WEIRDLAND: Christina Hendricks explains the Arc of Joan Holloway in "Mad Men"

Saturday, June 09, 2012

Christina Hendricks explains the Arc of Joan Holloway in "Mad Men"

"In a series long driven by the exploits of Jon Hamm's Don Draper, Hendricks' Joan suddenly has found herself Topic A among the TV-viewing intelligentsia (the AMC show has averaged 2.6 million viewers this season).

In an era where great female roles are few and far between, a character that brims with sexuality (and just plain sex) is far from that of a bimbo. Instead, as a lightning rod for discussion about power, business, office politics, sacrifice and, frankly, every other complicated issue of the day, Joan is a Rorschach for our own deepest meditations on morality and ambition.

"The question is, what would you do to protect your family? Joan is raising her son all on her own. She has no help from anybody. So is it noble? Is it slutty? I don't know," says Hendricks, 37, who admits she has felt compelled to justify Joan's actions to the many friends and family who reached out after the show. Softer and gentler than the character she plays onscreen, she acknowledges she's still deeply conflicted about her character's decision

On her role of Joan on 'Mad Men': “I thought [she] was such a b**ch [at first], and I struggled sometimes trying to make her as real as possible because I thought, who would be so mean?

People always ask me if I’m worried about being pigeonholed as Joan, but there isn’t another character like her. The show takes place in the 1960s and has such a specific mood and quality to it.”"People always ask me if I'm worried about being pigeonholed as Joan, but there isn't another character like her," says Hendricks. "The show takes place in the 1960s and has such a specific mood and quality to it."

Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway and Jon Hamm as Don Draper in "Mad Men" (2007-2012)

Christina Hendricks (Behind the Scenes of "Mad Men")

So there's life after Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce? In her mind, absolutely. "Once you're out of it and modern Christina is in jeans and a T-shirt, you don't see Joan," she adds. "It's easy to imagine me as someone else." Source: www.hollywoodreporter.com

Christina Hendricks and Robert Morse (Bertram Cooper in "Mad Men")

Joel Murray (Freddy Rumsen in "Mad Men") with Christina Hendricks at "Mad Men Live Musical" Revue during "A Night on the Town with Mad Men" at the Hollywood Theatre, in Las Vegas

January Jones, Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss (Betty Draper, Joan Holloway and Peggy Olson in "Mad Men")

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