Elisabeth Moss said she was brought to genuine tears on set after Jon Hamm improvised a particular scene in Mad Men.
Moss starred as Peggy Olson opposite Hamm’s Don Draper, with the pair sharing an emotional departure scene in Season 5, Episode 11 back in 2012.
Speaking to Vanity Fair in a new interview, Moss said the moment between her and Hamm “all felt very real” during filming.
“I had a very close relationship with Jon,” the actress explained. “There was sort of like a mentor/protégé relationship there, very older brother, little sister. And so it meant something to the both of us when we did this scene.”
Referring to the scene in which Hamm kisses her hand goodbye, Moss added: “That right there is real. That’s actually real tears, which you know, hate to break it to you, but often we’re faking it.
“He held onto my hand and didn’t let go and then kissed it. None of that was in the script and he did it on my close-up. Like, that right there is the real Jon.”
Moss, also known for her roles in The Invisible Man, The Handmaid’s Tale and Jordan Peele’s Us, said that she even asked the AMC production if she could keep Peggy’s dress from the scene.
“The only costume I have from Mad Men from all seven seasons, 90-something episodes, they asked me what costume I wanted to keep, and I said I wanted to keep that one because of that scene,” Moss said. “I don’t think it fits me anymore, but I have it.”
Moss’ former co-star January Jones, who played Don’s wife Betty Draper, commented on the Instagram video: “Uhhh, I didn’t get to keep a costume. I need to speak to the manager.”
Last month (October 12), Taylor Swift revealed that an episode of Mad Men inspired the title for her ‘Midnights’ track ‘Lavender Haze’.
“I happened upon the phrase ‘Lavender Haze’ when I was watching Mad Men and I looked it up because I thought it sounded cool,” she said, “and it turns out that it was a common phrase that was used in the ’50s where they would just describe being in love.
“Like, if you were in the ‘Lavender Haze,’ that meant you were in that all-encompassing love glow, and I thought that was really beautiful.”