Kiernan Shipka Recalls HerMad MenCharacter Getting Her Period Before She Did in Real Life: It Felt 'Like a Trial Run'

Mar. 15, 2025

Kiernan Shipka.Photo:Marie Tomanova for Cosmopolitan; Michael Yarish/AMC

Marie Tomanova for Cosmopolitan; Michael Yarish/AMC

Kiernan Shipkais looking back on a particular moment from her experience growing up in the spotlight.In herdigital cover story forCosmopolitan,the actress, now 25, opened up about being a child star and sometimes taking on more mature roles. Thinking back to her time asSally Draper onMad Men,which she first took on at just 10 years old, Shipka said she is grateful she never understood the dark content of the show.“When it comes toMad Men, I have a very vivid memory of most scenes I did,” she explained. “I remember my first day. I remember my audition. It’s very etched in my memory. But what I didn’t know at the time was what the scene was really about, so there’s something cool about going back and looking at stuff in which you played a piece of the puzzle and going, ‘Oh, whoa, now I see the puzzle.’”“At that young age, it’s not your job to know what the whole thing is about; it’s your job to be the character,” she continued. “It touches me because I feel like I was never really robbed of my innocence in any way.”Kiernan Shipka.Marie Tomanova for CosmopolitanFor the most part, Shipka said she and her character were in the same phase of life — but there was one thing she fell behind in.“I just got to be Sally and grow up with her in a way that never felt like she was learning too much before me,” she began. “She did get her period before I did though. I was like, ‘Is this what it’s going to be like?’ I remember it feeling like a trial run. I was a little scared, but it was still fun. Anytime I got to do anything on that show, I was excited.”TheChilling Adventures of Sabrinastaradmitted in an episode ofWatch What Happens Live!in November that she rewatchedMad Menduring the pandemic in 2020, but she toldCosmopolitanis was more to enjoy the story of the show than to see herself in it.“I have a very changing relationship with watching myself,” she noted. “The further away I am from a project, the easier it is to do.”Kiernan Shipka.Marie Tomanova for CosmopolitanNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.In November, Shipka appeared on an episode ofJesse Tyler Ferguson’sDinner’s On Mepodcast, whereshe revealed the effortstheMad Mencreators went through to shield her from the more graphic scenes in the show.“They were so protective over me and my kind of innocence and not exposing me to stuff that, you know, was sensitive or more adult,” theSweetheartsstar said.“I think at a certain point, I was like, ‘Guys, I know what this is. Like, I’m good. I’m fine,’” Shipka confessed. “But I really, like, admire and respect the way that they handled it. But I do think in my head, I was probably like, ‘I’m mature. I’m an adult. I know what’s going on here. Like, it’s fine, guys.’”All seven seasons ofMad Menare available to stream with an AMC+ subscription.

Kiernan Shipkais looking back on a particular moment from her experience growing up in the spotlight.

In herdigital cover story forCosmopolitan,the actress, now 25, opened up about being a child star and sometimes taking on more mature roles. Thinking back to her time asSally Draper onMad Men,which she first took on at just 10 years old, Shipka said she is grateful she never understood the dark content of the show.

“When it comes toMad Men, I have a very vivid memory of most scenes I did,” she explained. “I remember my first day. I remember my audition. It’s very etched in my memory. But what I didn’t know at the time was what the scene was really about, so there’s something cool about going back and looking at stuff in which you played a piece of the puzzle and going, ‘Oh, whoa, now I see the puzzle.’”

“At that young age, it’s not your job to know what the whole thing is about; it’s your job to be the character,” she continued. “It touches me because I feel like I was never really robbed of my innocence in any way.”

Kiernan Shipka.Marie Tomanova for Cosmopolitan

Marie Tomanova for Cosmopolitan

For the most part, Shipka said she and her character were in the same phase of life — but there was one thing she fell behind in.

“I just got to be Sally and grow up with her in a way that never felt like she was learning too much before me,” she began. “She did get her period before I did though. I was like, ‘Is this what it’s going to be like?’ I remember it feeling like a trial run. I was a little scared, but it was still fun. Anytime I got to do anything on that show, I was excited.”

TheChilling Adventures of Sabrinastaradmitted in an episode ofWatch What Happens Live!in November that she rewatchedMad Menduring the pandemic in 2020, but she toldCosmopolitanis was more to enjoy the story of the show than to see herself in it.

“I have a very changing relationship with watching myself,” she noted. “The further away I am from a project, the easier it is to do.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In November, Shipka appeared on an episode ofJesse Tyler Ferguson’sDinner’s On Mepodcast, whereshe revealed the effortstheMad Mencreators went through to shield her from the more graphic scenes in the show.

“They were so protective over me and my kind of innocence and not exposing me to stuff that, you know, was sensitive or more adult,” theSweetheartsstar said.

“I think at a certain point, I was like, ‘Guys, I know what this is. Like, I’m good. I’m fine,’” Shipka confessed. “But I really, like, admire and respect the way that they handled it. But I do think in my head, I was probably like, ‘I’m mature. I’m an adult. I know what’s going on here. Like, it’s fine, guys.’”

All seven seasons ofMad Menare available to stream with an AMC+ subscription.

source: people.com