Jessica Paré on AllMovie

With a personal story that eerily parallels her first major role as a small-town girl thrust from obscurity into the haute couture world of supermodel divas and the media elite in the media satire Stardom (2000), Jessica Paré remains in the friendly, small-town mindset despite her good fortune of having stumbled into that role on a lark. Born in Montreal, Canada, in 1982, into a close-knit family not at all involved in the showbiz world, Paré decided to pursue an acting career after dropping out of the fine arts program at Montreal College. Gaining early acting experience with small roles in the made-for-television mafia drama Bonanno: A Godfather's Story and following with En Vacances (both 1999), Paré's breakthrough role came as she auditioned for a small role in Stardom and ended up being cast in the film's leading role based on her inherent innocence and beauty. Though the film closed that year's Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews, Paré gained good notices and was subsequently cast opposite Piper Perabo in the poetic tale of sexual awakening, Lost and Delirious (2001). Laughingly shrugging off her status as one of the 25 most beautiful people in Canada, Paré prioritized her family life and commented boldly on her refusal to jeopardize her close relationships in favor of a career in film. She would continue to work steadily lading a part in the short-lived TV series Jack & Bobby, the same year she enjoyed leading roles in Wicker Park and The Secret Lives of the Saints. After a few years off-screen, she returned in 2009 in the movies Suck and The Trotsky. However, she landed her most high-profile gig to date in 2010 when she was cast in Mad Men as character who would become Don Draper's new wife.