So Mad Men’s Vincent Kartheiser Has Gone A Little Weird
In the ramped-up media cycle that happens before a season return, you can expect a show's stars to go a little crazy. But Pete Campbell maybe went crazier than that?
Vincent Kartheiser is an odd guy. The actor, who plays the smug Pete Campbell on Mad Men and just got married to Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), goes down stairs sideways, is given to outbursts of song, and told a journalist back in 2010 that, after tiring of the empty consumerism inherent in celebrity life, he started throwing out all of the freebies he got, then all of the things he had – and then, apparently, his toilet: “I don’t have a toilet at the moment,” he told the UK Observer. “My house is just a wooden box. I mean I am planning to get a toilet at some point. But for now I have to go to the neighbours. I threw it all out.”
He’s gotten a toilet installed since then (and please stop asking about it, everybody), but that hasn’t stopped Kartheiser from being a little bit strange. In the midst of an exhaustive promotional cycle for the new season of Mad Men, a junket with the cast was held at an L.A hotel.
It’s understandable that after months of a cast promoting their show through interviews, the cast of the show would be tired of interviews; sometimes, this means an actor clams up, gets moody or just gets bored. Not Vincent Kartheiser, though. He ran up six floors instead of taking the lift, and Vulture let the resulting burst of energy play out as much as it needed to. Because often that’s the best kind of interview to read.
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On Twitter:
I think it’s stupid. I wouldn’t even know how to … It just gets into your life. Even if you’re not in it, it gets into your life. A couple of days ago someone was like, “Hashtag round butt!” And I was like, “What’s a hashtag? Is it some sort of hash? Like, ‘Tag, you’re it! Haaaaaash!’” And they were like, [yells] “No! You know! Like, hashtag, man! Hashtag!” And I was like, “No. I’m a fucking adult.” But apparently hashtag has something to do with Twitser. Twizzler. Twizzler? Is it Twizzler? I love their licorice.
… Personal expression has become a form of entertainment, and that’s very sad. You used to have to earn your position to have a microphone in your mouth. Now everyone in the world has their own little soapbox to talk about what they want. I guess it’s good. What do I know? I sound like an old man, don’t I? Don’t answer that. What do you want to ask me?
On spoilers:
Vulture: Matt Weiner has said definitively that Pete would not be committing suicide this season. What do you think about that?
Vincent Kartheiser: That means that he probably will be committing suicide this season.
Are you calling him a liar?
I’m saying if Matt gives you a spoiler, there’s probably a reason.
How far are you along in shooting the season?
It’s hard to say. I mean, they kept shooting. I got killed off in, like, episode six.
On keeping secrets:
I save my scripts, actually, then once the season is out, I just throw them away. They do have an industrial shredder that you can go to and shred it. I bring my other stuff there.
Junk mail? Bills?
Who shreds their bills? Get over yourself!
On Community:
[Whispers.] I don’t really watch TV. I mean, I do, but I don’t watch that kind of TV.
Comedies?
I watch some comedies, but not that one God, I sound like an asshole. I watch news and sports. I love to watch Top Gear and BBC shows.
Like Doctor Who?
Nooooo. I don’t watch that, I watch …
Dramas?
Nooooo. Noooo, I don’t watch dramas. I don’t really watch scripted stuff.
BBC World News?
Yeah.
Do you watch this show?
Which show?
Mad Men.
Oh, Mad Men. I thought you meant a show you’re on. Who are you with?
On pre-season peanut butter and jelly rituals:
We do a whole episode of Welcome Back Kotter. [Laughs.] It’s intense. No. Really. We have a peanut butter and jelly party … The women put jelly all over themselves and the men put peanut butter and we run full speed and bop! We bounce. It’s a much hairier party than you think it is. Okay, no, we don’t have any rituals.
On living in the moment:
I try to live in the moment. [At this point, he gets up and grabs a purple pillow off a couch.]
What is happening?
Just put your shoes on this for a second. Yeaaaah.
Does that make you feel better?
They kind of match! They’re both purple! It’s kinda nice.
I feel bad stepping on it.
That’s okay. I was rubbing my ass on it all day.
Anything to keep your mood up.
I wasn’t in a good mood this morning. I was so depressed.
Why?
Because it’s fucking Saturday and I’ve worked every day this week.
Me, too.
Oh, please. I would kill for your schedule.
On being slightly manic:
[Picks up a bunch of folded-up pieces of paper and whispers] I’m going to hit you right in the face with this! [Flings. Misses.]
Are you going to keep trying? I’m going to block it.
[Flings. Misses.] Ooooh. Okay, go ahead, ask more questions and I’ll shoot fake footballs at you.
Okay.
This is fun, isn’t it?
So fun.
[Flings. Misses.]
So, Trudy —
[Flings. Misses, but it’s close.] Oh, that one was pretty good!
That was close.
Copy that.
Remember you have a punchable face.
[Laughs. Flings. Misses.]
Does Matt Weiner tell you —
No.
On the interview:
You didn’t get anything, did you?
This will be my best interview all day.
[Yells to the publicist standing outside the room.] Did you hear that?
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Mad Men returns to Showcase in Australia with a two-hour season return on Monday April 8 at 4.45pm, four hours after it airs in the states.