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What is it like playing a woman on Mad Men?

It is amazing playing anyone on this show. I fortunately get to play a very strong character, so I get a little less berated than some of the other women.

What did you think of the script the first time you read it?

I thought it was the best script I had read that season. I desperately wanted the part and was terrified that I wasn't bringing anything to it in the audition – but thankfully I got it.

It is a very different era, would you like to have lived then?

There are certain elements of the 1960s that are interesting, like fashion and femininity, but we can still do that now. We can have the best of both worlds. We can dress any way we like, be good mothers and also have our career and be the head of a corporation. So no I would never want to go back to 1960.

Is it enjoyable to play such a strong woman?

It is really fun, I have never played a character like this. She is so confident and I think it has been good for me as a person actually. I have learned some things from her.

The character of Joan is written so beautifully and there are so many levels to her. She can be pushy and a bitch, but she can also be a very tender and loving person.

How different is your life now?

We haven't had a free weekend since we started this season, which is something that is very unusual to me. And we will go to work and people will say, "did you see the Post, did you see the Times or did you see this?" – it has just been really exciting. So much is happening so quickly that we haven't even been able to keep up with it.I've got to tell you, my parents are very proud.

Joan is very modern, do you think she is ahead of her time?

I do think she is ahead of her time. She is a career woman, so that is sort of new to the time, and she is very proud of it. I think she is exceptional at her job, but then other women would probably argue and say that she is using her body and her femininity to get what she wants.

For me, Joan is played with heart and soul in many ways.

Thank you. I think she is. Matt said recently, "We want to show Joan right at the beginning because she is one of the mad men". She is in the office and she is holding her own.

Have you ever worked as a secretary?

I have never worked as a secretary. I was a receptionist at a hair salon, so I did take appointments over the phone and I loved that job. I was really good at it. It was nice to go to work and know what you are meant to do and to be able to do it well.

Any other odd jobs?

I worked at a tuxedo shop helping guys rent tuxedos for weddings and proms and things, but I was sort of a punk rocker back then. I had black hair and big boots, so these guys would come in looking for a tux for a special occasion – I had to clean myself up a little bit.

How did you get into acting?

I was modelling for many years. I modelled in London and Japan and Italy and then I moved out here and I started taking acting classes. I have been plugging along for many years now.

This is the fourth series I've worked on, but it is my first series that has had a second season. I feel like a curse has now been broken.

What was it like going from being a model to an actress?

Even when I was a model, I never felt like a model. I just never felt like I really belonged in the group. It was a way for me to get closer to acting. I think I've proved myself enough to not be categorised. I was just a model who worked and paid my bills.

Who are your idols?

Cate Blanchett for sure and Meryl Streep of course. I also really love Emily Watson, she is extraordinary. I think these are my top picks.