ELISABETH MOSS
LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL: Have you been surprised by the way Mad Men has infiltrated pop culture?
ELISABETH MOSS: In the beginning we had no idea how it was going to go and how the show was going to do. You hope this is the one, and you hope you get to make more. But it has invaded pop culture in a way I never ever thought would happen. You can’t really think about that kind of thing, though, because it’s so crazy.
LAC: You’ve been an actress since you were eight years old. How have you managed to avoid the path of so many other child stars?
EM: I think the fact I wasn’t super famous when I was little definitely helped me… and ballet. I was always dividing my time between acting and dancing, so I didn’t put all of my priorities on acting—it wasn’t life or death for me. I had something else that I loved as well. I didn’t care whether I got a part or not because I had to get to ballet class—it allowed me balance.
LAC: We have to talk about your upcoming wedding to Saturday Night Live’s Fred Armisen. Can you tell us a little about what you are planning?
EM: I think we’ve decided [we’ll get married] this fall. It’s not that far off, and it’s fun planning a wedding—nothing but an amazing experience for us. We agree on everything, so that’s good. It’s going to be a really fun, special day, and I can’t wait. We both can’t wait.
LAC: You did a Broadway stint in David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow. Was it a dream come true to be on Broadway?
EM: It was one of those things that when I got the job I cried. It was just such a dream come true for a young actress to be on Broadway, and it completely fulfilled my idea of what it was going to be like. And we got not one but two great reviews from The New York Times, so that wasn’t so bad.
LAC: You have a film, Did You Hear About the Morgans?, coming out in December with Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant. Tell us about that.
EM: It was a dream experience. First of all, Sarah Jessica Parker has been one of my idols for many years, and she’s a beautiful person. She exceeded all my expectations. The movie is just an old-fashioned, screwball 1930s comedy. It was great to do some physical comedy, which I don’t usually get to do.
LAC: You’re an LA native, live on the Upper West Side of New York now, but shoot the show here in LA. Do you miss Los Angeles since you’re no longer based here?
EM: I get to spend time in both places, so I get the best of both worlds. LA will always be my hometown. I know where everything is; I know the streets really well; I never have to ask for directions.
LAC: When you come to LA what places do you like to go to?
EM: The Sunset Tower Hotel—I adore that place. I plan on living there one day if I can have my way. And there’s a sushi restaurant, Sushi Park. I hesitate to even mention it because I don’t want a lot of people to start going there. It seriously has the best sushi ever. It’s just a little establishment in a strip mall, very unassuming, and it’s fantastic.
LAC: Lastly, if you had to sum up what Mad Men is about in one sentence, what would you say?
EM: I would say it’s about people. It’s about us really, and I think that’s why people like watching it; they see themselves in the show. The whole idea of art—in my perspective—is to give you a chance to see yourself and your life, and it gives you something you can identify with. At the same time you want a departure from your life, and I think we provide both.
