo scenes to one of the most compelling characters and acclaimed actors on the show.



- Kiernan was 6 when she auditioned twice for Sally

- Matthew cleared all Sally scenes with Kiernan's mom

- Reporter asks her about Sally's masturbation scene (?), Matt tells her she doesn't have to talk about that but she's fine with it. "I was very in the world of Sally when we shot that scene. I knew that her mother was really ashamed of what she’d done, and I played off that."

- Kiernan calls January Jones an 'amazing actress' (LOL) and 'great counterpart'

- Matt's most insecure moment on set was Don showing Sally and Bobby his childhood home

- Matt agrees that the show is all about Sally. Says the show is seen through the eyes of a child

- Kiernan wasn't allowed to attend table reads or watch the show. Recently caught up on Netflix. Hasn't sunk in that it's over.

- Kiernan: "The show made me fall in love with characters, flawed ones, that are real and have voices."



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