Adored by men (and envied by women) for her hourglass figure, Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks is loving every minute of her success. She talks to Lina Das about relishing her curves, marrying ‘the best husband ever’ – and modelling Vivienne Westwood’s new jewellery collection

Can there ever have been a more magnificent TV creation than Mad Men’s Joan Holloway? The indispensable office manager of Sterling Cooper and its breakaway ad agency, Joan is a woman capable of filleting secretaries with a single glance and subduing men with her incredible embonpoint (‘How does she not fall over?’ one potential client enquired).

Her majestic curves and waspish pronouncements seem to give Joan all the approachability of a lipstick-wearing crocodile, so it’s a pleasure to find that Christina Hendricks, the actress who portrays her, is not only approachable
but fun and girlie, too. ‘I love playing Joan because she’s such a departure from who I am. In season one I thought, “Oh Lord, this woman is terrifying – I couldn’t be her friend!”, but now I think I would be friends with Joan because she’s so strong and pretty wonderful,’ says Christina, adding: ‘I’d just ask her not to tell me what she really thinks all the time.’

The situation with AMC’s Mad Men is a case where no news is not necessarily good news. Though many are proceeding under the assumption that the acclaimed drama will be back for a fifth season, a huge question mark — one shaped like a dollar sign — looms over the when, seeing as series creator Matthew Weiner has yet to renew his deal with Lionsgate, which in turn needs to negotiate a new pact with AMC.

“I know that there’s a Season 5 and we generally go back [to work] around May, June…. We’re just waiting for the word on when,” says Christina Hendricks, who plays pneumatic office manager Joan Holloway. “I’m anxious to get back and see what happens with [Joan], and to work with all my friends.”

In fact, so much work needs to be done toward hammering out each of the two aforementioned deals that some fret Mad Men won’t be ready in time for a summertime premiere. Hendricks, though, deems herself unqualified to broach that hot topic. “I’ve heard just as many rumors as anybody else about the scheduling,” she says. “It’s already a long wait in between seasons for the fans, so I hope they don’t have to wait any longer.”

Until Hendricks’ fans get their next Joanie fix, they can at least hear the actress voicing another fierce femme, ace reporter Lois Lane, in the new All-Star Superman animated film arriving on DVD this Tuesday. Here’s what she shared with TVLine about filling that iconic role:

TVLINE | Is your Lois plucky, strong-willed, hardheaded…?
Certainly! I think she has to be all of that, because that’s Lois Lane to me. If you’re going to play her, you must always remember those qualities about her.

TVLINE | What’s her take on dating the Man Of Steel (voiced by Desperate Housewives‘ James Denton)?
[Laughs] Well, it’s a life long dream, right? She’s been pining after him for years. And I think she holds her own with him, actually. She isn’t too intimidated.

TVLINE | What’s it like, as a voice actor, oohing and aahing over a Fortress of Solitude you can’t actually see?
This was my first time doing voiceover, so the oohs and aahs and sighs made me feel a bit silly at first, with the whole room looking at you. But the script was so well-written that it was very vivid as far as what these characters were responding to. One thing that was interesting to me is I enjoyed the movie so much that I forgot it was me a couple times. I was able to sit back and once in a while think, “Oh, wait, I’m Lois Lane. How cool!”