I knew the “Mad Men” red carpet was going to be tough. Of all the shows at PaleyFest 2014, except maybe the reunions of “Veronica Mars” and “Lost,” “Mad Men” sports the largest cast, and it is entering its final season so it’s ultra timely.
Everyone who covers television was on the red carpet, and I was asked to share interviews with the lovely crew from SheKnows.com, but we got everyone in attendance except Matthew Weiner. The questions below are mine, and I doubt anyone else would care to report what I got from Elisabeth Moss and Jon Hamm.
Elizabeth Moss
CraveOnline: I write a column called Best Episode Ever, and when it’s time to do “Mad Men” I’m thinking of picking season four, episode 7, “The Suitcase.”
Elisabeth Moss: Damn right, you should!
So you agree with my pick?
Elisabeth Moss: Yeah, what other one would you pick? Yeah, that’s my favorite. Oh, really? That would be awesome if you picked that one. That was my favorite.
It was explosive. Was it like three and a half years building up to that?
Elisabeth Moss: To me, that marks the middle of the series for those two characters. That’s really I feel like the bridge that they cross over, right there in the middle and it’s definitely my favorite.
Good, then I’m glad I chose that one.
Elisabeth Moss: Yeah, you chose well.
I don’t think this is a spoiler, but Peggy says “sh*t” in the season premiere. Has she just given up all etiquette and just tells it like it is now?
Elisabeth Moss: [Laughs] I don’t even remember that. Does she? It might’ve been me saying it. They’re lucky it’s just that with me. I have the worst mouth.
I loved Elizabeth Moss’ “Damn right” reaction. If only I could check each week’s column with the stars of the show. Jon Hamm was, as expected, a bit more rushed to finish his interviews before the event began, but he was gracious enough to entertain my query.
I write a column called Best Episode Ever and I’m thinking of picking season 4, episode 7, “The Suitcase” for “Mad Man” with you and Elisabeth in the office pretty much the whole episode. Would you agree with that choice?
Jon Hamm: I would agree with that choice. I would wholeheartedly support that choice.
Thank you, so did Elisabeth.
Jon Hamm: Good, I’m glad.
Were you waiting for Don to go as far off the deep end as he did in season six?
Jon Hamm: I wasn’t waiting for it, but it happened.
Jessica Pare
Since my pick for Best Episode Ever really only pertained to Peggy and Don, the rest of my interviews were general about the end of the show. Jessica Pare plays Don’s current wife Megan, we say current because anything could still happen before the end of season seven.
If you could, would you try to talk Matt into doing season eight and nine?
Jessica Pare: Oh yeah, for sure. We all feel kind of the same. We feel really privileged to be able to tell the end of our story because it’s not a luxury that a lot of people have. But at the same time, we don’t want it to be over.
Being one of the cast members who joined later in the series, how are you feeling about getting to complete that story?
Jessica Pare: I feel super lucky. I thought I was going to have three to four episodes. I didn’t think I was going to get four seasons. I can’t personally f***ing believe that I’m here. Sorry, but that’s how it goes. Yeah, I feel extremely fortunate not only to have worked with all of these amazing super-talented people with this incredible material, but that I’m still here and I get to see it out.
Playing an aspiring actor on “Mad Men,” has the business changed all that much since the ‘60s?
Jessica Pare: I think the show does that really well. You can see that there are lots of ways on the show in which women’s rights haven’t been forwarded that much, and neither has the role of actors.
