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EXCLUSIVE: As AMC’s flagship series Mad Men gears up to start production in October on its sixth season, series’ producer Lionsgate TV is working on locking down the period drama’s key cast members January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser, Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks. Star Jon Hamm last year signed a rich, three-year, eight-figure deal that will keep him on Mad Men through the seventh and likely final season of Matthew Winer’s Emmy-winning drama.
Now I hear January Jones, Elisabeth Moss and Vincent Kartheiser have reached agreements with Lionsgate to continue on the series for two more seasons: Season 6 and 7. (In a recent interview, Weiner suggested that we will be seeing more of Moss’ character on the show.) When all i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed on the deals, one of which is still being finalized, I hear Jones, Moss and Kartheiser are poised to receive significant salary bumps well into six figures per episode. I hear Hendricks is also looking at a similarly big pay hike but her new deal is still being negotiated.
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Hendricks should get virtually what Hamm gets. She is KEY, in my opinion.
After this last season, she is definitely the best thing on the show.
Hamm is the star and a producer on the show. Why should Hendricks get the same amount that he does?
There is no weak link on this superb series. They all deserve to be handsomely rewarded.
While I love Christina Hendricks I don’t put her in the same category as Moss and Kartheiser. They are second and third in the credits. Look at both the Lady Lazarus and The Phantom montages. Don, Peggy and Pete are the stories we are going to follow all 7 years IMO.
Now I totally agree that Hendricks has risen to the forefront and had an awesome year. I also agree she’s essential to the show but I have no doubt in my mind that Moss is the lead actress.
I AM surprised January Jones is getting potentially 6 figures. If that happens I’m worried her screen time goes up enormously. I like Betty but I think her story is ancillary. Don’t get me wrong, I really like Betty. But her stories take focus off of SCDP and that’s what I want to see. Certainly compared to Hendricks I just can’t see her getting the same salary.
Which brings me to Christina Hendricks. I hope for two things: one that she is not holding out for a significant status increase (like being declared female lead or seeking more pay than Moss) and two that they are not low-balling her because that would stink. In either case (asking too much or offering way to little) I would be dissappointed. I think she belongs in the same pay range as John Slattery.
Specifically:
Hamm — THE lead
Moss — female lead
Kartheiser — Beta male to Hamm’s alpha
then..
Slattery and Hendricks
Jones
and the rest year by year. They may have made a deal with Slattery in S2 as he was kind of a breakout star for them in S1 and he had enough stature to demand a longer contract. But I’ve also heard in the past that year by year was how the contracts were done (up until Hamm’s contract last year).
Now Slattery has more acting credits and tenure in the industry so he may do better than both Moss & Kartheiser but I’d be surprised. He kept saying all he wanted was to be vertical (still alive) at the end of S7. Hendricks credits are no more impressive than Kartheiser’s and less than Moss’. There’s some mighty complex SAG rules out there so I don’t know what will factor in.
Finally, I hope they don’t change credits order. I don’t want Pare moved up and I don’t want any of the people I listed above moved down.
Sorry for the wordy… just had a lot of thoughts here.
Yes, except this is a visual show and Christina Hendricks’ Joan IS the Mad Men’s brand identity, second only to Jon Hamm. She commands top dollar.
It’s very possible Hendricks becomes ranking female lead next year, with less screen time for Peggy working for a rival agency.
Betty’s story is no more ancillary than Peggy’s who no longer even works for SCDP. Betty’s been sidelined for two seasons so I think she deserves a prominent story line next season.
Except that Jones is limited in range and Moss is twice the actress.
The only thing they should be negotiating with Jones is an exit strategy. Nothing against the actress, but her story line is done. Every time they went back to her last season, the show came to a screeching halt. She has nothing to do any more with the events at SCDP, and even her involvement with Don has boiled down to seeing the kids shuttle back and forth between houses. Who cares about that?
Who are you to say her story line is done? Are you Matthew Weiner? Didn’t think so.
BREAKING BAD it ain’t, but it’s still one of the best. Jones is the only weak link. Like david Chase, Weiner has trouble saying no after a character has outlived her usefulness.
I totally agree.
I’ve said since Season 1, Joan will eventually be running Sterling Cooper…and should be paid for doing so.
Mad Men is the rare show where there truly isn’t a weak link….and we need to see all of them in as many episodes as possible. It was apparent this past season the MW, et al, in order to save money reduced the number of episodes for each of these actors. It didn’t work…please fix this!
Interesting that Hendricks is holding out. She certainly does not deserve to be paid more than Moss, if that’s what she and her agents are thinking. I’m guessing they are holding out to see if she wins the Emmy. And I know people may find it weird, but Weiner has said that Jones actually was one of the more expensive people to cast due to her credits in film prior to the show airing. Plus, he seems to want to keep the core cast to the end.
Hendricks was incredible this season. From the nuanced and sublime banter between Hamm and Hendricks in “Christmas Waltz” to hitting a home run in “The Other Woman,” I’d be so relieved to have this stellar actress become the lead – if her SCDP promotion and center framing in the partners group photo is any indication – next season.
The remaining cast is pitch perfect as well and I love them all. Exception reserved for Jessica Pare who, comparatively, doesn’t have the skill or control of the other actors and therefore sticks out like a sore thumb when thrown into that mix. Please, no more Pare on Mad Men.
In a Golden Age of television drama, it is the best show on TV hands down. Possibly the second best show of all time after The Sopranos. (The Wire may or may not be in front of it).
And Six Feet Under.
And Breaking Bad.
And Homicide: Life on the Streets