Twin actresses Megan and Alexis Stier, who play Eleanor (left) and Mirabelle Ames (right) on AMC's Mad Men, talk to AMCtv.com about wardrobe malfunctions and  crisis management.

Q: How did you end up on Mad Men?

Alexis: We got a call from our manager that they were auditioning for twins -- and we had about two hours to prepare. The show hadn't aired yet, so we tried to find out as much information as we could. We knew that it was early '60s...and that it took place in an office. So we threw on some pencil skirts and cardigans and just ran out the door.

Q: Eleanor, played by Megan, comes off as the more serious of the twins in the episode. Was this typecasting?

Megan: It was a fair casting. I think I am more dominant, because I'm a little bit older [by nineteen minutes], so I can come off a little bit more serious and a little bossier. But when we originally read the script, I was reading Mirabelle and Alexis read Eleanor. Then at the last minute, we switched it up for casting.

Q: Don rejects Eleanor because she's "selling too hard." What's a big turn off for you guys?

Continue reading "Q&A - Megan and Alexis Stier (Eleanor and Mirabelle Ames)" »

Actress Sheila Shaw, who plays Jeannie Vogel (Trudy Campbell's mother) on AMC's Mad Men, talks about how relationships have changed since the '60s and her own marketing schemes as a child.

Q: When you first became involved in Mad Men, how much were you told about your character's background?

A: I was told that it was a co-star role -- they said nothing about it recurring. As far as the character goes, all they said was she's "fairly wealthy." So it was a really fun audition, because I usually got called in to play a teacher or a social worker, and I was like "Oh, good. I can dress up!"

Q: You and Joe O'Connor (who plays Tom Vogel) have such a believable relationship as husband and wife. Have you worked with him before?

A: No, we hadn't worked together. We just clicked. We had so much fun when we were on the set. We couldn't stop laughing with each other. And he's such a great actor. Talk about good casting -- Matt [Weiner] probably saw that. Also the casting directors, Carrie Audino and Laura Schiff, I've known them for years and they've called me in for different parts. They're so great about remembering people.

Q: Jeannie defers to her husband for most decisions. Who wears the pants in your own marriage?

Continue reading "Q&A - Sheila Shaw (Jeannie Vogel, Trudy's Mom)" »

Who were the most popular Mad Men interviews of 2011? Maddicts showed their devotion to the entire series as Q&As with actors from all previous seasons made it into the final top ten. (Note: Fan favorites like Megan and Miss Blankenship were interviewed in 2010.) Check out the list below of the supporting cast interviews that made the biggest splash this past year.

1.  Melinda Page Hamilton (Anna Draper)
2.  Kristoffer Polaha (Carlton, Francine's Husband)
3.  Laura Ramsey (Joy)
4.  Remy Auberjonois (Dr. Emerson)
5.  Darren Pettie (Lee Garner Jr.)
6.  Nina Rausch (Gudrun)
7.  Eric Ladin (William Hofstadt, Betty's Brother)
8.  Joe O'Connor (Tom Vogel, Trudy's Father)
9.  Megan Henning (Judy Hofstadt, Betty's Sister-in-law)
10. Jay Paulson (Adam Whitman)

Click here to see a full catalogue of Mad Men interviews.

Actor John Cullum, who plays Lee Garner Sr. of Lucky Strike on AMC's Mad Men, talks to AMCtv.com about being a benevolent dictator and his own distrust of advertising.

Q: As a cast member of the Mad Men pilot, did you have any idea that the series would garner such a strong following?

A: There was this tremendous enthusiasm from the cast and the director. I could feel the energy. They knew they had something great, so I began to pick up that feeling myself.

Q: Do the costumes and sets on Mad Men bring any particular memories of the '60s back for you?

A: [Laughs] Well, now, see...that doesn't seem that long ago to me. It's like yesterday. Everything on the show was authentic. It didn't take long to fall back into the feeling of the '60s. I had just come to New York then and I was deeply embroiled in making it on Broadway. It all came flooding back very quickly.

Q: Your son, JD Cullum, appears on Mad Men in Season 4 Episode 10, "Hands and Knees." Did he ask you for any advice?

Continue reading "Q&A - John Cullum (Lee Garner Sr. of Lucky Strike)" »

Kristoffer Polaha, who plays neighbor Francine's philandering husband Carlton Hanson on Mad Men, spoke with AMCtv.com about why he didn't get the part of Don Draper and what it's like wearing a fat suit.

Q: How did you first get on the show?

A: My first experience with Mad Men was actually auditioning for Don Draper. I went in to Matthew Weiner in his Santa Monica casting office for a total of six auditions. He was working with me and said, "Man, you're just too young." ... And then in that first season they had a party scene for "The Marriage of Figaro," and I went in for Carlton Hanson. And it turned into a role that kept coming back.

Q: We first meet Carlton at Sally's birthday party. With three children of your own, have you ever found yourself at a birthday party quite like that?

A: [Laughs.] Not as uncomfortable, but out here in L.A., you get quite the opposite. Do you know kid's shows? There's one right now, it's got these crazy life-sized puppets, Yo Gabba Gabba! You know how most kid's parties have characters dressed up like the characters? My kids go to parties where the actual characters are invited to the parties -- the guy from Yo Gabba was there.

Q: Francine and Carlton sometimes play cards with Don and Betty. Who of you guys is the best player?

Continue reading "Q&A - Kristoffer Polaha (Carlton Hanson, Francine's Husband)" »

Laura Ramsey, who plays Don Draper's Season 2, Episode 11 fling in Mad Men, reminisces about her start in show business and the thrill of picking up Don in a convertible.

Q: The reality show The Real Cancun is worlds apart from Mad Men. How did you get from one to the other?

A: My life is also worlds apart from when I was an 18-year-old girl from a small town of 800. I suppose the transition in my personal life echoes my growth in my career.

Q: Many fans have commented that "The Jet Set" has a unique vibe to it. What do you think makes this particular episode special?

A: "The Jet Set" seems to be the only episode that really captures that "gypset" lifestyle that was really kicking off at the time. It's about a spirit that mixed the jet set with the infancy of sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Q: How did you prepare for the role? What did you know about Joy before shooting?

Continue reading "Q&A - Laura Ramsey (Joy)" »

Actor Steve Sapenhorst, who plays Utz chips magnate Hunt Schilling on Mad Men, talks to AMCtv.com about jamming with Bob Dylan (seriously) and how he got into his character's head.

Q: Mr. and Mrs. Schilling are so excited to meet Jimmy Barrett. Is there a celebrity you wish you could meet?

A: I've worked with so many wonderful people. I met Steve Martin as a young performer. He'd be interesting to meet nowadays. I jammed once with Bob Dylan. He'd be interesting to know. Paul McCartney would be a guy to talk to. Surviving Beatles are just a wonderful, rare species. [Laughs]

Q: How is it you jammed with Bob Dylan?

A: I played in a group that formed at the Troubadour in West Hollywood in the '60s called The Men. We were eleven guys starting to put a little rock and roll in with the big folk group. One night Dylan came in, sat quietly in the balcony, watched our show and when the doors were closed he came down and we all sat around and played. I was 18 years old. Half of the group that I was in formed The Association and they had a lot of hit records. I was not in that half. [Laughs]

Q: Have you ever done any commercials and been the one in Jimmy's shoes?

A: I did a lot of commercials in New York in the '80s but I was always the straight spokesperson. I did a series for Clorox detergent and I did some great ones for Dodge. I don't think I ever had an excited boss walk around the set but I don't have a caustic sense of humor so...

Q: About that, when the Schillings show up to meet him things go south...

Continue reading "Q&A - Steve Stapenhorst (Hunt Schilling From Utz)" »

Actress Jan Hoag, who plays Edith Schilling, wife of Utz chips magnate Hunt Schilling, on Mad Men, talks to AMCtv.com about the challenges of wearing period-perfect clothing and how she really feels about Patrick Fischler (Jimmy Barrett).

Q: The episode you were featured on (Season 2, Episode 3, "The Benefactor") was particularly memorable...

A: Oh, it's such a great episode! A lot of people had seen that episode and that character, and she really resonated. This is a great story: Three different fans sent me Utz potato chips after the show. I kept getting these packages and a friend here that lives in town got them for me too.

Q: Your role in that episode is particularly poignant in relationship to the rude comedian Jimmy Barrett.

A: I just loved Patrick Fischler [who plays Jimmy Barrett]! The first time I saw him on set, he came up to me and he goes, "I am so sorry that I have to say these things to you!" And I said, "Not only that Patrick, but you're going to have to say them to me over and over and over again!" [Laughs] And we still laugh about that day where he was so mean to me.

Q: Have you ever heckled a comedian?

Continue reading "Q&A - Jan Hoag (Edith Schilling)" »

Joe O'Connor, who plays Trudy Campbell's dad Tom Vogel on Mad Men, compares the life of an ad man to that of an actor then describes what he'd do if Pete were his son-in-law.

Q: Tell me about your decision to join Mad Men.

A: I'd actually gone in for a part as a one-time guest star, for a role as the president of Bethlehem Steel I think it was. [Series creator] Matthew Weiner said that he wanted me to read for some other part, the part of Tom Vogel. This was the first season and the show hadn't been on the air yet. I didn't know much, but I knew that Matthew Weiner had been one of the writers on Sopranos, and he had written two or three of my favorite episodes. So I was just happy and thrilled to get the job.

Q: You and your on-screen wife Jeannie are an extremely believable married couple. How did you understand their marriage?

A: You know it's this post-war couple that's done well for themselves. From 1945 to 1970 the United States was just exploding in terms of wealth and Tom's a fairly sharp guy, a good salesman, and he's ended up making a lot of money. And they seem to enjoy their money... I think in a broader sense that Tom Vogel's rich and white and middle aged and carrying 20 extra pounds because of good food and wine.

Q: How does being an actor compare to the life of an ad man?

Continue reading "Q&A - Joe O'Connor (Tom Vogel)" »