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Margaret "Peggy" Olson is a fictional character in the AMC television series Mad Men, and is portrayed by actress Elisabeth Moss. Initially, Peggy is secretary to Don Draper (Jon Hamm), creative director of the advertising agency Sterling Cooper. Later, she is promoted to copywriter, the first female writer at the firm since World War II. She later joins Draper when he leaves Sterling Cooper to become a founding member of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. By the end of Season 4 she is effectively Draper's second-in-command in the creative department.

Biography[link]

Peggy Olson is initially presented as an innocent but determined young woman, eager to be a success in her job at Sterling Cooper after having graduated from the respected Miss Deaver's secretarial school. She was born on May 25, 1939^[1], and was brought up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York in a Roman Catholic Norwegian-American family. Peggy has an immense dislike of the double standard in regard to the vices of men and women and appears to be quite feminist in her views.

At Sterling Cooper[link]

In the first episode of Mad Men, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", which takes place in March 1960, Peggy's supervisor (office manager Joan Holloway, portrayed by actress Christina Hendricks) directs her in her duties as well as offering personal advice, which includes referring her to a gynecologist to obtain a prescription for the birth-control pill. When she meets Pete Campbell (portrayed by actor Vincent Kartheiser) for the first time, he makes rude comments to Peggy about her dowdy appearance. Later that night, after his bachelor party, Pete shows up at Peggy's apartment drunk. Despite his offensive remarks earlier at the office, Peggy sleeps with Pete that night. Months later, Peggy and Pete have another sexual encounter, this time on Pete's office couch, early one morning before other employees arrive.

In the fall of 1960, Peggy rips her skirt trying to pick something up off of the floor, which prompts her to begin to wearing baggy dress-and-jacket outfits. She also experiences noticeable weight gain (portrayed by Moss wearing a "fat suit" and facial appliances). Ken Cosgrove jokes to his male co-workers that Peggy looks like a lobster, because all her "meat" is in her "tail." Pete reacts strongly to Ken's remark and punches him in the face.

Joan makes snide remarks to Peggy about her weight gain, warning her that she will remain a virgin because of her appearance. Peggy informs Joan that she is, in fact, not a virgin.

At the end of Season One, which takes place just before Thanksgiving 1960, Peggy begins to have severe stomach pains right after she is promoted to Junior Copywriter, heading up the new Clearasil account. Peggy attributes the stomach pain to bad office food "from the cart," and heads to St. Mary's Hospital in Brooklyn. She is shocked and in complete denial when the doctor tells her that she's actually in labor. She gets up to leave, but immediately collapses, and the doctor orders her into the labor room. He also orders a psychiatrist to see her. She gives birth to a healthy baby boy.

Season Two begins 15 months later, on February 14, 1962, with a slim Peggy and no mention of the birth. Her long absence (which is not shown) is a mystery to the employees of Sterling Cooper. One co-worker cracks during a meeting that "Draper knocked her up and she's dropped nine pounds, eight ounces." Pete, however, has heard through office gossip that Peggy simply went to a fat farm.

Later during Season Two, it is revealed through a series of flashbacks that Peggy's mother and then very-pregnant sister have covered up Peggy's sudden disappearance from Sterling Cooper. They tell her worried boss, Don Draper, that Peggy is in quarantine with tuberculosis. Don becomes suspicious and seeks her out at the hospital, where he finds her in a terrible mental state (though it is not made immediately clear if he'd learned of her pregnancy), and realizes that her hospitalization is not due to tuberculosis. He encourages her to forget about the entire thing, giving her the advice he is often heard giving, to "move forward" and that "this" never happened.

Meanwhile, Peggy's sister, who has since given birth herself, is resentful of Peggy and tells their young new parish priest that Peggy seduced a married man, got pregnant, and was forced to give up the baby (it is later revealed that because Don visited her at the hospital, her family believed him to be the father of her illegitimate child). Throughout Season Two, we see the priest repeatedly trying to persuade Peggy to admit her sins in confession, but Peggy never does.

In the Season Two episode "The Jet Set," Peggy gets her hair cut from her demure ponytail into a shorter, more modern hair style. This was said to represent the upcoming change for women's style in the 60s.

During the Season Two finale, Pete asks Peggy to come into his office and sit down with him. Pete has come to the realization that he never should have married Trudy, and should have married Peggy, instead, when he "had the chance." Peggy reveals that she had his baby and gave it away two years ago (it is now October 1962, the same week as the Cuban Missile Crisis). This admission is particularly shocking and hurtful to Pete, as his wife appears to be infertile. Trudy wishes to adopt, an idea that Pete initially rejects, reconsiders, and then rejects again. Ironically, Pete now knows his own child was put up for adoption. Peggy finally walks out on Pete.

Peggy's sharp mind and creativity are recognized by Fred "Freddy" Rumsen, another executive at Sterling Cooper. After hearing Peggy's insightful remarks during a brainstorming session, Rumsen comments that her performance "was like watching a dog play the piano." She begins to write copy for advertising, and is soon promoted to Junior Copywriter. She is ambitious and her approach is compared to that of Don Draper. After Rumsen is fired, Peggy convinces Roger Sterling to give her Rumsen's office.^[2]

In Season Three (1963), Peggy's ideas for advertising, while respected, are frequently ignored. In particular, her comment that the proposed ad campaign for Pepsi's new diet cola Patio, involving a shot-for-shot remake of Ann-Margret's opening scene in Bye Bye Birdie would not actually appeal to the female target audience of the drink, is dismissed. When the ad in question is shot down by Pepsi (whose idea it was in the first place), she smiles a bit.^[3]

Due to the difficulties of commuting from Brooklyn, Peggy decides to move to an apartment in Manhattan; her mother regards this as an affront. Paul Kinsey, conspiring with one of the secretaries, pulls a prank on Peggy during her first attempt to find a roommate, after which Joan advises Peggy to make her ad about fun and good times. She finds a prospective roommate in Karen Erikson; her conversation with Karen reveals that Peggy is Norwegian, at least on her father's side (Karen is Swedish American, though Peggy tells her mother that Karen is Norwegian).^[3]

Peggy becomes involved with Duck Phillips at this time, and he makes a nearly-successful effort to lure her away to his firm. But she joins Don Draper and others in their new ad agency after Draper reassures her that he values her work.

At Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP)[link]

In the fourth season (1964–65) Peggy perseveres as a trusted member of the SCDP creative staff, despite lingering resentment and patronizing from most of the men she works with. Her affair with Duck has ended and she has begun dating a man named Mark. However, the relationship became strained as Peggy led Mark to believe he was her first. After a fiasco on Peggy's birthday when Mark planned a surprise birthday dinner, inviting Peggy's family, and she cancelled last minute due to work, Mark became furious and broke up with her. Peggy then becomes friends with Joyce Ramsay (portayed by Zosia Mamet), a Life magazine employee and a lesbian. Peggy develops feelings for one of Joyce's beatnik friends, Abe Drexler (played by Charlie Hofheimer); their relationship is almost derailed because of his subtle sexism and criticisms of advertising, but eventually blooms into a romance. Despite friction over Peggy's work life, she accepts Abe's proposal to live together in her apartment.

In the episode, Far Away Places her behavior appears to have mirrored Don's in the first episode: smoking, heavy drinking, manipulative behaviour and meaningless sexual encounters. However, Peggy's relationship with Abe develops when they move in with each other in At the Codfish Ball.

In the Season Five episode The Other Woman, Peggy accepts a job offer from another agency and quits her job at SCDP on the advice of Freddy Rumsen.

Peggy's relationship with Don Draper[link]

During Season Four (1964–65), Peggy's complex working relationship with Draper continues to evolve as he relies on her to handle important accounts. Peggy is often openly resentful of Don's demanding requirements and his refusal to express appreciation for her work, but is also conscious that he is the only one in the firm who views her as an equal to her fellow copywriters, notwithstanding her gender.

Their relationship is solidified when Don forces Peggy to work all night on her birthday. Though she is initially angry at Don for having to cancel dinner plans with her boyfriend to accommodate his work demands, they spend the night discussing their lives and Don reveals to her details of his past. Peggy helps Don through another drunken binge and defuses a confrontation between him and Duck Phillips, who shows up at the office searching for Peggy in a drunken stupor of his own. The two fall asleep on Don's office couch as he lies down with his head in Peggy's lap. Later that morning, a distraught Don weeps in Peggy's presence after he learns of Anna's death over the telephone. When Don tells Peggy that he has lost the only one in the world who truly knew him, Peggy tenderly places a consoling hand on his shoulder and replies, "That's not true." Later that day, Don conveys his gratitude to Peggy by pausing during an advertisement-related conversation and embracing her hand, briefly shedding his emotional unavailability and confirming their bond.

Peggy appears surprised and disappointed when Don announces his engagement to Megan Calvet, his secretary. Peggy congratulates Don, to which Don replies that Megan admires Peggy and considers her a role model of sorts. Peggy interprets the gesture as a backhanded compliment and in a private chat with Joan, she remarks indignantly that Don seems more excited about marrying his secretary than about her own success. Joan tells Peggy that Don is no less superficial and shallow than any of their other male superiors and that his engagement to Megan should come as no surprise.

References[link]

See also[link]

• PeggyOlson, a Twitter microblog based on the character

External links[link]

• Peggy Olson at AMCtv.com

v t e Mad Men Creator Matthew Weiner Characters Don Draper • Betty Draper • Peggy Olson • Pete Campbell • Joan Holloway • Roger Sterling • Lane Pryce Episodes Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5 Related articles Awards and nominations Category

Jon Hamm
Hamm at the Vancouver Olympics in February 2010
Born	Jonathan Daniel Hamm (1971-03-10) March 10, 1971 (age 41) St. Louis, Missouri United States
Alma mater	University of Missouri
Occupation	Actor, Director
Years active	2000–present
Partner	Jennifer Westfeldt (1997–present)

Jonathan Daniel "Jon" Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor best known for playing advertising executive Don Draper in the AMC drama series Mad Men, which premiered in July 2007. His performance on the show earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2008.

Early life[link]

Hamm was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Daniel and Deborah Hamm. His father ran a family trucking company and his mother was a secretary.^[1][2] Hamm's parents divorced when he was two, and he lived with his mother in Creve Coeur, Missouri,^[2] until she was diagnosed with terminal abdominal cancer when he was 10.^[3] Hamm then moved in with his father,^[4] who died when Hamm was 20.

Hamm's first acting role was as Winnie-the-Pooh in first grade. At 16, he was cast as Judas in Godspell.^[5] Although he enjoyed the experience, he did not take acting seriously. Hamm attended John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri, where he was a member of the football, baseball, and swim teams.^[6] Following graduation in 1989, Hamm enrolled at the University of Texas,^[7] where he was a member of the Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity.^[8] Hamm returned home to attend the University of Missouri after his father's death.^[7] At Missouri, he auditioned for and won a role in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.^[4] Other roles followed, including Leon Czolgosz in Assassins.

After graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English,^[9] Hamm returned to his high school to teach eighth-grade acting.^[2][4][10] One of his students was Ellie Kemper, an actress best known for her role on The Office and as Hamm's co-star in Bridesmaids.^[11]

Career[link]

Early work[link]

Hamm relocated to Los Angeles in 1995.^[12] He moved into a house with four other aspiring actors and began waiting tables while attending auditions.^[4]

He found employment as an actor difficult despite representation by the William Morris Endeavor.^[13] In 1998, having failed to obtain any acting jobs after three years,^[1] he was dropped by William Morris. Hamm continued working as a waiter,^[4] and briefly took a job as a set designer for a softcore pornography film.^[14] After repeatedly failing to find acting jobs, he set his thirtieth birthday as a deadline to succeed in Hollywood,^[5] observing that:

You either suck that up and find another agent, or you go home and say you gave it a shot, but that's the end of that. The last thing I wanted to be out here was one of those actors who's 45 years old, with a tenuous grasp of their own reality, and not really working much. So I gave myself five years. I said, if I can't get it going by the time I'm 30, I'm in the wrong place. And as soon as I said that, it's like I started working right away.^[4]

In 2000, Hamm was cast as firefighter Burt Ridley on NBC's drama series Providence.^[15][16] Hamm made his feature film debut in Clint Eastwood's 2000 space adventure Space Cowboys. His role consisted of one line. More substantial roles followed in the independent comedy Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)^[17] and the war film We Were Soldiers (2002).^[18] Hamm played the recurring role of police inspector Nate Basso on Lifetime's television series The Division from 2002 to 2004.^[15][16] Other television appearances included roles in What About Brian, CSI: Miami, Related, Numb3rs, The Unit, and The Sarah Silverman Program.^[15][16]

Breakthrough role[link]

Hamm's breakthrough role came in 2007 when he was chosen from more than 80 candidates^[14] to portray protagonist Don Draper in AMC's drama series Mad Men, despite initial concerns by director Alan Taylor and Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner that he was too handsome for the role. In the series, set in a fictional 1960s advertising agency, he plays a suave advertising executive with a mysterious past.^[19] Hamm recalled, "I read the script for Mad Men and I loved it. I never thought they'd cast me. I mean, I thought they'd go with one of the five guys who look like me, but are movie stars."^[20]

Hamm in November 2008

Mad Men debuted July 19, 2007, with almost 1.4 million viewers.^[21] It quickly developed a loyal audience, with both the show and Hamm receiving strong reviews. Robert Bianco of USA Today was complimentary of Hamm, noting that his interpretation of Draper was a "star-making performance".^[22] The Boston Globe's Matthew Gilbert called Hamm a "brilliant lead".^[23]

Hamm appeared in the 2008 science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of the 1951 film of the same name.^[24] Although the film received negative reviews,^[25] it was financially successful, earning $230 million worldwide at the box office.^[26] Hamm hosted Saturday Night Live on October 25, 2008,^[27] as well as on January 30 and October 30, 2010.^[28][29] In 2009, Hamm appeared in three episodes of the NBC comedy 30 Rock as Dr. Drew Baird, a neighbor and love interest of Liz Lemon, portrayed by Tina Fey.^[30] For his work on the sitcom, he received an Emmy nomination as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.^[31] On December 12, 2010, Hamm lent his voice to Fox's animated series The Simpsons, portraying an FBI supervisor.^[32]

Hamm's first leading film role was in 2009's Stolen, an independent mystery thriller in which he portrayed a father attempting to discover the circumstances surrounding his son's kidnapping.^[33][34] The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck stated that the feature never came together, and added that Hamm was unable to do much with his "underwritten role".^[35] Hamm had a voice cameo in the animated feature Shrek Forever After, released in May 2010, as an ogre named Brogan.^[36] Also in 2010, Hamm appeared opposite Ben Affleck as an FBI agent in The Town.^[37] Hamm was pleased that the film offered him a chance to play a role unlike that of Don Draper, explaining that he had received "about forty scripts that were all set in the 60s, or had me playing advertising guys."^[38] The film received generally favorable reviews^[39] and earned $144 million worldwide.^[40] Still another 2010 project found Hamm playing a defense attorney in Howl, based on Allen Ginsberg's 1956 poem of the same name.^[41] 2011 projects included roles in Zack Snyder's action-fantasy movie Sucker Punch and the independent feature Friends with Kids, directed by real-life partner Jennifer Westfeldt, which he helped co-produce.^[42]

He has a recurring role in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret as the servant of sociopathic billionaire Dave Mountford, the role of which is later revealed to in fact be a fictionalized version of Jon Hamm, complaining that being made into Dave's servant has made him need to be written out of the first four episodes of Mad Men.

Personal life[link]

Hamm with girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, 2008

Hamm has been in a romantic relationship with actress and screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt since 1997.^[3] They own homes in Los Angeles and the Upper West Side of New York.^[3][17] In an interview, Hamm stated: "We may not have a piece of paper that says we're husband and wife, but after 10 years, Jennifer is more than just a girlfriend. What we have is much deeper and we both know that. To me, people [should] get married when they're ready to have kids, which I'm not ruling out."^[43] Hamm, along with Westfeldt, has appeared in Gap advertisements.^[44] In April 2009, Hamm and Westfeldt formed their own production company, Points West Pictures.^[45][46] The couple are advocates of animal rescue and adopted a dog named Cora from the Much Love Animal Shelter in California.^[47]

Although his role as Draper requires him to smoke, Hamm gave up smoking when he was 24.^[48][49] Due to laws regulating workplace safety, he does not smoke actual cigarettes, but rather herbal cigarettes that do not contain tobacco or nicotine.^[49][50]

Hamm was named Salon.com's Sexiest Man Living in 2007,^[51] and was named one of People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive in 2008.^[52] Hamm won GQ's 'International Man' award in September 2010^[53] and was named one of Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year in 2008 and 2010.^[54]

Hamm is an avid golfer^[55] and a devoted fan of both the NHL's St. Louis Blues (going as far as appearing in two television ads for the team)^[56] and the MLB's St. Louis Cardinals.^[57] He narrated the official highlight film for the 2011 World Series in which the Cardinals won. Growing up, Hamm was a fan of the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals, who in 1988 moved to Phoenix, eventually becoming the Arizona Cardinals. Hamm states, however, that given the Cardinals' dismal performance during the 1970s, he adopted the Pittsburgh Steelers as his fallback team. Hamm cites the Steelers' success during the 1970s and his distaste for the Cowboys' prowess over the Cardinals as a reason for choosing the Steelers.^[58]

In March 2010, Hamm replaced actor Richard Thomas as the voiceover for Mercedes-Benz' S400 Hybrid ad campaign.^[59]

Filmography[link]

Hamm on the set of The Town in September 2009

Feature films[link]

Television[link]

Music Videos[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Rochlin, Margy. "Those Were the Good Old Days? Hardly". The New York Times. September 30, 2007. Accessed February 12, 2009.
• Alston, Joshua. "Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm: Get 'Bad,' Get 'Mad,' And You'll Get Glad". Newsweek. December 31, 2007. Accessed June 4, 2009.
• Hainey, Michael. "The Man In The Gray (Indestructible) Suit". GQ. January 1, 2008. Accessed June 18, 2009.
• Wilson, Benji. "Jon Hamm: Why Mad Men was an instant star". The Daily Telegraph. March 14, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.
• Seltzer, Ian. "Jon Hamm: Suave, Successful, Mad Man". ABC News. July 14, 2008. Accessed April 28, 2009.
• Ryan, Maureen. "'Mad Men' Calvacade of Stars, Part 2: Jon Hamm". Chicago Tribune. July 15, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.
• Guest, Jocelyn. "Jon Hamm of 'Mad Men' on the Future of Don Draper". New York Magazine. July 24, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.
• Neuman, Clayton. "Q&A – Jon Hamm". AMC. October 26, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.
• Wolf, Jeanne. "Jon Hamm's Sudden Fame". Parade Magazine. Accessed April 27, 2009.
• Hill, Erin. "Jon Hamm: 'Everyone Deserves a Little Good-Natured Ribbing'". Parade Magazine. March 11, 2010. Accessed March 11, 2010.
• Torvalds, Linus. "Pearls before swine..". LINUS' BLOG. February 28, 2011. Accessed May 24, 2011.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jon Hamm

• Jon Hamm at the Internet Movie Database
• Jon Hamm at Emmys.com

AMCtv.com - Jon Hamm Ultimate Fan Game

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2009)

Elisabeth Moss
Moss at the International Press Academy's 12th Annual Satellite Awards, December 16, 2007
Born	(1982-07-24) July 24, 1982 (age 29) Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1990–present
Spouse	Fred Armisen (m. 2009–2011)

Elisabeth Singleton Moss^[1] (born July 24, 1982) is an American actor. Her notable roles include that of Zoey Bartlet, the third and youngest daughter of President Jed Bartlet, on the NBC television series The West Wing (1999–2006), and secretary turned copywriter Peggy Olson on the AMC original series Mad Men (2007–present).

Early life and career[link]

Elisabeth Moss was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of musicians.^[2] She was first seen onscreen in 1990, when she appeared in the television film Bar Girls.

From 1992 until 1995, Moss appeared in seven episodes of the TV series Picket Fences, as Cynthia Parks. In 1993, she provided the voice of Michelle in the animated film Once Upon a Forest. That year, she appeared in the television remake of Gypsy, which starred Bette Midler. In 1994, Moss played Harvey Keitel's younger daughter in the film Imaginary Crimes. The following year, she appeared in the remake of the Walt Disney Pictures film Escape to Witch Mountain, and as a young Ashley Judd in the TV-movie biopic Love Can Build A Bridge, about the life and career of mother-and-daughter country music duo The Judds.

From 1999 to 2006, she played Zoey Bartlet in 25 episodes of the White House TV drama The West Wing. In 1999, she had a supporting role as a patient in a mental institution in Girl, Interrupted, opposite Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. That same year, she had a small role as Katie Brockett in the movie Mumford, playing the daughter of a woman with a shopping addiction. Moss went on to do Heart of America and three other films in 2004 before making the movie Virgin, for which she was nominated for a 2004 Independent Spirit Award. She also appeared in the film Day Zero.

She had a role in the 2005-06 science fiction series Invasion, and a 2007 episode of Grey's Anatomy entitled "My Favorite Mistake".

Since July 2007, she has played secretary turned copywriter Peggy Olson on the AMC dramatic series Mad Men, about Madison Avenue professionals. In 2009 and 2011, Moss was nominated for an Emmy^[3] for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.^[4][5]

Moss made her Broadway début in October 2008, playing the role of Karen in the 20th Anniversary revival of Speed-the-Plow by David Mamet.^[6] She also starred in the 2008 horror film The Attic, and appeared in Did You Hear About the Morgans?, playing Sarah Jessica Parker's assistant.^[7] Moss's West End début was as Martha Dobie, starring alongside Keira Knightley in Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour which opened at The Comedy Theatre, London on Saturday 22 Jan 2011.^[8]

Moss plays detective Robin Griffin in the 2012 BBC mini-series Top of the Lake, which also stars Holly Hunter and Lucy Lawless.^[9][10]

Personal life[link]

Moss became engaged to Saturday Night Live star Fred Armisen in January 2009,^[11] and married him on October 25, 2009 in Long Island City, New York.^[12] Moss and Armisen separated in June 2010, and she filed for divorce on September 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences.^[13] The divorce was finalized on May 13, 2011.^[14] In a March 2012 interview, Moss commented on her relationship with Armisen, saying "one of the greatest things I heard someone say about him is, 'He's so great at doing impersonations. But the greatest impersonation he does is that of a normal person.' To me, that sums it up."^[9]

Moss is a Scientologist.^[15]

Filmography[link]