OnlyOnAOL: The stellar advice Jack Nicholson gave January Jones
By: Donna Freydkin
Yes, you know her as buttoned-down, icy Betty Draper, who died of cancer in the finale of "Mad Men." But January Jones lets loose on the Fox hit "The Last Man on Earth," playing a tough post-apocalyptic survivor who can handle firearms. To dramatic and tragicomic effect, as we saw in the season opener when she shot guest star Jon Hamm -- her "Mad Men" hubby.
In person, Jones is nothing like Betty, with her withering stares and cool put-downs. Jones showcases her droll, self-deprecating side on her Instagram, posting throwback shots that give a new meaning to bad hair days.
"That started organically. I went home for Christmas and we were looking through pictures. I have so many. It was a happy childhood, but whoa. I had many, many bad haircuts," she says.
Her social media is an extension of her personality, and that's why it has resonated with fans -- it's not over-polished or oozing filtered perfection.
"There are days when I don't have anything. And there are days when I have four funny things I want to post. I'm not calculated. No one does it for me," says Jones. "My sister is my social media guru. She's the one who made me do Instagram. I wasn't relevant, apparently. She thought it would be good to show a different side of my personality because I've always been so private."
That attitude stems from advice she got early on from a certain acting legend.
"This is going to sound pretentious, but Jack Nicholson told me once that I shouldn't do interviews or give people any insight into who I am. He said to keep as much as you can private so they believe you in the characters you play," says Jones.
She's equally protective of her parents, siblings and son. "My family did not choose the business that I chose. If I post a picture of them, I ask first. They want to maintain their privacy," she says.
