January Jones Biography

Date of Birth
5 January 1978, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA

Birth Name
January Kristen Jones

Height
5' 6" (1.68 m)

Mini Biography
January Jones was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but was raised in a small town of some 400 souls in the Mount Rushmore State for the first decade of her life. January is her real name, as she was named after "January Wayne", a character in Jacqueline Susann's potboiler Once Is Not Enough (1975). She worked at the All-American job of counter girl at Dairy Queen after school.

Her father was a teacher, and the family eventually moved back to Sioux Falls, the largest city in South Dakota. After graduating from Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, she moved to New York City to become a model. Despite her lack of height (5'6", which is short for a fashion model), she got modeling gigs, including Abercrombie & Fitch ads, because of her striking good looks. However, modeling was just a means to an end, to get out of South Dakota and avoid going to college.

She got her first taste of acting from TV commercials and found that she had flair for it, even though she did not act in high school and had no training. January appeared in a couple of TV pilots and a cable TV show before making her big screen debut in All the Rage (1999), an indie that never got a real release. She followed it up with a small role in the teen thriller The Glass House (2001).

Her actual debut in the sense of attracting attention was in the near silent role of the beauty who entices Jane Fonda's son, Troy Garity, in the Bruce Willis-Cate Blanchett-Billy Bob Thornton comedy Bandits (2001). It was not a career-making part. At the time the movie was released, she was ending a three-year relationship with Ashton Kutcher.

Small roles followed, including a "don't blink or you won't see me" part in the Adam Sandler-Jack Nicholson comedy Anger Management (2003). She gained some career traction with a good role in another comedy, American Wedding (2003), a sequel to American Pie (1999). Until she landed the part on "Mad Men" (2007), which made its debut on AMC in 2007, her career was steady but undistinguished.

"I choose roles that are not me", January has said. The role of Betty Draper has garnered her two Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy nomination as Best Actress. Her cool, Grace Kelly-ish blonde ice queen looks -- counterpointed by her soul burning in her bright blue eyes -- have established her as a retro icon of the 21st Century.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Jon C. Hopwood

Trivia
Dated Ashton Kutcher [1998-2001]

Worked at the Dairy Queen.

Makes her own Jewelry.

Went to Roosevelt High School

Former Abercrombie & Fitch model

Became a model at the age of 18, leaving her South Dakota home for a life in New York City.

Honorary Official at the Oct. 4, 2009 Sprint Cup Price Chopper 400 at the Kansas Speedway.

Sister of Jina Jones and Jacey Jones.

Measurements are 33-24-34 (as of 2008).

Was in a relationship with Jason Sudeikis (July 2010-January 2011).

Originally auditioned for Peggy Olson in "Mad Men" (2007), a role that eventually went to Elisabeth Moss.

Expecting her first child in the Fall of 2011 [April 29, 2011].

Voted No. 12 on the 2011 Maxim list "Hot 100" women.

Personal Quotes
Why not show off if you've got something to show?

I choose roles that are not me.

I was in lingerie on a trampoline and I had to jump into the air for eight hours. My legs were starting to buckle.

I feel as though my career really hit its high point when I was cast as a supporting actress in American Wedding (2003). I thought the script had a lot of depth and intelligence, and it really just jumped off the page.

[On her "Mad Men" (2007) character]: I don't judge Betty or necessarily understand her. The audience is passionate about her. After season one they wanted her to speak out against Don and his infidelities. Then in season two, when she did, there was a huge reaction against Betty. They want her to talk - just not too much.

[On moving to New York] I was excited to be independent, but I was also naive--I just wanted to be rich and famous. I lived in an apartment near the Empire State Building. There were a billion girls in New York City who wanted to be models. After a while I was immune to rejection, which helped when I went out to L.A. to become an actress. In modeling, the criteria is purely aesthetic. So when I got to L.A., I didn't care if they said I was too small, too blonde, too pretty, or not pretty enough.

January Jones