January Jones

January Kristen Jones is an American actress born on January 5, 1978. She is best known for her role as Betty Draper in the television series Mad Men (2007–2015). Over the course of her career, Jones has appeared in various television series and feature films, earning critical recognition for her work in television drama.

Jones was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Karen Cox, a store manager, and Marvin Jones, an exercise physiologist. She was named after a character from Jacqueline Susann's 1973 novel Once Is Not Enough, and she has two sisters whose names also begin with the letter J, Jina and Jacey. Her family briefly lived in Hecla, South Dakota, before returning to Sioux Falls, where she later graduated from Roosevelt High School.

Jones began modeling in New York at age 18 after being scouted in high school. She modeled for brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Versace, Clearasil, and Kérastase, and appeared on magazine covers internationally, including Interview, GQ, Rolling Stone, and Harper's Bazaar. She later moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Her early screen appearances included a David Coverdale music video in 2000, followed by supporting roles in films like Anger Management (2003), Love Actually (2003), and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004). She also starred in the 2003 comedy American Wedding as Cadence Flaherty.

She took on roles in films such as Love's Enduring Promise (2004), The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), and We Are Marshall (2006). In 2007, she landed her prominent role as suburban housewife Betty Draper Francis in AMC's Mad Men, playing the character for seven seasons. Her performance earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. During this period, she hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2009 and appeared in the film The Boat That Rocked.

In 2011, Jones starred in the thriller films Unknown alongside Liam Neeson and Seeking Justice with Nicolas Cage, and portrayed Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class. She later co-starred in the feature film Good Kill (2014) opposite Ethan Hawke. On television, she portrayed Melissa Chartres in the comedy series The Last Man on Earth from 2015 to 2018. She subsequently joined the cast of Netflix's comedy-drama series The Politician in 2019 as Lizbeth Sloan, and starred as Carol Baker in the Netflix series Spinning Out in 2020.

In addition to acting, Jones joined the marine conservation organization Oceana in 2009 as a celebrity spokesperson for shark conservation, appearing in a public service announcement. She has also participated in charity events for the Los Angeles Mission. In her personal life, Jones gave birth to a son in September 2011. In 2025, she disclosed that she has experienced misophonia since her teenage years.