The new additions to Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (Seasons 4-7) in Mad Men. Beware of spoilers.
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Stan Rizzo
Played By: Jay R. Ferguson
The new artistic director at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Seen at first as a Sucksessor for Sal Romano, his cocky mannerisms and political grandstanding dies down as the firm nears disaster. Much of his obnoxious behavior is tolerated because he's quite good at his job.
- '60s Hair: He starts the series with a crewcut, until he starts growing it out in Season 6.
- '70s Hair: By the end of the series he grew from a crewcut to a fuller mane and beard.
- Ambiguously Jewish: He has a large poster of a man who appears to be Moshe Dayan
hanging over his bed. On the other hand, his name is stereotypically Italian. - Big Beautiful Man: He's always been tall and built, but later put on some weight with a visible belly along with facial hair; nobody complains and he's found sexy.
- Big Brother Instinct: Revealed to have this for his late cousin Robbie, when the latter died in Vietnam, Stan really took it hard.
- Big, Thin, Short Trio: The Big to Michael's Thin and Peggy's Short.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer
- Casanova Wannabe
- Character Development: He goes from being chauvinistic and rather full of himself, to being understanding and caring towards his co-workers, especially Peggy.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Portrayed by the 5'11" Ferguson, and as of "Person to Person" gets together with the more petite Peggy.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Given the events of Person To Person, one can see Stan encouraging Peggy to go to Paris with Mathis's brother-in-law in Severance just for her to loosen up, as this trope.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: Peggy would be the first to say he does have an ego and New Business reveals him to wrestle with that and a crippling insecurity about his work, one that a client is able to use for getting the upper hand on him.
- Jerkass: At first, but not so much in later seasons.
- Jerk Jock: At least in appearance.
- Ladykiller in Love: Is a Casanova Wannabe and had some one night stands, yet is revealed to be in love with Peggy.
- Major Injury Underreaction: While high on the energy booster given to him by Cutler's doctor, he has the others try to hit a piece of paper with a picture of an apple on it that's above his head with their pens. Michael tries and ends up hitting his arm with a craft razor that was in the pen-cup. Stan responds with an "Aw Crap" that sounds more like he spilled water on himself.
- Odd Couple: His officemate is Peggy. They even keep in touch after Peggy hops over to Ted Chaough's firm; later after the merger and a few breakups between them, they can arguably be called an Official Odd Couple.
- Only Sane Man: Is a Creative with co-workers like the irreverent and unprofessional Mathis, a few other immature copywriter guys, a stressed out Peggy who lives for work, a few bosses who've been here and there, and Cloudcuckoolander Michael Ginsberg.
- Raging Stiffie: In his introductory episode, when Peggy challenges him to put his money where his mouth is and work, alongside her, in the nude.
- The Stoner: In season six, he's constantly seen smoking marijuana in the SCDP offices. He gets away with it because he claims to do better work when stoned.
- Team Dad: Became this; Michael calls him "a Mother Hen" and pretty much keeps his own wits together in the face of an alcoholic boss, a boss with a Small Name, Big Ego, a Cloudcuckoolander colleague, and a copy chief he's in love with who tends to get nervous and is Married to the Job.
- Took a Level in Kindness: While he still has some very brash moments, Stan is unquestionably much more kind-hearted and noble than the loud obnoxious fratboy he started as. (Discovering pot seems to have helped.)
- Understanding Boyfriend: Been the platonic and non-fantasy sort for Peggy and finally officially her romantic partner at the end of the series.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Stan and Peggy settle into this relationship until they declare their love for each other in the series finale.
Faye Miller
Played By: Cara Buono
A marketing researcher hired by SCDP, and probably the healthiest of Don's post-divorce relationships, until he screws it up.
- '60s Hair: Pageboys, flips, elaborate buns, her hair runs the gamut of hairstyles popular with modern working women of the era.
- Career Versus Man: She is strictly a business woman. She has no real interest in raising a family, and is absolutely terrible at understanding and talking to children, which, given her career, is something that she's deeply self-conscious about.
- Conflicting Loyalty: She has to build the proverbial Chinese wall to insulate her clients and remain professional, but Don's irresistible charms manage to tear it down.
- Dropped a Bridge on Her: Don dumps her over the phone, because she refuses his invitation to discuss bad news face to face.
- Foil: To both of Don's wives Betty and Megan. While Betty was a traditional housewife who was very harsh with her children and judgemental of others, Faye is awkward yet patient with Sally and encourages Don to perform the hardwork of self-improvement. Faye also accepts Don for all his flaws and encourages that work while Megan sees Don the way he wants to be seen.
- Informed Judaism
- Nice Girl: She's quite kind and understanding, and believes in the value of kindness and understanding in dealing with people as opposed to force.
- Schiff One-Liner: Her last line is a spot-on definition of Don.I hope she knows you only like the beginning of things.
Michael Ginsberg
Played By: Ben Feldman
Michael: "Look on My Works, Ye Mighty, and Despair!"
Stan: "Should read the rest of that poem, ya boob."
A Jewish copywriter hired in Season 5. He's good at his job, but rather eccentric.
- Ambiguously Gay: He has never been in an on-screen relationship, has repeatedly turned down women (even bluntly telling them that he's not interested) and has been questioned multiple times by other characters about whether or not he likes girls. He also admits to Peggy that the office computer's data waves were making him "excited" looking at Stan's shoulders.
- Big, Thin, Short Trio: The Thin to Stan's Big and Peggy's Short.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Despite generally being polite to people's faces, he has a habit of insulting them behind their backs.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Subverted. His eccentricity initially made Peggy refuse to hire him.
- Celibate Hero: Still a virgin by choice.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Although he can turn it off. He ultimately turns out to be a deconstruction when he cuts off his nipple to prove his love for Peggy and gets carted off, most likely to an institution.
- Conspiracy Theorist: He becomes convinced that the IBM computer is turning everyone gay.
- Dark and Troubled Past: He was born in a concentration camp.
- Deadpan Snarker
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Inverted, Stan and Peggy care for him, but he tends to insult them to their faces or act like he doesn't like them.
- Genius Ditz: Don realizes most of SCDP's recent campaigns came from Ginsberg. Ted calls him "lightning in a bottle."
-
Harsher in Hindsight: He tells Peggy that he's a Martian child waiting for further instructions. At the time it's unclear how serious he's being, in hindsight doubly so. - Men Can't Keep House: The apartment he keeps with his father is a mess.
- Morris Ginsberg: You can't sew... Cook... Clean. You don't think there's a reason you have all these flaws? You need a girl.
- Motor Mouth: He never shuts up.
- New Technology Is Evil: He's convinced that the IBM machine is plotting to replace all the humans at SC&P.
- No Social Skills
- Sanity Slippage: Ginsberg's neurotic tics and paranoia are mostly played for laughs, but in hindsight were clearly the early symptoms of very serious mental illness. He ends the series being dragged away to be institutionalized.
- Token Minority: Roger ordered Peggy to hire him against her better judgment simply because Roger believed that every ad agency needs a Jew.
Dawn Chambers
Played By: Teyonah Parris
An African-American secretary hired in Season 5. So far seems to be doing just fine in the world of SCDP. Worked for Don, which for awhile led to some jokes. Then after Don was (temporarily) on leave, she worked for Lou and became Office Manager after Joan left for Accounts
- '60s Hair: She wears a curly bouffant hairdo, later her hair looks a bit more relaxed.
- Brainy Brunette: Has dark hair and is a very competent, observant, and intelligent character who knows how to navigate the office politics of SC&P.
- Fun with Homophones: Dawn sounds just like Don, her boss. The Running Gag about their names gets old really fast to Don.Harry Crane: I don't know how I'll be able to tell you apart.Dawn: Everybody keeps saying that, but it really hasn't been a problem.
- Generation Xerox: Can be seen as this for Peggy (despite being around the same age): both come from working class backgrounds with a mother and sibling, both dress rather simply with rarely any frills, and both are observant participants that started working for Don and grew more of a backbone.
- Kicked Upstairs: While Dawn is competent enough, the real reason why she is promoted to office manager is because Joan has nowhere else to put her and will not fire Dawn for something that is other people's fault. The promotion is also Joan's way of getting back at Avery and Cooper for making her job difficult for petty reasons. Dawn does not mind.
- Non-Promotion: After reluctantly helping to instigate some office drama in "To Have and to Hold", Dawn is nominally punished by Joan with some new responsibilities: Joan places her in charge of the stockroom and time cards. Dawn, however, seems to take this in a more positive light. In season seven, this comes back to help her, as it gives her the qualifications to be promoted to Joan's old role as office manager after Joan switches to being an account executive.
- Only Sane Employee: Notes in "Mystery Date" that everyone at SCDP drinks a lot. Later in "To Have and to Hold" she tells a friend:"Everyone's scared there. Women crying in the ladies’ room. Men crying in the elevator. It’s like New Year’s Eve when they empty the garbage there. There’s so many bottles!"
- Plucky Office Girl: Peggy was thrown off guard upon hearing that Dawn has no intention of trying to become a copy writer, and is happy with being a secretary. As of "To Have And To Hold", she is put in charge of the keys and a season later, she becomes the Office Manager after Joan moves to Accounts.
- Put on a Bus: The last we see of her was when she walked off with her co-workers after the agency has been absorbed.
- Sour Prude: Not pronounced, she tends to be very friendly with flashier co-workers and enjoys a deep bond with sexy Shirley, but one episode had her lamenting her dating life since it's hard to stand out with all the "harlots" at her church.
- Token Minority: One of four African-Americans to even have a speaking role on the show.
- Discussed in an episode which pointed a bit of spotlight onto her, where she tells her other black friends that she is terrified of taking any sort of risks at the office because she is the only black person there, and feels like she is at risk of being fired any moment.
- Took a Level in Badass: Starts off as a unfailingly polite and obedient secretary that's afraid to rock the boat at work; Season 7 shows her telling off Lou for his sexist, rude, and racist behavior and getting promoted to Office Manager and telling off Roger for attempting to fire her, Shirley, and Caroline over an oversight. She then, along with the rest of the staff, turn their backs on the partners and walk off after they make the announcement that the agency has been "absorbed" into McCann Erickson.
Bob Benson
Played By: James Wolk
An accounts man hired in season 6, and the show's biggest brown-noser since Pete in the first season.
- '60s Hair: Wears his hair in the popular short and conservative, but natural looking, "Dry Look" cut.
- Aborted Arc: The story arc about him being an impostor like Don is never mentioned after Season 6.
- The Bus Came Back: He returns from Detroit in "The Strategy" and leaves the agency the same episode.
- The Charmer: Very polite and presentable. It definitely helps with clients even if his co-workers still see Bob as a kiss-ass.
- Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: Does this twice in "The Strategy", once with the Chevy exec he's bailed out from police custody, and once when he's trying to convince Joan to marry him.
- Hidden Depths:
- In the office, he seems totally indiscriminate (and pretty obvious) about currying favor with the higher-ups, but during the hospital scene in "Man with a Plan", Bob shows he can actually put his self-effacing charms to good use, tactfully manoeuvering the nurse into sending in an agonized Joan right away.
- "The Quality of Mercy" reveals that he can speak Spanish.
- He seems to be genuinely horrified to learn that Manolo killed Pete's mother. Not that it stops him from taking petty revenge against Pete for accusing him of being an accomplice to murder.
- Karmic Jackpot: Uses his manipulative powers for good when he takes Joan to the hospital and persuades the nurse get her seen by a doctor ASAP. Later, when his name comes up in a list of employees to be let go, Joan requests that he be allowed to keep his job.
- Manipulative Bastard:
- In "The Quality of Mercy", Pete learns that Benson's references are all lies. He relies on his charm to deter anyone from investigating his past so he can have jobs he is completely unqualified for. In other words, he's a younger Don Draper.
- In "In Care Of", he easily uses Pete's very poor driving skills to humiliate him in front of the Chevy execs, causing Pete to be taken off the account, which is re-assigned to Bob.
- In "The Strategy", it's implied that the reason he's always been so friendly with Joan — though he genuinely does like her as a person — is because he was setting her up to eventually become a "cover" relationship for him. Unfortunately for him, she immediately sees through this when he tries to propose, and becomes extremely pissed off when it turns out that the reason he made his move when he did was to help him secure an exec's job at General Motors.
- Nice Guy: To all appearances. Subverted when it turns out he's a conman.
- Professional Butt-Kisser: Good lord, he even offered to pay for Pete's visit to a brothel. Subverted, since it's implied in "Favors" that he is in love with Pete. It also seems to work with the Chevy execs, who fix it for him to get a position with GM stable-mates Buick when they get rid of SC&P.
- Put on a Bus: He moves to Detroit to handle SC&P's accounts there in between Seasons 6 and 7.
- Straight Gay: Like Sal before him, Bob avoids gay stereotypes at all costs because of the institutionalized homophobia of the 60s.
Lou Avery
Played By: Allan Havey
The new head of Creative in season 7, replacing Don after his suspension.
- Boring, but Practical: Why he got hired, more or less. His entire philosophy is basically "does it make the client happy? Good, then we're done", which is death to most of the other creatives at SC&P, but to business-oriented people like Cutler and Bert makes him the perfect hire.
- The Dragon: Essentially becomes one for Jim Cutler during the final season, as they both want to force Don out of the agency.
- Enemy Mine: Despite having a mutual dislike of each other, Lou and Jim Cutler are willing to collaborate to undermine Don's place in the company.
- Foil: He's the anti-Don Draper in quite a few ways; Lou is uncreative, completely straightforward, and guileless at nearly all times and a teetotaller. He's a hack and a jerk, but he's not prone to the drama and implosions of someone like Don.
- Hidden Depths: Although he's something of an unimaginative martinet in the office, he is also the creator of the "Scout's Honor" cartoon strip.
- It's All About Me: He refuses to nominate anyone else's work for the CLIO awards. Also insists that Dawn be reassigned because he wants one that he's not "sharing" due to her still taking messages for Don, though that's a reasonable complaint.
- Jerkass: Almost all of his time on the show is spent being an obnoxious, arrogant, condescending asshole.
- Kick the Dog: After Sally Draper appears in his office looking for her father, he condescendingly shoos her away and blames Dawn (because she wasn't there; he'd sent her to do a personal errand for him) and demands that Joan move her to another desk. Joan ends up appointing Dawn as the new office manager out of spite.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain:
- Lou finally manages to become a legitimate threat to Don when he starts to pursue Phillip Morris as a client. Since Phillip Morris is still upset about Don's anti-cigarette editorial, the only way the company will agree to hire SC&P is if they fire Don. The plan only fails because Harry accidentally tips off Don.
- He also very, very nearly gets Don to implode and lose his job immediately after his return by forcing him to work on Burger Chef with Peggy Olson as his superior, after having given Peggy a raise in order to get her on his side instead of Don's.
- Put on a Bus: In Season 7B, he convinces a Japanese studio to adapt "Scout's Honor" and moves to Tokyo.
- Pointy-Haired Boss: Lou is an incompetent hack and a sexist, racist asshole.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: After the events of the season 7 midseason finale, Lou has been sent off to run SCP's west coast office, presumably so the rest of them no longer have to share an office with him.
- Take This Job and Shove It: His last scene has him call Don to boast about being hired by a firm in Tokyo. Unfortunately for Lou, Don is too busy dealing with larger issues to even care.
Meredith
Played By: Stephanie Drake
The receptionist at SCDP, temporarily Lou Avery's secretary until replaced by Shirley. Seems sweet and a bit clumsy at her job.
- '60s Hair: Her blonde hair is long, bouffant styled (whether down or as a updo), with a flip, sometimes elaborate curls. She wears this well into 1970, when most young women are past that look.
- Beware the Silly Ones: She's usually very dense about when people insult her, but she isn't afraid to tell Joan off for talking rudely to her and throwing the model plane at her; in Season 7, she tells Don off for withholding information and joins her co-workers in their walk out.
- Butt-Monkey: Tends to be the butt of jokes in the show due to her childlike demeanor and subject to rudeness by others.
- The Ditz: Pretty much everything she says comes out sounding like she heard it somewhere else and is hoping it fits the situation she's in at that moment.
- Dumb Blonde: She has blond hair and is not very bright.
- Dumbass Has a Point: In "The Christmas Waltz", she may have needed to pick up the pace, but as she points out, Joan can't just throw a model airplane at her and later points out that McCann is an awful place to work at.
- Dumbass No More: "Severance" shows her more competent and efficient than ever; she is still naive and childish, though.
- Eating The Eyecandy: She develops a crush on Don in Season 7 and spends most of their scenes together staring at him lecherously.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Blonde and a cheerful sweetheart that proves helpful to Don.
- Hidden Depths: Towards the end of Season 7, she is revealed when helping Don find a new apartment to be quite talented at interior design, which she attributes to growing up as an army brat and having to move constantly.
- Idiot Houdini: Somehow, even after several mistakes, she never got fired.
- What's more, in season 7, she becomes Lou Avery's secretary temporarily after he decides that Dawn needs to be punished for her loyalty to Don Draper. The next episode, she's Peggy's secretary, and when Don returns to SC&P, becomes his secretary.
- Kawaiiko
- Military Brat: She tells Don in "Lost Horizon" that she's an army brat, after helping put together a mood board for decorating ideas for a new apartment.
- Nice Girl: Meredith is an incredibly friendly, sweet-natured and overall likable person.
- One of the Kids: Peggy tells Joan that Meredith has the mind of a child. Pointed out so brilliantly by Tom and Lorenzo at their blog in comparison to the more womanly Joan.
- Plucky Girl: Not as brainy and quick on the draw as Peggy and Dawn, yet she's cheerfully optimistic and proves competent at her job overtime. Then later when Roger had to fire her, as he can't support two secretaries and assures her she'll land on her feet, she replies "I always do".
- Took a Level in Badass: By Season 7B, she's more competent at her job and tells Don that he can't be withholding important information from her regarding her employment.
Caroline
Played By: Beth Hall
Roger Sterling's secretary, hired sometime around Season 4. Married and older than the other secretaries.
- '60s Hair: She wears a long, helmet-like pageboy that brushes her shoulders.
- Ambiguously Jewish: Has a Brooklyn or Queens accent and was seen wearing a Star of David pin◊.
- Butt-Monkey: Only a few times, with some jokes pointing out how she isn't as gorgeous as the other women in the office.
- Cool Old Lady: As pointed out by Tom and Lorenzo, she is very funny and she is also seen playing with Roger's grandson Ellery.
- Foil: To Shirley. She's more emotional, older, and not a stylish dresser.
- To Joan, who is also "old and married", Caroline is a image of what Joan doesn't want to become and while Caroline is frumpy and silly, she is very good-natured and doesn't take herself too seriously.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: In Lost Horizon, Roger remarks to Shirley that he doesn't care much for Caroline.
- Girl Friday: Goes beyond the calling of being a secretary due to her interest in the well-being of Roger and his family. She even wept when Roger's mother died and played around with Roger's grandson along with informing Joan that she's afraid Roger will have a very lonely Thanksgiving.
- Nice Girl: Friendly, warm, welcoming and enthusiastic of her co-workers and even cares for her employers' relatives.
- Prone to Tears: While competent at her job, she is very sensitive to what's going on other peoples' lives (enlightening both Roger and Joan about what the other is dealing with in separate occasions) and tends to cry when grieving or stressed out.
Clara
Played By: Alexandra Ella
A secretary hired sometime around Season 4, who works for Pete.
- '60s Hair: Flippy bouffants with blunt bangs, a stacked bun, shoulder length hair that brushes her shoulders, she has worn them all.
- The Cutie: Despite taking some of the most hostile venting of all the secretaries, she still seems to maintain a rather positive tune.
- The Fashionista: Later shown to be quite the clotheshorse, with several late 60s looks being paraded when she appears; even her maternity dress is fashionably short and bright colored and patterned.
- Hidden Depths: Apparently knows more about guns than Pete does, and points out to him that his little hunting rifle he's had since Season 1 is a squirrel-shooter at best.
- Put on a Bus: In the Season 7B premiere, Ken mentions to Pete that Clara left after becoming "big as a house" after being pregnant out of wedlock by a co-worker.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: The actress playing Clara became pregnant in Season 7A and it was written in.
- The Stoic: Doesn't let Pete's abuse or the ups and downs of the office get to her.
Shirley
Played By: Sola Bamis
First Peggy Olson's secretary before becoming Lou Avery's (and then temporarily Ken's and then later Roger's second secretary). First appears in Season 7.
- '70s Hair: In her first appearance (in 1969), she is the first main character with an Afro, that she maintains into the next year.
- Brainy Brunette: Dark-haired, sharp, and witty.
- Career Versus Man: She lampshades that her fiancee wouldn't agree to her working after they get married.
- Deadpan Snarker: About Peggy:
- Shirley: Who the hell is sending her flowers?
- And Meredith:Shirley: My goodness, Meredith. We should put a bell on you.
- The Fashionista: Wears the latest in late 60s and early 70s styles and works them just as well.
- Foil: To Caroline. She's young, stylish, and more composed in her manner than the older woman.
- Generation Xerox: Could be seen as this to Joan (even dresses sexy with the sass to match) and Peggy in when with Dawn; however, both are friendlier to one another and Shirley is unsure about giving up her job for marriage to her soon-to-be husband.
- Only Sane Woman: She becomes this when she works as Roger's second secretary and with Caroline, being the more composed and mature of the three.
- Put on a Bus: Or rather, she put herself on the track to a career in insurance, voicing that "advertising isn't for everyone".
- Sassy Black Woman: Compared to the more demure Dawn, yet doesn't behave that way towards her superiors.
- Sassy Secretary: Averted in that she doesn't act so with her bosses. In "Lost Horizon", she's a bit playful with Roger.
- Sexy Secretary: Oh yes! She may not flirt with guys in the office, but she has a very sassy demeanor and wears skirts revealing her legs.
Scarlett
Harry Crane's secretary. First appears in Season 5.
Played By: Sadie Alexandru
- '60s Hair: She wears her hair in elaborate updos (high buns, beehives, stacked curls) in a similar manner to Joan.
- Generation Xerox: She was clad with hair done in a way that mirrored Joan's style, only with a more Mod flavor and she's likely about a decade younger; like Joan, she is having an affair with her boss who is not known for being quiet about it.
- Sexy Secretary: It's hinted that she and Harry are having an affair.
- In "A Day's Work", Joan comments that Scarlett and Harry might as well be married.
John Mathis
Copywriter in Seasons 6 and 7.
Played By: Trevor Einhorn
- Epic Fail: His two pitches for Peter Pan peanut butter in "The Forecast"; especially the second where he tries to take a leaf out of Don's book.
- Never My Fault: Blames Don for the above, and gets fired — for not owning his mistakes as much for screwing up the pitch not once but twice.
- Sir Swearsalot: And in front of clients, too.
