Vincent Kartheiser on 'Mad Men,' Pete Campbell, and the impossibility of being happy
Josh Lasser 03.24.14 5 years ago
The PaleyFest panel this past Friday focused on AMC's "Mad Men," which is beginning the first half of its final season in just a few weeks. That makes it a perfect time to reflect, look at the evolution of the characters, and wonder about them and the actors who portray them.
HitFix's Melinda Newman chatted with Vincent Kartheiser, who plays Pete Campbell, at the event, and led off by asking if Pete could ever be happy. Kartheiser doesn't think so, but then, Vincent Kartheiser isn't sure anyone can be truly happy.
In his response, the actor talks about the history of happiness and where the idea comes from. His answer, however, is best summed up by the following portion, "You can be content. You can feel secure. You can be at peace. Happy? Happy is a giddiness, it's a frivolous emotion really. Not to say it's worthless or I don't enjoy it, 'cause I do, but… it's not something that you can really achieve."
Do check out the rest of the interview, because it doesn"t only focus on such weighty topics – also tackled is Pete"s split from his wife and the distribution of their assets as well as Pete"s parents not taking an active hand in raising him. Who knows, maybe Pete"s life has affected Kartheiser"s worldview.
While that interview is above, below you can find the PaleyFest "Mad Men" interviews we"ve done with Jessica Pare, Robert Morse, and Kiernan Shipka.
TOPICS#Mad Men
TAGSMad MenPALEYFESTpete campbellvincent kartheiser