January Jones (Betty Draper - Mad Men)

[Ilovedaintynuts]

I love Mad Men. Currently watching season 3. But I'm struggling with January Jones' acting. It's so bloody wooden, really really bad. Can't remember ever seeing such a bad actor in a high profile programme.
Anyone else? I just googled "january jones bad actress" and I'm clearly not alone

I know what you mean. I dont know if thats how she is supposed to be. Stiff upper lip type.

She's supposed to be like that - stiff, repressed and unsympathetic.

I think it's a test by the creators - are you able to sympathise with her oppressed position and the awful way Don treats her, or does her dislikability make it OK in viewer's eyes for him to treat her so badly?

She plays brittle very well indeed.

Oh I think she's excellent - her role is so interesting and complex. All that weirdness with the little boy who was her daughter's friend.

Nyac I think you're over thinking it. I get that she's stiff and repressed. I just feel I hold my breath with every scene she's in, waiting for her to fluff it.

For a beautiful woman she's damn wooden. Even her smoking is unconvincing, she looks a bit frightened of the cigarette.
Oh well I guess we all perceive things differently!

LOL at being told I'm overthinking Mad Men. That's pretty much what the show is about. Everything in it is complicated and subtle.

I'm with Nyac, she keeps a lot wrapped up. Or maybe I love Madmen so much I tell myself that as to think otherwise would spoil it for me a bit.

i love her role too, she goes a bit bananas as having to keep up the wholesome image.

i like her alot

I also agree with NYAC and think MadMen is definitely one of those programmes where you have to over-think it.

How unsettling her performance is - well that's the point as far as I'm concerned.

Remember when she calmly shot the neighbour's pigeons and nowt was said. That was odd.
We're on the season 3 box set, but having withdrawal this week as FH is on lates, and it would be a bit off to watch one without him.

Oh, I cant wait for the new season. I think its next week. I wonder what year we will find ourselves in?

am a bit peed off it's on sky atlantic now :(

So am I SEA. We won't see it for ages

I thought she was quite good?

I think she's supposed to represent the WASP Upper Middle Class/Ivy League Grace Kelly lookalike.

One of my favourite scenes is when she just goes out in her back yard and starts shooting down her neighbour's birds.

Her character is definitely cold and distant with her daughter and she plays that well.

I think its going to get very interesting as her daughter gets older

I was a bit to see the daughter doing a fashion spread in this weeks Grazia. Shes twelve

no she's a good character too and she looks like a child, not like all these weird disney clones

www.thefablife.com/2012-03-14/mad-mens-sally-draper-goes-glam-for-grazia-photoshoot/

I think she plays it well. Betty is very cold, brittle and doesn't show emotion until she loses the plot (like slapping Sally or shooting the birds). She gives me the impression that she's just managing to hold it together, but could have a meltdown at any moment.

I think she actually plays it really well and is meant to be like that. Very subtle rather tHan wooden. All the actors do a great job in that show.
She is perfectly cast.

I think shes very good as Betty - that very wooden, emotionless portrayal.

But I think she isn't actually an actress by profession.