A Few Minutes with Jackie Yates

With Mad Men back on the air and burning through an explosive fourth season at a blistering rate (surely there are not only four episodes left...!), Jackie Yates is suddenly everywhere. And little wonder, considering that she is coming off of her second consecutive Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Peggy Olson. When we talk, she is on her cell phone at Pearson International Airport in Toronto and attempting to hunt down a Tim Horton's. Her flight which had been delayed by an hour and a half due to stormy weather. Did that mean we had more than the fifteen minutes I originally thought I could count on? Yates laughs, and says that she doesn't think she can say enough interesting things for me to work with.

I would beg to differ, but readers, judge for yourself from these excerpts of our conversation, which unerringly gravitates toward Mad Men. (Yates rather determinedly steers away from all attempts to turn questions personal.) But be forewarned: if you do not wish to unceremoniously discover just who keeled over in the SCDP offices, now is the last chance to turn back.

Q. Let's start this off with the theme of this whole season: who is Don Draper?
A. Your guess is as good as mine, and miles better than Peggy's would be when it comes to the truth! But then, I think she's ahead of many others by a long mile.

Q. The two of them have really connected this season, beyond even that "I view you as an extension of myself" moment.
A. Definitely. They've had a lot of beautiful moments over the past few years. I mean, the show has essentially documented Peggy's life through her entire early 20s, from being Don's secretary to his confidante and a senior copywriter. And with every important thing that's happened in her life, Don has been there in some way, from her promotion to the abortion to even coming to SCDP. And here was this interesting reciprocation and connection, finally, with Don finally showing a bit of himself to Peggy and not saying that this never happened the morning after. They can be honest with each other, to a degree, and he trusts her with a certain level of power. They've come a long way.

Q. And now she's accidentally toppled over a dead secretary.
A. Executive secretary! Poor Mrs Blankenship. I loved her, she was such an amazing character, Randee [Heller] brought such a wonderful twist to the dynamic. And of course, now the office will never be the same.

Q. How do you feel about other new additions to the cast this season? The boys of creative, for instance?
A. Stan and Joey, you mean? They're interesting characters, very interesting. I'm pretty sure I like them more than Peggy does, and I like the idea of them in the context of the show more than I would like them as actual human beings. It's hard, as a woman in 2010, to be objective about that overwhelmingly misogynistic atmosphere that you couldn't escape a few decades ago. But then there's the line drawn, because my feelings don't have to match my character's. I appreciate Stan and Joey for the storytelling value, even though at the same time, the things they say and do -- flames, flames on the side of my face.

Q. Let's talk about that nude scene in the hotel room. How was it?
A. It wasn't a nude scene! I was dressed and everything, only quite strategically so, but everything was covered up. Besides, I've absolutely worn less while filming, so it really wasn't that big of a deal for me, though for Peggy that definitely shows a different side. But come on, we've been here for four seasons now: if I can't show my bits and pieces to this cast, I can't show them to anyone.

Q. So Peggy has had sex in the office, gotten pregnant before having an abortion, declared her intention to smoke marijuana, and fired a freelancer. Where do you see her going from here?
A. That's really not up to me though, is it? Her future progression, I mean. Peggy knows what she wants and what she should want, and I think she's doing a lot of growing up this season in terms of trying to recognize, along with so many of the other characters, just how difficult it is to reconcile the two. She has some professional success but isn't working in an environment where she can take respect for granted, and her romantic life is a bit in shambles. It's a very precarious balancing act.

Q. One that you're no stranger to yourself in real life.
A. I think I get by pretty all right.

Q. What do you see in the future for yourself? You have some film projects currently in the works.
A. Yes, I do. No Strings has wrapped and is in post-production. It's going to be out in January of 2011, and I'm really excited about that.

Q. We've seen you showcase your comedic timing in some priceless scenes this season. I don't think I'll ever forget her head peeking over the office divider at Don. But is it different to do a romantic comedy than to provide the lighthearted moments on such a serious show?
A. Oh, I don't think Mad Men is all serious all the time. There are so many funny moments! I think the show is all about finding the macabre humor in the darkest moments as well as the foreboding implications to the most lighthearted events. Because that's how life is, in a way: nothing's quite as simple as it looks on the surface. But of course we also have hours and hours to flesh things out in depth like that, whereas in a movie you have at most two hundred-something minutes so it's a lot more manic and fast-paced. But quite fun!

Q. Anything else to add before you're called for boarding?
A. Just -- for the record, I'm being given the stink-eye by a poor lady trying to manage her luggage cart. I'm not sure whether it's the luggage acting up or she really really doesn't want to hear me talk about my bits and pieces.