Mad Men’s Jessica Paré is a stunning vision on the cover of Fashion Magazine’s March issue, which hits stands February 17.
Jessica Paré is a stunning vision on the cover of Fashion Magazine’s March issue
And she looked just as lovely as a team prepped her hair, make-up, and wardrobe behind the scenes – pictured in a variety of luxurious garments on the roof of a building.
The 33-year-old actress looked patient and at peace as her hair was primped and sprayed and clothing touched up – flashing the occasional megawatt smile.
Jessica stars in Mad Men, a show in which the styles and costumes play a central role in creating that immaculate sense of authenticity.
In an exclusive interview with the magazine, the French-Canadian actress discussed the show’s stylistic influences.
‘The references are everywhere!’ she said. ‘Old Vogue photos, Sears Roebuck catalogues and campaigns are taped up in the make-up trailer and dressing room. They inform so much of the characters.’
Her wardrobe on the show evolves along with her character.
‘I wore a lot of bold colours…defined looks that included a lot of fabrics with no pattern,’ Jessica said. ‘Then, in season five, Megan becomes the boss’s wife and a copywriter, so you see the evolution of her style.
‘She begins to take risks, and has confidence with clothes. She thinks, “I can pull anything off!”‘
The beautiful brunette hails from Montreal, in which people tend to have a similar attitude toward fashion.
‘Dressing up is a big deal in Montreal—there is some wacky sh*t that goes on in that city, fashion wise – but it’s really all about being an individual and having your own voice and expressing yourself,’ Jessica said.
It seems her current boyfriend could be a keeper, given that they share a Montreal connection.
‘I do want kids,’ the Wicker Park star confessed. ‘I am dating [musician] John Kastner—who is also from Montreal. We’ve been together for four years so we have discussions.
‘There’s something about meeting someone from your hometown… you have a lot in common with them. Montreal is a special place in the world to be from—there is nowhere like it so we understand each other.’
Furthermore, Jessica revealed her most challenging scene on Mad Men.
‘It would have to be the last episode of season six when Don tells her they are not moving to L.A.,’ she said. ‘I didn’t want Megan to cry in the last—I wanted her to be strong and stand up to Don and not take his sh*t anymore.
‘I wanted to say “that is not f*cking fair—you do everything for you and you don’t do anything that considers me!” Not crying was actually more difficult. I can cry all day long—that’s easy for me. I live for those kinds of scenes.’
Though the show is rife with juicy drama between many of the male and female characters, Jessica sees the importance of the female friendships.
‘They make all the difference,’ she said. ‘If you go back and look at that episode in season five, there is a scene where Megan and Peggy became friends.
‘It was important for the audience to see that they’re not being competitive or cutting each other up. It helped people side with Megan as a character that the two of them genuinely like each other.’
A self-professed feminist, the Lost and Delirious star derives some of her strong will as a woman from female role models such as actress and singer Marlene Dietrich.
‘She’s got this raunchy kind of strength,’ Jessica said. ‘It would be hard to find a man who could come up with something hard for her to handle.
‘She’s seen it all and done it all. I read her biography as a kid and it stayed with me since.’
Perhaps it is those like Marlene whom have bolstered her spirit as a woman.
‘Of course I’m a feminist…’ Jessica said. ‘If you’re not for the equal treatment of men and women, then you’re a fascist.’
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