I started doing community theatre as a way to make friends, and that was when I caught the acting bug.

I've always been someone who really watches other people, human behavior. To watch it and be able to express it through your version has always been really exciting to me.

I was a goth girl in high school. Perhaps the powdered white face and the black lipstick were not the most attractive. I felt fabulous at the time but looking back, uh, probably not the best idea.

I've been telling everyone for weeks now about how I get to play Lois Lane. It's a big deal. There are a few characters throughout your life which everyone knows and this is one of them. I can't wait.

I have women coming up to me and saying: 'I love your character! She's so empowered. She takes control; she gets what she wants.' That's another side of her. And I respect that in Joan. She says and does things that I would never allow myself to do.

I would hope that people didn't think I was anything like Joan! It's very hard for me because Joan says such cruel things all the time. It sort of makes me cringe every time I read them because I think, 'Who could be so horrible?' To be able to deliver those lines and do them with a coolness, yet still make her likable, is a bit of a challenge.

I met a lot of young girls modelling and they were like, 'Oh, I'm running around town and people are taking my picture', while I was saving receipts and learning how to be self-employed.

We were probably the last people in the country to get a VCR and we didn't have cable. There wasn't any admiration of glamour, no, 'I want to look like them or have that lifestyle', because everyone in my town had the same lifestyle. So I didn't think, 'Ooh, a movie star's birthday!' I just thought, 'What?'

I dyed my hair about 42 different colours, and kids can be pretty judgmental about people who are different. But instead of breaking down and conforming, I stood firm. That is also probably why I was unhappy.

It just seemed so odd as people had never commented on my body before. Every woman obsesses over her figure, but I was happy, I felt sexy - I never thought about it. I know this sounds naive, but I honestly never expected this kind of attention.

Some of the things people have said about me, well, they're unbelievable.

I'm an ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and one of the children, his wish was to go to the Emmys, so he's going to be my date, along with my husband, and my dad and his girlfriend. So we're going to have a really fun night and it's going to be really exciting. I'm really excited for him to experience that.

I adore the incredibly tight clothing! My own wardobe's changed - I've streamlined a little bit and definitely learnt from Joan's sleekiness and tailoring.

Everyone assumes we're always going to have a cocktail and a cigarette in hand. Fans expect us all to be dressed up all the time. They always say to me, 'You look so young. You don't seem as tall!'

We have defined these characters - people always expect to see me in a pencil skirt. When they see me out of one - much like when they see Jon Hamm's hair when it isn't slick - they say, 'Wait a minute, you're all 2010!'

I think Joan's advice would be: always know more than anyone else, always be discreet as possible. And never cry at work.

I tend to take things personally. But I can only take so much, and then I jump back. I have strong survival skills.

As women, we feel we can't ask for things. There's been a lot of research done recently and, more often than not, if a woman goes in to ask for a raise, she'll get it. But she's thinking, 'Do I deserve it? I've got to give a list of why I deserve it.' Whereas a man will just go in and ask for a raise. It's so scary.

I had been on several shows that were meant to be the big ones, that would go on forever, and they didn't.

I know plenty of people who don't have children. And I also get a lot of people who say, 'Thank you for speaking out; my family don't understand why I don't want kids.'

I just thought I would work in a hair salon and do community theater.

Getting to wear beautiful fashion is the most fun part of the job that has nothing to do with the job.

Caftans are just the perfect solution to what to wear at home. I love Camilla Franks', but I also get great vintage ones on eBay.

I sort of feel like 'Mad Men' fans are like sci-fi fans because they are very, very devoted, and they're very loyal and very excited about it.

I have classic and feminine taste. I'm definitely drawn to vintage-inspired and ladylike things. I like an accentuated waist, and a strong shoulder works well with my figure.

It is tricky because I do wear a lot of vintage on the red carpet, and usually when I'm getting ready, I'll say, 'We need to make sure that I don't look like I'm in a Scorsese film today.' Sometimes I do something a little bit more modern with my hair. You have to mix it up.

I like the old-fashioned, vintage-inspired swimsuits with halters and maybe a little ruching, and the longer cut that's almost short-shorts, like Ava Gardner used to wear a lot, right?

I love anything that's sort of surreal and with fantasy.

Back when I was modeling, the first time I went to Italy, I was having cappuccinos every day, and I gained 15 pounds. And I felt gorgeous! I would take my clothes off in front of the mirror and be like, 'Oh, I look like a woman.' And I felt beautiful, and I never tried to lose it, 'cause I loved it.

I don't think it's not feminist to use every tool you have to succeed, and part of that is being a woman - presenting yourself in a certain way.

Over the years, it seems 'Firefly' has only gained momentum rather than lost it. I still get letters from people who watched the show - I get more 'Firefly' than 'Mad Men' letters.