She's Ken Cosgrove's sister, Kathy - a widow (her husband committed suicide - we soon see why) - he gets her a job with SC as a secretary. She quickly catches the eye of Roger, Paul, and Mitch, the elusive employee we never see.

Roger soon realizes Jane can't be the great love of his life if he can so quickly start panting after another secretary, so he dumps Jane and returns to Mona.

Paul tries to impress Kathy with tales of his trip down South in aid of the poor, downtrodden Negro, only to find that Kathy is a racist and doesn't give a rat's ass for the poor, downtrodden Negro.

We know Kathy is involved with the phantom Mitch because of her conversations with the other secretaries about her dates with him. Then one day she meets Joan's fiance, Greg, and decides she wants to be a doctor's wife. Sensing a way to dump Dr. Rat, Joan quickly agrees when Kathy suggests a double date. Kathy does her best during the evening to steal Dr. Rat away from Joan, not realizing that Joan and Mitch are fallling in love at the same time. Mitch, by the way, turns out to be a tall, Robert Redford type who has adored Joan from afar all through the Roger years and now decides to strike while the rat doctor is distracted by the equally abhorent Kathy.

Kathy gets her doctor and leaves SC, to the great relief of the other secretaries who can't abide her.

Joan gets rid of her rat doctor and gets Mitch, who is a prince of a fellow and great in the sack (did I mention he looks like a young Robert Redford?).

Mitch and Joan both get promotions at work 'cause Roger is so glad to see Joan truly happy at last, and Roger, whilst undergoing deep analysis at the urging of his and Mona's marriage counselor, discovers he is actually gay and in love with Sal.

Meanwhile, over at the Draper house.......

I could see Jennifer Aniston coming in as the phone operator that replaces - Flo, the Progressive Girl (can't remember her real name). Jennifer manages to squeeze her way through the metal bars in the phone dungeon and becomes Don Draper's new secretary. Lois is furious, but then again, she can't go back to being Don's secretary right? Lois is still convinced that Sal is in love with her and decides to take lessons from Joan. Joan brushes off the red dress and gives it to Lois. Joan proceeds to show Lois how to shake her hips so hard it causes earthquakes at SC. Joan advises Lois to throw her chest out so far that her breasts knock down anything in her path. Joan has decided to learn a lesson from Jane and tell Lois to leave at least one or two buttons undone whenever possible. This should reel in any men who missed the hip shaking or clevage plow. Lois starts getting noticed by more men than Sal. Jennifer Aniston will get a little threatened and we will see a showdown at high noon between the two. Cheers! ;o)

I'd always hoped Don Draper would embark in an affair with a very stylish and lovely fashion magazine editor. So if Ms. Aniston were to guest star, she'd be kick-ass in the part of an yet another Don the Wand conquest! Big time guest star like Jennifer Aniston has to be paired with the show's Big Bad Alpha Dog!

All I can say is wow. Zerelda, I swear, if the show (heaven forbid) doesn't come back, will you keep on writing for us? I literally hang on your every word. I think they should cast Brad Pitt as Mitch!

Jen could play Anna's friend from California who knows a few facts from Anna since she saw the "Meditations" book, and is curious to know more. So when she flies to NY for business (as a fashion magazine editor - thanks Visan-), she looks up D.Draper. Don fears she is there for blackmail, and the sparks fly.

No, no, no! No superstar guest stars on Mad Men, please. They shift focus from the show to themselves. The episodes cease being about the story or overall narrative, so they can instead be spotlight projects for the "guest star." When this happens, MM truly will have jumped the shark. Maybe Aniston can do a cameo -- but please don't let her be an actual character with a story arc.

I agree grinandbearit it just would change the dynamics of the show. Mad Men is just not her, no matter what anyone writes. You'll still get Rachel from Friends or some other comedic character she's played. I can't see it. Excellent story lines my dear Maddicts. I just don't think Ms. Aniston would fly. Everytime I see her all I can see is Brad Pitt's jilted woman. Sorry to put her on Blast, but someone put her out there. It seems these day she's just trying to find her way. Now if you want to rock the show with guest stars and get something interesting, try Angelina Jolie coming in as a new client for Sterling Cooper from Paris with a clothing line, perfume and jewlery. She needs SC to oversea her product advertising in America. Big client, she wants television commericals and Don Draper, only when she feels like it.

corrections-oversee. Although Jolie likes Don, she finds Roger uniquely charming and gullible. Jolie has chosen SC because of the merger with the Brits. Those Brits at SC crossed her family a few years back and she really is trying to find resources to take everything from all of them. She was younger at the time and believes that trouble with her families account with British Agency is the reason for her parents divorce and her mother's break down. No one ever thought that she would have concerns in the family business. She has come to conquer and she will. Haven't thougth of a name for the company yet, just an idea. (SMILE)

I agree as well with grinandbearit, I wouldn't want to see any huge name actors or actresses in Mad Men. One of the reasons I love it is because of that. I love seeing faces on there that you don't see on the cover of some paper on every checkout counter. It's 'refreshing' I think it also adds to the realism of it.

Zerelda, great post, as usual.

Angelina Jolie would be a disaster on Mad Men. She would have to play a prostitute or maybe a porn star because in the 1960s, her attitude and in-your-face look would not have been accepted, especially not in the advertising world.

Jennifer would be great as a Betty Draper cousin or Ken's current girlfriend. I don't want Don Draper soiling her.

Pinkpen, I agree with to some extent about Jennifer trying to find herself, but I don't see that as a bad thing as you seem to. Most people go through that at her age. I think she has done extremely well, as had Courteney Cox, in their after Friends life. Jennifer has not been afraid to try new things. I think she was wonderful in The Good Girl and did not get the acclaim she deserved. I haven't seen her new movie and probably won't because I am not a Wilson brothers fan or a fan of dog movies, but she kicked Brad Pitt's butt at the box office.

No, I don't think Jennifer trying to find herself a bad thing at all. I think we are all trying to find our way in some sense or another. In this ever changing world we all must stay on our toes. I think more than anything Jennifer Aniston has been type cast in a certain mold that's been a little hard to break.
I do believe that Pitt movie by the Wilson brothers is on DVD for sale, I didn't see it.

By the way Zerelda and Drink & Smoke are you sure you're not part of the MM writing team? You're both really good!

No, no, no.

A very nervous and insecure, bookish Jennifer Aniston (wearing glasses) shows up at the office with a full armload of copy. It seems that Don has left them at the printers and she wants to return them.

Everyone at the office knows that Don visits the "printers" fairly often and wonder why he hasn't brought it back. Joan, who's once again at Don's desk because he's dismissed yet another secretary, gives the timid Jen "the look," and mentally dismisses her. Definitely not Don's type, she intimates to Peggy.

As Jen's walking out she stumbles (literally) into Paul and Ken. Ken's not interested (although she watches him walk away) but Paul is. She's soon swept off her feet by his public persona (can't see through it) and is soon finding excuses to revisit the office.

She recognizes and nervously chatters in the elevator to Don and Peggy who basically ignore her until she mentions she's mistakenly brought another agency's copy which is under revision at the same printer. A quick look and Don/Peggy have advertising in circulation before the other agency does. Jen's soon in disgrace at the printer and comes crying to Paul that she's about to be fired. Paul...

For me, it depends on the "guest star!" Say, Dylan McDermott, with his sexy self, finds his way to Sterling Cooper! I can't think of a reason at the moment but the notion of Jon Hamm and Dylan McDermott on the same screen rubs me the right way! Ha! Ha! Hee!

No. Not till season 19 should we see horrible guest appearances, just kidding.

Okay, magsby13, it's the Coen brothers movie Pitt was in that's on DVD. You were talking about the Holiday box office. You're right, the Aniston movie was number one and Pitt's movie was number 3. Boy what was I thinking. DUGH! LOL

No!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jennifer Aniston cannot appear on Mad Men. It will completely ruin the show. Please creators of this show DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN

I agree with all of you who think Jennifer Aniston is just "not right" for Mad Men.

Recently she appeared as a guest on "30 Rock," and she was very good, holding her own in broad comedy with Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey.

But Mad Men is much more nuanced, and Aniston would be a distraction. (pinkpen, I can't help it, but every time I see her, I, too, think of Brad Pitt and how he treated her.)

As far as a cameo appearance, I'm not in favor of that either for the same reasons.

Maybe Jennifer is trying branch out and show she has more than just comedic talent. Other than "The Good Girl" her movies all have seemed to be " just for the fun of it".
She's 40 so she could play a twenty-year-old's mother. Like the mother of Joy from The Jet Set.....
But she'd have to really knock our socks off with the roll she played so as not to distract us from our wonderful story with all the characters we love so much.
Knowing that she admires the show and would like a part in it says she has great taste.

Zerelda, your Kathy character is priceless. Wonderful writing as always! However, I agree with the other posters in this: let's not give the role to Jennifer Aniston. One reason why the show succeeds on so many levels is the ensemble cast. Other than Robert Morse, the show started without any truly "known" actors. As grinandbear it noted, adding Aniston simply because she likes the show would truly be a "jump the shark" move. The series is by no means in that state yet. I can't even think of putting Jolie in the show, even in a tiny role. Let's leave the sex symbol roles to the actresses who have earned them!

Happy New Year All! About "Sex Symbols" you don't have to earn it, either you're sexy or either you're not. It's natural and embedded within the person, no amount of make up, high fashion or anything else can make it for you. You can obtain a false sense of sexiness from these props but sexy is sexy. We all can look in the mirror right now and tell if we're sexy. Yet, what might be sexy to one person may be unsexy to another. Bobbie Barrett is not sexy, she's worn and old. She just has the money to maintain her props. Betty Draper is very attractive and refreshing more than sexy. Joan - drips with sex appeal until it almost becomes something else. Peggy - is not sexy, cute in her own right. Trudy is not sexy, well kept but not sexy. Joy - isn't even sexy, she's just young. Jane - has a certain amount of sexy appeal but her crying just ruins it for her. I believe the writers of MM are great with giving each character just the right amount sex appeal. Even Don Draper he's not sexy, he's very handsome and is always engaged in sex but I don't think that's sexy. Jolie in her own right has a certain amount of sexy, despite her history with men. As long as MM sticks with their format which I believe they will, we have little to worry about as far as casting "superstar guest".
Really, I would like to be on MM wouldn't you?

@PinkPen: As you stated, sexy is in the "eye" of the beholder! And my eyes behold that Don Draper is sex on a great pair of legs! Happy New Year!

Thank you grinandbearit--I agree. Nothing personal to Jenn, but the Max-since he does know his Ps and Qs-will first consider any guest's 'on screen persona'. The initial idea of this show has no peer, but we engage with these actors because (of their stunning talent and) their lack of an actor's past. Nothing obstructs us from the belief that they simply ARE...Don Draper, Betty, etc.

Jenn has/had a 150% better opportunity and vehicles than other Friends, and still remained in 'light fare clown' mode too long for me. Its like giving Tom Cruise or Kenau Reeves a character actor gig. Tom, I'd do ya baby, but until you quit being TOM (ok finally tropic thunder) in your movies, I'll continue to say there is room for improvement.

Jennifer Anniston was in a movie called "Derailed" and did a damn fine job with the complex con-artist character and she fooled me! I would like to see her have a dramatic moment with Don Draper, not necessarily as a one of his "affairs". Maybe she could play a rival from another agency that competes with Don. She would be one of the few newly minted "liberated" women on the show - for one ep, anyway.

I suspect Ms. Anniston wants to appear on MM because of Jon Hamm's yumminess.

Jennifer Aniston may have enough talent to pull off a dramatic turn, but I don't see it happening on MM mainly because her looks are too contemporary. Her teeth are too perfect, her face overall looks surgically altered and I recall reading an interview with MW where he stated that in auditions he dismissed actors who looked too "perfect," or altered in some way. I can't see it happening. Besides she's too well known as well and wouldn't fit the profile of other actors on the show.

I do not see our noble MM show-runner, Mr. Weiner, allowing any "stunt" casting of popular celebrities. Save that for the cheesy sitcoms and "Law and Order". As someone else alluded to, casting a celebrity like Aniston just because of who they are would be a distraction. If some fabulous stage actor or someone great but more obscure came along, that would be a different animal....

I am not a fan of Jennifer's. Definitely do not want her on MM.

I see no role for her.

So no superstars on Madmen.....
Let's cast the show with superstars. I think it'll be fun!
And help pass the time.

Peggy- - Renee Zellweger
Betty's stepmother-- Meryl Streep
Betty's father-- John McCain
Dr. Greg-- Brad Pitt

Come up with your own if you don't agree with mine.

Hey great idea, sab4ever! I'm up for your MM / superstar comparison...

Don - Jason Patric
Peggy - Claire Danes
Pete Campbell - Pee Wee Herman
Joan - Catherine Zeta Jones
Roger - George Clooney
Bert Cooper - Donald Sutherland
Ken - Mark Wahlberg
Paul - Ben Afleck
Harry - Matt Damon
Sal - Antonio Banderas
Jane - Miley Cyrus
Mona - Lynda Carter
Smith and Smitty - Siegfried and Roy
Bobbi Barrett - Madonna
Freddy Rumsen - Nick Nolte
Duck - Mel Gibson

Cheers! ;o)

humpf,
I am perfectly happy with the cast as they are.

But, you Maddicts go ahead -good game!

I think Anniston would do fine in a short time role. She is capable of doing a big part or a small part, a beauty queen part, or a trashy part.

I caught her in a small budget movie called something like "The Good Wife" and she was great, a married wife who began sleeping around and got caught. She was so convincing in the highs and lows of the story. So she is as talented as anyone else.

She would add class to the show, or more class. But I do agree that she or any other "big" star should not be permanent.

Just my opinion.

Oh Drink and Smoke - I love your picks for the "fantasy" cast! George Clooney would be fun to watch as Roger, though he would probably be a little too playful and hammy. Donald Sutherland would be fabulous as Bert, with a slightly different flavor. If Joan wasn't known for being so tall, I might suggest Salma Hayek as a spicy Latina Joan.

What if we had a fantasy cast of actors from the period that MM is set in?

Oh puh-leeze. Jennifer Anniston on "Mad Men" ? Not only does she annoy the hell out of me, but once MM starts pulling in the 'stars of the week', it will sound the death-knell of the series. This is a top-quality program with an excellent, talented cast. It doesn't need to borrow "schtick" from "The Love Boat."

>>> What if we had a fantasy cast of actors from the period that MM is set in?

Okay ... a mix of film and TV personalities ( 50s and early 60s ) ... just for fun ...

Don - David Janssen, Gig Young, Rod Taylor ( trying to avoid "mega-stars." )

Betty - Eva Marie Saint or Dana Wynter. Maybe Jill Hayworth or Yvette Mimieux. Diane Baker would have been good in this role.

Peggy - Susan Oliver or Hope Lang ( when she first began her career, such as in the 1957 movie "Peyton Place." )

Pete Campbell - Russ Tamblyn ( he had the baby face and could play "lethal" very well. )

Joan - Joan Hackett. She had a sultry, self-assured quality about her. Nina Foch was great in this type of role, too. I forget the movie, but she played an executive office assistant ... right down to the gold pen hanging on a chain around her neck.
Then again, maybe we could just put a red wig on Kim Novak.

Roger - Robert Preston

Bert Cooper - Charles Bickford or Frederick March ( if Frederick March be more "quirky." ) I'd like to say George Sanders, but he'd be a bit too classy for the role. Joseph Cotton, maybe?

Ken - John Kerr or Troy Donahue ( if TD could look a bit more Wall Street and less Malibu. )

Paul - Robert Wagner ( 50s era )

Harry - Dean Stockwell ( 50s era )

Sal - John Saxon ( 50s-60s era )

Jane - Natalie Wood ( didn't have to think twice about this one. )

Mona - Dorothy McGuire

Smith and Smitty - Who cares

Bobbi Barrett - Terry Moore

Freddy Rumsen - Mickey Rooney ( he was in his mid 40s at this time and did excellent "down on his luck" type roles. )

Duck - Kent Smith ( he played Peter Keating in the movie "The Fountainhead." )

>>> What if we had a fantasy cast of actors from the period that MM is set in?

@ MicheleKay

Are you kidding? Gig Young is Duck, not Don. No question about it. They even resemble each other. Compare this picture, with this one, then get back to me. :-)

Russ Tamblyn as Pete is inspired casting! Mucho props on that one. Maybe Anthony Perkins would work, too...or Ha! Robert Morse. J. Pierpont Finch as Pete Campbell? I love that!

For Don, you need someone like, oh, I don't know...Paul Newman, James Garner, Stephen Boyd, or Laurence Harvey. If you want to avoid a mega-star in this role, then John Cassavetes. If you want to go lighter, more TV actor-y, then Robert Vaughn, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., or Craig Stevens...But I suppose David Janssen would work as well.

For Betty, I'd go with Lee Remick, Carol Baker, Jane Fonda, Dyan Cannon, Gena Rowlands (goes well with Cassavetes), or Elizabeth Montgomery (heh). Diane Baker's an interesting choice, though. Or for a true bit of stunt casting, you could use the "original" January Jones. Heh.

For Salvatore, I'd use Robert Reed or William Hopper.

For Joan, Edie Adams, Jill St. John, or Angie Dickinson.

I like the idea of including Nina Foch and Joan Hacket in the cast, but I think I'd use them differently. Nina would be a great Mona Sterling, and I like Joan Hackett as Rachel...or maybe Claire Bloom would work well in that role. Perhaps Joan H. would be a good Midge?

Patricia Neal, Cloris Leachman or Polly Bergen might be interesting choices to play Bobbie Barrett.

For Roger, I love the idea of someone like Frank Sinatra, but I suppose that would be overkill. Brian Keith, maybe? Or Jeff Chandler.

Ryan O'Neal as Ken Cosgrove, Richard Long as Paul, Dick York as Harry.

Charles Laughton as Bert Cooper.

I don't think Jennifer Aniston would be an appropriate choice for Mad Men. She has too much of a celebrity persona. I don't know if she really has the acting gravitas as well. People would watch knowing they are watching Jennifer Aniston, not the character she is playing.

So basically I agree with some of the comments mentioned by others.

>> Are you kidding? Gig Young is Duck, not Don. No question about it. They even resemble each other. Compare this picture, with this one, then get back to me. :-)

Gig Young, in his younger days, was drop-dead handsome and he could do "lethal" effortlessly. He'd be wasted as Duck. If you have not seen the movie "The Fountainhead", catch it. Kent Smith IS Duck and I'd be very surprised if the MM writers did not pattern Duck after the Peter Keating character.

David Janssen ( think early "The Fugitive" ) would be a good choice for Don. The A-list actors, while good for the role, are too obvious. Efrem Zimbalist lacked a "menacing" quality and Robert Vaughn .. eh. He always reminded me too much of Robert Walker. Robert Vaughn playing Robert Walker playing Don Draper. It doesn't work for me. And John Cassavete always had an overtly threatening quality about him. A serial killier? sure. Don Draper, no.

We can give the British dude role ( played by the guy who was on "The Nanny") to Stephan Boyd. He was an Irish actor, but his accent was veddy veddy British.

Part of Salvatore's appeal and character is that he is Italian. Probably comes from a very Catholic family. This all plays into his struggle with his sexuality. John Saxon ( birth name Carmine Orrico ) would have been a shoe-in for this role. Saxon is underrated as an actor, in my opinion.

Lee Remick would work as Betty. You need someone cool, classy and borderline blue blood. Jane Fonda is a great actress, but she's too intense to be Betty. This is why I like Dana Wynter circa 1960. She really is a blue-blood and she would understand the Betty character inside-out.

I actually did consider Dick York and Richard Long in the roles of Harry and Paul.

And let's give the "Sally" role to Patty McCormack. In the "Bad Seed" department, she can give her Dad a run for his money. lol

Isn't this fun?

Oooh, loved your comments, MicheleKay! Especially your comments on Gig Young, Stephan Boyd, John Saxon and Lee Remick.

Lee Remick was a favorite of mine - loved her in "The Long Hot Summer" and "No Way to Treat a Lady."

>>>This is why I like Dana Wynter circa 1960. She really is a blue-blood and she would understand the Betty character inside-out

I meant to add Dina Merrill to the "Betty" casting call.

No to Jennifer Aniston. Her recent appearance on 30 Rock was underwhelming. She's Ok in her little movies but she's not up to MM standards.

In defense of Jennifer Aniston, I just want to say I think she is underrated. In "The Good Girl" and "Derailed" she displayed real acting chops. Like many other actors, she has been stereotyped into comedic roles because of Friends. The public often refuses to accept an actor in a different genre of film, not necessarily because the actor is not good, but because the public has cast that actor and will not be swayed.

I don't blame her for taking the lighter fare. It's better to be working than sitting on the sidelines. I'd be collecting all that money if it were offered to me.

I think she would be great in a guest role as Peggy's cousin who is a nun. That way, her perfect hair and makeup would not be an issue because nuns were still dressing in the habit back in the early 60s and we would only see her face from just above the eyebrows to the chin. Maybe she and Father Gill could play a guitar Mass together.

Overall, I agree with the general sentiment that megastars have no place on MadMen, but it seems to be a trend right now, so perhaps Matt Weiner will succumb.

MicheleKay, I loved your post and I definitely think Gig Young at that time was Don Draper. David Jansen would be good as well.

How about Tony Randall as Duck?

Jennifer Aniston wishes she could be on Mad Men because it is the coolest show ever!!!. Have you ever noticed that her looks are always the same never a new hair style or unique fashion statement that comes from her persona... She has a great clean classic american girl next door kind of look but not a retro glam vibe at all....she could sell dove soap or dog cookies and maybe even a mans beer but not star quality for Mad Men.Sorry Jennifer keep on dreaming california girl.

How did I overlook this thread?!

Love love love all these comments!

Can't add a thing (for once)!

Has Juanita ever been seen? If not, Jennifer could be Juanita, Joan's bisexual roomate and admirer. That way I could stay away from Showtimes L Word!

I pray that this never happens. One, I don't think Jennifer Anniston has the acting chops needed for this show. Two, I don't think has the right look for this show. And Three, celebrity guest apperances will hurt this show in the long run. AMC has something classy here, I hope they don't ruin it with lame publicity stunts.