Why the Los Angeles-raised actress is mad about her home in Manhattan

As a busy actor, your free time comes in spurts. Do you have a favorite destination to which you always return?

I would say my favorite destination is wherever my fiancé is. And our favorite place to be is home at our apartment in New York! The city has a vibrancy and beauty that I am addicted to—it just makes me happy to be there. I’m filming in Los Angeles right now, and I cannot wait to get back to New York. I just miss the sound of the city, walking around, Central Park, the theaters. It’s truly my favorite place in the world.

Peggy is clearly a plotter. What about you—have you ever taken a totally spontaneous trip?

I tend to like to plan like Peggy. The most spontaneous trip I ever took was my first trip to Italy. I got this commercial, an American commercial, and they flew me to Rome about three days later. I fell in love with Italy, and after the commercial was done I traveled around by myself to Florence, Siena, and back to Rome for two weeks. My favorite memories from the trip include seeing a spontaneous opera performance in Siena and taking the train through the Italian countryside.

At first glance, Peggy Olson seems to be meek and submissive. Have you ever had a first impression of a city that turned out to be false?

I would say that the Upper West Side surprised me. I lived downtown for many years and kind of looked at the Upper West Side as far away and too quiet, with nothing to do. Then I moved there, and now I’m in love with it; the shops are fabulous, the restaurants top of the line, and then of course you have Central Park right there. There’s also Lincoln Center with its stunning theaters and beautiful fountain. When I went to the School of American Ballet I saw a lot of the Center, so it makes me feel at home.

In the upcoming indie drama New Orleans, Mon Amour, you play an activist and relief worker. Were there moments during the on-location filming that were particularly indelible for you?

Because my character was a relief worker, we filmed a lot down in the Lower 9th Ward. It was still completely devastated at the time, and very little work had been done to bring it back. I vividly remember driving into it, and seeing a house stuck into the side of another house. Another memory I have—I actually took a picture of it—was of a house that was still standing, but totally gutted. The inside was completely gone except for a chandelier that was still hanging in the middle of the room. It was quite a haunting image of a piece of old New Orleans beauty in the middle of this devastation.

With three acclaimed seasons of Mad Men in the can, you certainly deserve a break. Are you planning a celebratory vacation?

I think the first vacation we’re going to get is our honeymoon! I can’t say where to, at least not yet, but let’s just say we’re not really beach people, so it’s not anywhere like that. It’s a city we both love, and we’re just going to pick the best and most beautiful hotel. Two of my favorite things are Fred and hotels, so it should be a perfect combination.