Mad Men fans might notice a new face when AMC’s show returns this Sunday…Young Bobby Draper will be portrayed by yet another new actor in Mason Vale Cotton. We briefly interviewed him at the Season 5 red carpet premiere, seen below-
For those keeping score, this is the fourth time the actor has been replaced for the part. The previous Bobby was Jared Gilmore (pictured below on last year’s red carpet). He lasted a record two seasons, and ended up jumping ship from Mad Men to star in the new ABC series Once Upon A Time. It was a ballsy move for Gilmore, but it ended up paying off, as Once has turned out to be a big hit as well.
Gilmore’s decision to leave the series could’ve been influenced by his thoughts on his motherly co-star, January Jones. “Be careful around January,” he told TV Guide. “She’s not as approachable as the others. She’s really serious about what she does. Everyone else is so nice.”
John Slattery, who plays Roger Sterling on the show, has since defended January Jones in an E! News article. “She’s a sweetheart. We got lucky. We don’t have anybody like that (unapproachable).” He continued- “It’s an intimidating character. I mean, that’s the character. Betty Draper is an intimidating woman I suppose, if you were a seven-year-old boy (or) her son.”
The strange thing about the new casting of Bobby Draper is that the new actor appears much younger than his replacement. Indeed, Cotton is two years younger Gilmore, even though Bobby should obviously be older than when we last saw him. Bobby’s sister, Sally, has been portrayed by the same actress (Kiernan Shipka) for the entirety of the series so far, and she has noticeably aged as a result.
In any case, let’s hope Cotton can buck the trend and stay on for the remainder of the show. To see more interviews from the Mad Men red carpet, check out our full video report here, and stay tuned for more Mad Men news.
