From Jon Hamm to Elisabeth Moss, the cast of Mad Men is full of immensely talented actors playing deeply complex characters. Almost every major character is involved in extramarital affairs, amoral backroom dealings, and the relentless spread of second-hand smoke. With its focus on the unscrupulous executives of a New York advertising firm in the 1960s, Mad Men is subversively action-free. Whereas shows like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad could rely on mob murders and train robberies to keep the audience invested, Mad Men had to grip viewers with its characters and their interpersonal conflicts alone.
Over the course of seven critically acclaimed seasons, the cast of Mad Men collectively won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Many of Mad Men’s cast members received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for their individual performances, and some of them even took home the trophies. The writers created a company full of rich, three-dimensional human beings, and the cast brought them to life. Mad Men features nuanced performances by some of TV’s most prolific actors.
Jon Hamm As Don Draper
The brooding protagonist of Mad Men, philandering ad executive Don Draper is played by Hamm. Along with Tony Soprano and Walter White, Don is one of the most iconic antiheroes of the “Peak TV” age. His real name is Dick Whitman; he stole his identity from his commanding officer in the Korean War. Hamm won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for his turn in Mad Men. The actor has appeared in scene-stealing supporting roles in such films as Bridesmaids, Baby Driver, and superior sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Elisabeth Moss As Peggy Olson
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Peggy Olson, one of the feminist heroes of Mad Men, is played by Moss. Peggy was introduced as Don’s secretary before rising through the ranks to become a top copywriter with her own office. For her roles in Mad Men and other renowned TV dramas, Moss has been dubbed “The Queen of Peak TV” by Vulture. Moss had previously played Zoey Bartlet, the youngest daughter of President Josiah Bartlet, in The West Wing, and later starred as June Osborne in Hulu’s acclaimed TV adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale, for which she’s been awarded two Emmys.
John Slattery As Roger Sterling
John Slattery plays the hedonistic Roger Sterling, a managing partner at Sterling Cooper and later a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Roger’s long-standing relationship with Lucky Strike is a key part of the show’s business storylines, while his shameless long-term affair with Joan was an integral part of both of their character arcs. Slattery was nominated for four Emmy Awards for his turn in Mad Men. He also portrayed journalist Ben Bradlee, Jr. in the Best Picture-winning movie Spotlight and has played Tony Stark’s father Howard in various films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Christina Hendricks As Joan Holloway
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Played by Christina Hendricks, Joan Holloway (later Joan Harris) is introduced as Sterling Cooper’s office manager and head of the typing pool. By the end of the series, she’s become a junior partner. Joan spent most of the series engaged in an on-and-off affair with Roger. She wed Dr. Greg Harris between seasons 2 and 3, but the marriage ended when he returned to Vietnam. Hendricks received six Emmy nominations for her performance in Mad Men. She also had supporting roles in the movies Drive, Ginger & Rosa, and Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut Lost River.
Vincent Kartheiser As Pete Campbell
Pete Campbell, an ambitious young account executive from a privileged background, is played by Vincent Kartheiser. Pete is so desperate for power that he attempts to blackmail Don, although the scheme blows up in his face. Despite his attempted blackmail, Pete looks up to Don and emulates his behavior. Kartheiser also played Connor in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off series Angel and Dr. Jonathan Crane, better known as the Scarecrow, in season 3 of the DC series Titans. Before appearing in Mad Men, Kartheiser played starring roles in the movies Alaska, Masterminds, and Another Day in Paradise.
January Jones As Betty Draper
Don’s wife and later ex, Betty Draper is played by January Jones. Betty is the mother of Don’s three children, and after divorcing him, she married Henry Francis. At the end of the series, Betty sadly reckoned with her mortality as she was diagnosed with lung cancer and told she had less than a year to live. Jones earned an Emmy nomination for her turn as Betty. The actor also played Melissa Chartres in The Last Man on Earth and appeared in a wide range of movies, from raunchy comedy American Wedding to comic book blockbuster X-Men: First Class.
Kiernan Shipka As Sally Draper
Don and Betty’s oldest and most contentious child, Sally Draper is played by Kiernan Shipka. Sally began as a minor character in Mad Men, but she was promoted to a starring role starting in season 4. Shipka is now best known for portraying teenage witch Sabrina Spellman in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and in a crossover cameo appearance in the sixth season of Riverdale on The CW. She also played B.D. Hyman in the FX series Feud: Bette and Joan and voiced Jinora in The Legend of Korra.
Mad Men Supporting Cast & Characters
Aaron Staton as Ken Cosgrove: Account executive and aspiring author Ken Cosgrove is played by Aaron Staton. Staton also played the lead role of Cole Phelps in the video game L.A. Noire.
Rich Sommer as Harry Crane: The head of Sterling Cooper’s TV department, Harry Crane, is played by Rich Sommer. Sommer also played Harlan Emple in Elementary, Mark Eagan in GLOW, and voiced Del Hanlon in Regular Show.
Robert Morse as Bert Cooper: Sterling Cooper’s eccentric, staunchly conservative senior partner Bert Cooper is played by the late Robert Morse. Morse won Tony Awards for his performances in the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and the Truman Capote-centric one-man play Tru.
Bryan Batt as Sal Romano: Sterling Cooper’s closeted art director, Sal Romano, is played by Bryan Batt. Batt also starred in the musical adaptation of Saturday Night Fever and played Mayor Quinn Maddox in the TV series adaptation of the Scream franchise.
Michael Gladis as Paul Kinsey: The liberal, Princeton-educated copywriter Paul Kinsey is played by Michael Gladis. Gladis also played Lt. Matias in Terminator Genisys and Charlton Townsend in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
Jared Harris as Lane Pryce: Lane Pryce, the English financial officer who joins Sterling, Cooper, and Draper’s new firm, is played by Jared Harris. Harris has also played Professor Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Ulysses S. Grant in Lincoln, and Valery Legasov in Chernobyl.
Jessica Paré as Megan Draper: Megan Draper, Don’s third wife after Betty and the real Don’s widow, is played by Jessica Paré. Paré later starred in the military drama series SEAL Team and appeared in the movies Hot Tub Time Machine and Brooklyn.
Ben Feldman as Michael Ginsberg: Copywriter Michael Ginsberg is played by Ben Feldman. Feldman got his start when he played the lead role of Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate’s stage adaptation on Broadway. He has since played Ron LaFlamme in Silicon Valley and Jonah Simms in Superstore.
Jay R. Ferguson as Stan Rizzo: Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s art director and Peggy's eventual love interest, Stan Rizzo, is played by Jay R. Ferguson. Ferguson previously played Taylor Newton in Evening Shade and went on to play Ben Olinsky in The Conners.
Kevin Rahm as Ted Chaough: Don’s self-proclaimed rival, Ted Chaough, is played by Kevin Rahm in Mad Men. Rahm also played Kyle McCarty in Judging Amy and Lee McDermott in Desperate Housewives.