In honor of the season finale, I spoke with Jessica Paré, who plays Megan, about the season’s now-notorious first episode, where she sang “Zou Bisou Bisou,” a sexy yé-yé song (60s French pop genre), at a surprise party for husband Don. The scene was more than memorable: for television—and maybe for any other medium—it was an unprecedented fusion of the sexy and the excruciating. (Full disclosure: The Sexy and the Excruciating is the title of a spaghetti Western I will be writing and directing just as soon as the financing comes through.)
Bruce Handy: Did you know going into the season that Megan was going to make such a big splash?
Jessica Paré: First of all, coming back this season, I didn’t know if I would be back. It seemed likely given the way that last year ended [with Don’s proposal], but I kept telling everybody that all you have to do is open [the first episode] on a closed casket and we’re done with Megan. So I had no idea that I would be back. Then when I knew I would be back, I certainly had no idea in what context. So it was a huge surprise that episode one started with a big bang for Megan.
Did you just get a script, and you’re reading through it, and you turn the next page, and suddenly Megan’s performing this big sexy-excruciating musical number? Or did you get some advance warning that you were going to have some song and dance to do?
I did, yes. Somebody mentioned it. I think it was Matt [Weiner, the show’s creator]. He did give me a heads-up that I would have a song-and-dance number. “Megan sings a song to Don,” I think is what he said. But of course that doesn’t really give you a sense of what it’s going to be like—this horribly awkward but sexy, spectacular routine. So when he first said that, it didn’t really clue in to me. Then they booked me for rehearsals with this choreographer, Mary Ann Kellogg, and we had six hours on three separate days. I was like, O.K., this is going to be a bit more than I had anticipated.
Had you read the script? Did you know the context of the scene?
I hadn’t at all. I hadn’t yet. My first clue, to how big the scene was, was how much time they booked me with this choreographer. Then afterward, yes, I read the scene and I was pretty surprised.
When Matt did say, “Megan sings a song to Don,” my first thought was, “What is she thinking?” As an audience member you know what a terrible idea that is. I think, as you’re watching it, all the awkwardness comes from the fact that you know how much Don Draper’s going to hate this, experiencing this in front of all of his colleagues.
How do you perform that? I mean, the seductiveness combined with the awkwardness. It’s not you; you’re acting, of course. But I would imagine that’s a very tricky thing to calibrate.
As you said, yes, it’s not me; it’s the character. But ultimately it was Jessica who had to get up and perform a song and dance in front of the entire cast of Mad Men, who I’m just beginning to get to know. There definitely was some awkwardness on my part and a good deal of shyness. But I don’t think Megan’s awkward about it, at first. I don’t think she realizes until the next day at the office, when she walks in on Harry talking about her, how embarrassing it really was for her. That’s only in retrospect. In the moment she’s got no shame, no shyness. The awkwardness comes from everybody else. They—and we—know how inappropriate this is for Don Draper, the Don Draper that the audience and the office people know.
Do you have a musical-theater background?
Absolutely not. I did play Jesus in Godspell, in high school, because I guess I’m a nerd. But I don’t have a professional singing or dancing background at all. In a way the scene was a huge gift. Not only do I get to be on this incredible show—the best show on TV, arguably—but I get to go professionally sing a song in a studio, work with a choreographer for three days, and put together this number. It’s such a gift. It’s so exciting.
But you weren’t a showbiz freak in high school, like Rachel on Glee, singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” to the mirror?
No, not at all. I was a drama-class nerd. I did whatever school production we put on. I liked musicals, but . . .
Tell me about Megan’s clothes. I get the sense that the costume people have a lot of fun dressing you. They’ve started bringing a mod vocabulary into the show with Megan.
Janie Bryant, who does the costume design, is obviously so talented, and she’s got a handle on every one of those characters. If you look at their whole closet, the clothes are all so specific and so character-driven. For Megan, part of the fun for her is we’re bringing in the later 60s, even shades of 70s—well, not quite yet, but we’re going into the future with her. She dresses a lot differently than the other characters.
It’s a chance to be more stylish, and you have more of a model-style physique than the other characters.
I think you’re the only person who’s ever said that. [Editor’s note: doubtful.] The thing is, Megan is younger than the other women. Last year, she was more in office wear, although we had a lot of fun with that, too. But this year, she’s Mrs. Draper, and since she’s a bit young I wear a lot more color-block dresses, which is really cool, plus minis, that kind of thing.
What’s it like coming into a show with people who’ve been working together for three or four seasons, and you’re the new kid?
That’s intimidating, especially because it’s such a great show. I was a big fan of the show before I started working on it. You look at that ensemble, and they all work so beautifully together. They’ve been nominated for everything and they’ve received so many accolades. It’s intimidating. It feels like a big stage. But that’s very much countered by the fact that they’re all so wonderful and also easy. Part of it is that they know what they’re doing now; they know their characters and they know the relationships, and everything moves so smoothly on-set. I can’t believe how fucking lucky I am.
Watch Jessica Below-
Edited By Cen Fox Post Team
