John Slattery Is One of the Greatest Living Readers of Dialogue

March 19, 2026·1 hr 25 min·8 clips

John Slattery reflects on becoming the poster boy for what society no longer wants after MeToo.

This episode of Good One features host Jesse David Fox interviewing actor John Slattery about his career, including his iconic role as Roger Sterling in Mad Men and his new Netflix series, Vladimir. Slattery reflects on his decades in film, television, and theater, sharing specific stories about his craft and collaborators. He discusses the process of landing his role in Vladimir by directly contacting his friend, producer Sharon Horgan, after reading the book in galleys. Slattery describes the character of John in Vladimir as another "philandering person who had the gift of phraseology," drawing a comparison to Roger Sterling. He explains that both characters are "poster boys for what we don't want anymore," navigating aging and shifting cultural norms around power and behavior. Slattery recounts a pivotal early career moment as a driver in the film City Hall, where he overheard Al Pacino mutter "I hate this" during a tedious technical delay. He shares a vivid memory from the first day shooting the Mad Men pilot, where he and Jon Hamm improvised absurd jokes to pass the time between takes. The actor reveals he initially auditioned for the role of Don Draper and was surprised when he saw Jon Hamm, realizing "there's handsome and there's handsome." Slattery discusses performing intimate scenes, noting he would "rather pretend to have sex in a scene than walk across the room naked," as he once refused to do for Sex and the City. He details working with Rachel Weisz on Vladimir, recalling how her choice to view their characters' unconventional marriage as a "love story" influenced his performance. Slattery analyzes using comedy as a "defense mechanism" for characters like Roger Sterling, a trait he relates to from his own Boston upbringing among funny family members. He describes the invaluable "tone meetings" on Mad Men with creator Matthew Weiner, which could last four hours and provided a detailed roadmap for each episode. The conversation has a relaxed, conversational tone between two knowledgeable professionals, blending career retrospective with specific craft insights. Fans of Mad Men or character-driven drama will appreciate the detailed behind-the-scenes stories and thoughtful analysis of acting choices. Listeners seeking a highly structured or debate-focused interview might find the meandering, anecdotal style less engaging.

As heard by us

A grounded craft conversation about wit, timing, and how dialogue can hide damage.

John Slattery gives the conversation its center of gravity. His feel for dialogue is the part that sticks, especially in Roger Sterling, who can land as funny, casual, and a little bruised in the same breath.

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Why you'd press play

You want a calm, sharp conversation about why Slattery makes even plain dialogue sound effortless and alive.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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