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I have to give props to any woman who can capture and keep the attention of a man like the fictional Don Draper, even if she’s doing it while playing the role of someone else. In case you live under a rock and haven’t been watching season 5 of Mad Men, the woman to whom I’m referring is Jessica Paré, who plays Don Draper’s steamy second wife on the show. Jessica originally thought she was signed on to play yet another fling of Mr. Draper’s, and was surprised to learn one day that Don was going to propose to her character, thus securing her a regular role on the show. This type of trade-up in terms of roles has been typical of Jessica’s career, and I believe it’s only a matter of time before she trades in the small screen for marquee roles on the big one. Let’s take a closer look at this bilingual beauty, shall we?

Jessica was born in Montreal, and she speaks both French and English as a result of her upbringing. Her parents were both actors, and she fell in love with the stage while watching them rehearse for various productions. In high school, she landed her first “real” role in a TV movie, and she was thus convinced to pursue an acting career. In 2000, she auditioned for a bit part in the film Stardom and was awarded the lead role instead. The film closed Cannes that year, and Jessica became an “it girl” in her home country as a result.
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Jessica made her hollywood debut four years later in the Josh Hartnett-starring film Wicker Park. The same year, she starred in the short-lived CW drama Jack & Bobby.
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In 2009, Jessica starred in the vampire horror-comedy Suck, which won her a Canadian Comedy Award. In 2010, she had a small part in the hit film Hot Tub Time Machine.
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Getty Images/Frazer Harrison
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That same year, Jessica experienced a major career breakthrough when she was cast as Don Draper’s newest fling on Mad Men. Jessica’s role on the show has since grown more robust, and Jessica recently made headlines when her character opened season 5 by singing and dancing to the obscure french song “Zou Bisou Bisou.” The song was subsequently released as a single, and fans have been clamoring for ever-more Jessica.
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It’s fun to see Don Draper happy in love generally, but I think a lot of the onscreen sparkle as of late is due to Jessica, “bad” teeth and all. Though she doesn’t currently have any other projects announced to be in development, I’m confident that whatever she does next will have us as mesmerized by her as is her current TV hubby.
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Are you a fan of Jessica Paré? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.