John Slattery
John Slattery is an accomplished American actor and director, best known for his role as Roger Sterling on the critically acclaimed television series *Mad Men*. Born on August 13, 1962, in Boston, Massachusetts, Slattery grew up in a large family and was influenced by his father's strong work ethic. He developed an interest in acting during his school years and pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater at the Catholic University of America, graduating in 1984.
Slattery's career began with small roles in theater and television, but he gained significant recognition after joining the cast of *Mad Men* in 2007, where he received multiple Emmy nominations for his performance. Beyond television, he has appeared in several films, including *Traffic*, *Spotlight*, and various Marvel Cinematic Universe films, portraying Howard Stark.
In addition to his on-screen work, Slattery has returned to the stage, showcasing his versatility as an actor. He is married to actress Talia Balsam, and they have one son. Slattery's career illustrates the evolution of an actor who has achieved widespread acclaim and a lasting impact on both television and film.
Subject Terms
John Slattery
Actor
- Born: August 13, 1962
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: 1926
Contribution: John Slattery is an American actor best known for his role as Roger Sterling in the AMC drama series Mad Men.
Background
John Slattery was born on August 13, 1962, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was one of six children born to Jack, a leather merchant, and Joan, a certified public accountant. His father instilled a strong work ethic in him from an early age, and Slattery obtained his first job at the age of ten, working as a caddy at a golf course. Slattery later attended the all-male St. Sebastian’s School in Newton, Massachusetts. While in school, he became interested in acting and watched old films at night to study the performances of the actors.
In 1980 Slattery enrolled in the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, to study theater. He graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1984. Set on becoming a professional actor, Slattery moved to New York City that year to attempt to break into the field.
Career
Slattery initially had difficulty obtaining substantive roles in the New York theater circuit, but he eventually secured roles in small productions of plays such as Terrence McNally’s Lisbon Traviata. As he became better known among New York critics and theatergoers, Slattery began to be offered small roles in television shows. He made his television debut in 1988, playing a US Army private in Dirty Dozen: The Series. In 1991 he appeared in a supporting role in the short-lived spy drama Under Cover.
Between 1991 and 1993, Slattery played a supporting role in Homefront, a television drama set in the 1940s. After the show’s cancellation, he made guest appearances in various television series and in 1996 appeared in his first film role, playing a detective in the political drama City Hall. He went on to play small roles in the action film Eraser and the drama Sleepers later that year.
Slattery continued to act on stage throughout the 1990s, receiving critical acclaim for his performance in a production of Richard Greenberg’s Three Days of Rain in 1997. In 2000 he appeared in a popular Broadway production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. Also that year, he played a supporting role in the crime film Traffic and had guest spots in the popular television shows Sex and the City and Law & Order. In 2001, Slattery obtained a recurring role in the series Ed.
By 2006, Slattery had played supporting roles in such high-profile films as Mona Lisa Smile (2003) and the award-winning war drama Flags of Our Fathers (2006). That year, Slattery joined the cast of the Broadway production of playwright David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole. The play was highly successful and proved to be a turning point in the actor’s career. Television writer and producer Matthew Weiner, then best known for his work on the crime drama series The Sopranos, was in the audience for a performance of Rabbit Hole and noticed Slattery’s talent. He invited Slattery to audition for his new series, the period drama Mad Men, which premiered to overwhelmingly positive reviews in the summer of 2007.
Set in the 1960s, Mad Men followed the lives and careers of a group of New York advertising executives. Slattery played Roger Sterling, a partner at the fictional ad agency Sterling Cooper. He was consistently lauded for his portrayal of the drily witty Sterling following the show’s debut, earning four consecutive nominations for the Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series.
With the success of Mad Men, Slattery became one of the most recognizable actors on television, and he was offered numerous roles in prominent feature films and television shows. Slattery played a recurring role in the television series Desperate Housewives in 2007 and went on to appear in films such as Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), Iron Man 2 (2010), and The Adjustment Bureau (2011). In 2013, Slattery guest starred in the fourth season of the television series Arrested Development. The sixth season of Mad Men premiered in April of that year, and Slattery’s Sterling remained a key member of the award-winning drama’s ensemble cast.
Though Mad Men came to an end in 2015, Slattery remained in demand as an actor, and in 2015 alone, he played Claude Dumet in the Netflix original limited series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, reprised his role as Howard Stark in Ant-Man, and joined a star-studded cast to tell the real-life story of how the Boston Globe investigated local cases of child molestation involving Catholic priests in the Academy Award–winning film Spotlight. After appearing as Howard Stark once again in Captain America: Civil War (2016), he had a recurring guest role as Charlie Baird in the series Veep (2016) before portraying historical figure Dwight Eisenhower in Churchill (2017). Additionally, he returned to the theater upon joining the star-studded cast of the Broadway production of The Front Page, which had a limited run between 2016 and early 2017. In 2019, he had a role in the first season of the Amazon Video anthology series Modern Love and portrayed Howard Stark again in Avengers: Endgame.
Impact
Although a successful working actor for nearly two decades prior to the premiere of Mad Men, Slattery became increasingly in demand as both critics and audiences praised the series and his performance in particular. In addition to launching or reinvigorating the careers of many of its cast members, Mad Men was credited with reviving viewer interest in complex period dramas as well as the fashion and design aesthetic of the 1960s.
Personal Life
Slattery married fellow actor Talia Balsam in 1998. They live in New York City and have a son.
Principal Works
Television
Dirty Dozen: The Series, 1988
Homefront, 1991–93
Maggie, 1998–99
Ed, 2001–2
Jack & Bobby, 2004–5
Mad Men, 2007–15
Desperate Housewives, 2007
Arrested Development, 2013
Veep, 2016
Film
The Station Agent, 2003
Mona Lisa Smile, 2003
Flags of Our Fathers, 2006
Charlie Wilson’s War, 2007
Iron Man 2, 2010
The Adjustment Bureau, 2011
Spotlight, 2015
Churchill, 2017
Bibliography
De Bertodano, Helena. “John Slattery on Ageing, Drinking, and How He’d Like Mad Men to End.” Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 11 Aug. 2013.
Ellwood, Mark. “‘Mad Men’s’ John Slattery: Rise of the Silver Fox.” Daily News. NYDailyNews.com, 15 Aug. 2009. Web. 11 Aug. 2013.
Friedman, Devin. “On the Cover: John Slattery.” GQ. Condé Nast, Apr. 2012. Web. 11 Aug. 2013.
“John Slattery: A Boston Man Gone Mad.” Boston Common. Niche Media, 2012. Web. 11 Aug. 2013.
Puckrik, Katie. “Mad Men’s John Slattery.” Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 7 Apr. 2013. Web. 11 Aug. 2013.