Kiernan Shipka reflects on growing up on ‘Mad Men’ and how the show protected her from adult content

Kiernan Shipka shares how ‘Mad Men’ shielded her from adult content while she played Sally Draper.

Kiernan Shipka, best known for her role as Sabrina on "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and Sally Draper on ‘Mad Men’ recently discussed how the show’s crew protected her from adult themes, even as her character witnessed some of television’s most iconic, complex family dynamics. Now 25, Shipka joined Jesse Tyler Ferguson on his podcast Dinner’s On Me to share her memories of the series, which she joined at just six years old. Despite her young age, Shipka says she remembers nearly everything from her seven-season experience, crediting the show’s creators for their care in handling sensitive scenes.

Reflecting on her on-screen parents, Don and Betty Draper, played by Jon Hamm and January Jones, Shipka noted how the team would often use props, like Hamm playing Words with Friends, to avoid exposing her to explicit content directly. Shipka recalled Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner emphasizing that while Sally Draper “saw everything,” the real Shipka “didn’t see much.”

Shipka revealed she had enough context for her reactions, such as Sally’s shocking scene of walking in on Don Draper’s affair, though the details remained shielded. Years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Shipka rewatched the series as an adult, finding new depth in her character’s emotions. While she’s since moved on to other projects, Shipka has expressed interest in revisiting Sally Draper, hinting that Sally’s story may still have room to grow beyond New York—potentially in Los Angeles.