January Jones

January Jones: biography

This gorgeous blonde-haired young woman appeared on the screen at the beginning of 2000-s. The role of Cadence Flaherty in the movie American Wedding has become a remarkable role of the actress. After this role and a couple of other roles, January Jones has become famous as a bright actress of secondary characters.

And the role of the housewife Betty Draper in the popular series Mad Men has opened the doors to the world of the leading characters to the actress.

The actress and model January Jones was born on the 5th of January, 1978 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The parents of the future star got married as they had common professional hobbies: her father Marvin Roger Jones was working as a fitness coach, and her mother Karen Sue worked as a manager in the sporting goods store.

In the family, there were born three daughters – January, Jacey, and Jina. The girls have Czech, Danish, British, Welsh and German roots. The future celebrity who was called in honor of the character of Jacqueline Susann's novel Once Is Not Enough - January Wayne was growing a gadabout. When she graduated from Roosevelt's school, she told her parents that she didn’t want to continue her education and was going to concentrate on the model’s career.

On her path for success, Jan, the way her relatives called her, went to New York. Despite her low height (168 cm), the charming blue-eyed blonde succeeded in concluding a couple of contracts with the agencies. In due time the actress was the face of Abercrombie & Fitch, Clearasil brands, it means, she advertised almost everything – from expensive swimsuits to acne medicine.

Once she managed to take part in TV commercials. The girl felt so natural in front of the cameras that the director of the video praised her. She was surprised that it was easy for her to get into the character as she never studied dramatic arts and never before took part in the plays.

Meanwhile, Jones' model career began to take off, she has gained popularity and got the job in the center of world fashion – in Paris. But the blonde wasn’t captivated by the model future anymore, she was dreaming about the career of the actress. And soon she has turned the next page of her biography.

"I’m not tall, so I could hardly manage to promote myself in this sphere. But here I have learned to analyze myself, to be independent and how to react when someone", - the actress confessed later.

Movies

However, when Jones has chosen a new profession, she again refused to receive the necessary education.

"I wasn't going to attend the courses of acting skills. In my opinion, it only spoils your skills. What would I learn here? To burst into tears by request and to choke with laughter?", - she has told in one of the interviews.

Jones relocated to Los Angeles and began to look for the roles on TV in the company of her new boyfriend – Ashton Kutcher. Every day she attended long-lasting auditions, and at last, she has got results: Jan took part in the little-known movie It’s The Rage (1999). Then there followed the roles in the pictures Bandits (2001), Full Frontal (2002). The girl received episodic characters, though the cast on the movie set was really remarkable - Bruce Willis, Cate Blanchett, Julia Roberts, David Duchovny.

The same year there was released the thriller Taboo directed by Max Makowski in which Jones has performed the role of Elizabeth - one of the victims for whom the maniac was looking. The picture was premiered at Sundance Film Festival and received positive feedback from the movie critics.

In 2002 Maxim magazine included January in the list of 100 Most Beautiful Women. It’s possible that this contributed to the fact that in 2003 Jan let her episodic roles and began to receive significant severe offers of the roles. In the movie Anger Management, she played the role of one of the patients called Gina of psychiatrist Dr. Buddy Rydell. And in the film American Wedding she played the full-fledged secondary roles in the image of Cadence Flaherty – the leading character’s sister.

The role in the romantic comedy has brought popularity to January; she began to enrich her filmography with many movies. The audience saw their favorite actress in the film Love Actually, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004). In 2005 Jones has proved that she also could perform in the dramatic roles. In the movie The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada directed by Tommy Lee Jones, she played the wife of the main character – Lou Ann Norton who couldn't bear living in the solitude of the border town and ran away from her husband in the tragic moment of his life.

In 2007 the destiny smiled to Jones, and she became successful for long eight years. This is the period for which the series Mad Men has lasted. This series tells about the life and rights of the American society of the middle sixties. Mad Men are the employees of Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency who lose their mind in the pursuit of a glamorous and comfortable life.

The plot is focused on the married couple: the head of the agency Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and his wife Betty Francis (January Jones). Jan has embodied the character of typical Hitchcock’s heroine – a wealthy woman, cold and alienated, suffering from neurosis who regularly breaks down on her children and who is unhappy in her marriage and her life as well. For her role of Betty Draper Jones, more than once was nominated for Golden Globe and Emmy Awards.

During seven seasons the spectators were watching who the plot and the relations of the characters were developing. This successful project at once paid attention of the directors and producers to the actress of Betty’s roles. That’s why at the same time with the shootings in the series the actress took part in other favorite projects. For example, she played the role of Elenore in the British musical comedy The Boat That Rocked, Kim Brody - in the famous series Law & Order.

In 2011 the celebrities managed to get the role in the movie Unknown with the participation of Liam Neeson. Also, she received the role in the new screen adaptation of the comics X-Men: First Class where she played the role of the "ice" mutant Emma Frost. It’s also worth noting such leading roles of the actress as the victim of violence Laura Gerard in the movie Seeking Justice (2011), the former prostitute Sarah Ramírez who can't start the new life because of the ghosts of the past in the drama Sweetwater (2013).

In 2014 the picture there came out the picture Good Kill with Ethan Hawke and January Jones in the leading roles. The movie was included in the program of the 71st Venice Film Festival and was shown at Toronto Film Festival.

Personal life

The love affair with Ashton Kutcher at the beginning of her conquering of Hollywood lasted for three years – from 1998 till 2001. It was said, that the actress was obliged to her boyfriend for her first roles in Hollywood.

But Jan denied the rumors, and said that Ashton never believed in her acting skills and repeatedly told:

"She won’t be successful in Hollywood."

The blonde began a relationship with the singer Josh Groban in 2003. They have been together for nearly three years, and their admirers were waiting for their marriage. Though, the artists broke up because Jan became engaged in the shootings of the series Mad Men and had a busy working schedule.

In 2010 the actor Jason Sudeikis appeared in the personal life of the actress, but their relationship has hardly lasted for a year. The actress hasn't commented on their separation. She only told that she felt herself well even being single.

"I don't like to live with somebody. I don't like to be surrounded by a crowd of people. I have a couple of friends. This is enough for me not to go to the bars on my own", - she has made a point in the discussions of her personal life.

In 2011 the fans with delight reacted at the news that their favorite actress became a mother: On the 13th of September, the woman gave birth to her to Xander Dane Jones. According to the versions of the tabloids have that Mathew Vaughn – the director of X-Men and the husband of the supermodel of Claudia Schiffer can be the child’s father.

Jan appeared on the movie set of the series Mad Men already in two months after the childbirth and announced that she became a single mother by her own will and she wouldn’t disclose the father’s name.

In January of 2018 Hello! magazine published the information that the actress had a love affair with the participant of the famous TV show The Bachelor - Nick Viall.

January Jones at present

In 2018 Jones ended the shootings in the comedy series The Last Man on Earth. While waiting for the new roles of their favorite actress her fans enjoy her appearance in the advertising, as the actress is the face of the world-famous popular brands. Donatella Versace considers January Jones to be "the ideal woman of the 21st century" and January has become the face of some collections.

One can learn about the present model’s life on her Instagram where she publishes a plenty of her photos.

Filmography

• 1999 – It's the Rage
• 2001 – The Glass House
• 2002 – In My Life
• 2002 – Taboo
• 2003 – Anger Management
• 2003 – American Wedding
• 2003 – Love Actually
• 2005 – The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
• 2007-2015 – Mad Men
• 2008 – Law & Order
• 2011 – Unknown
• 2011 – X-Men: First Class
• 2011 – Seeking Justice
• 2013 – Sweetwater
• 2014 – Good Kill
• 2015-2018 – The Last Man on Earth

Photo