Throughout the seven-season span of 'Mad Men,' fans came to love Betty Draper and the rest of the characters on the show. But January Jones was really a standout as Betty, and she's only become even more popular since.
The thing is, though 'Mad Men' was perhaps January's highest-profile series to date, she wasn't a complete nobody in Hollywood before that. In fact, she's been active in Hollywood since at least 1999, though fans may have overlooked her resume pre-2007, the year she debuted as Betty.
While the gorgeous actress doesn't seem to age, January Jones is in her 40s now. Though she looks as young as ever, it's worth noting that her first film was actually in 1999. She played a role in 'It's the Rage,' a movie based on a play about how firearms affected each of the characters.
Maybe it wasn't a critically acclaimed blockbuster, but it was a start for the 20-year-old actress. Plus, films that came after on her resume were more recognizable by today's fans. In 2003, Jones had three films come out that were more widely viewed: 'Anger Management,' 'American Wedding,' and 'Love Actually.'
Then the next year, she played Eve in 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,' though it was hardly a leading role. Still, the opportunity to be on set with Patrick Swayze probably spurred her decision to accept the minor role.
January acted in a few other films before nabbing her role on 'Mad Men,' and though the titles may not be as recognizable as other projects, she did get a chance to work with industry greats like Tommy Lee Jones, Leelee Sobieski, Bruce Willis, Cate Blanchett, Billy Bob Thornton, David Duchovny, and even Brad Pitt.
Though her TV experience at the time was limited to a few pilots and appearances on 'Huff,' January was already rubbing elbows with tons of Hollywood staples when 'Mad Men' landed in her lap.
Although, it did take a mid-'Mad Men' film for the starlet to finally get to work with her childhood crush. The whole cascade of events was a near-miss, though, as January wasn't a shoo-in for the role of Betty from day one.
In fact, January talked about the experience of auditioning for 'Mad Men' sans the Betty character altogether. In an interview mid-'Mad Men,' when she debuted in 'X-Men: First Class,' January told W Magazine that originally, there was "no Betty" in the pilot. She auditioned for Peggy, reading two times, but lost out to Elisabeth Moss.
Undeterred, January heard a "casual mention" that Don Draper was married. Matthew Weiner, who was the creator of the show, immediately penned two scenes featuring Betty, and a few days later January auditioned for the part.
But it wasn't yet cemented in a contract or even a script at that point. Jones took a chance, and Matt was true to his word that he'd flesh out the character, and Betty took on a life of her own — carrying January through to true, well-deserved stardom.