Mad Maniston

Among other things, Matt Weiner's critically acclaimed Mad Men has been a boon to previously obscure actresses like Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks and January Jones. Whatever you think of Weiner's show, there's no question he conceives interesting female roles, and casts the right women in the parts.

Now, an actress who is not obscure but also ain't exactly on top of the heap artistically is about to find out if she can receive a bump from Weiner and his magic pen. If you can see the picture above, then you've already figured out who I'm talking about.

Yes, Jennifer Aniston is set to star in a new project by Matt Weiner. No it is not a TV show. It is instead an indie-level romantic comedy he wrote years ago and is expending some of his Mad Men juice to get made. Aniston will star alongside alleged former partner Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifanakis, with whom she has not been romantically linked as far as I know.

I don't know if this movie will be any good. I do know that Matt Weiner's name will always get me to go see the movie. Even if the name Jennifer Aniston makes me to run screaming in the other direction.

Betty Draper And Nic Cage?

Mad Men star and pro-shark activist January Jones has joined the cast of the Nicolas Cage thriller The Hungry Rabbit Jumps. The story, according to The Hollywood Reporter, concerns a man who hires a vigilante group to avenge the terrible crime committed against his wife. Naturally, the man lives to regret hiring the vigilante group.

Like I always say, if you've got a terrible crime committed against your wife to avenge, do it yourself, or pay a down-and-out relative to do it. Vigilante groups are nothing but trouble.

January, as you may already have guessed, will be playing the wife against whom the terrible crime is committed. Sadly, the movie is not set in the '60s, so January won't get to wear any of those awesome Betty Draper clothes.

I love January on Mad Men and I'm glad to see her getting juicy Hollywood parts, but I'm not sure hitching your wagon to Nic Cage's star is the best move right about now. The term "death spiral" comes to mind when pondering his recent career.

Further Proof That Ashton Kutcher Is A Moron

In the new GQ, Mad Men siren January Jones reveals that her ex-boyfriend Ashton Kutcher once told her she sucked at acting and should quit.

"[He] was not supportive of my acting," January says. "He was like, 'I don't think you're going to be good at this.' So – fuck you! He only has nice things to say now – if anything, I should thank him. Because the minute you tell me I can't do something, that's when I'm most motivated."

So let's see: Ashton told January that she should quit acting, but he encourages his idiot stepdaughter Rumer Willis to keep at it? Ashton knows talent like I know vaginas.

Mad Men Reads

Frank Rich on Mad Men vs. Woodstock.

Longish Mad Men Vanity Fair piece plus lots of fun Annie Leibovitz shots of Jon Hamm and January Jones looking sexy as fuck-all.