Kiernan Shipka
She grew up on screen as the quietly perceptive Sally Draper, then reinvented herself as a spellbinding teen witch in a dark supernatural series.
Born 1999 (age 27)·American actress·Birthday: November 10·Generation Z
Biography
Kiernan Shipka began her career as a child actor, landing commercials before her breakout role at age seven on the critically adored drama 'Mad Men.' For eight seasons, she portrayed Sally Draper, the daughter of Jon Hamm's Don, delivering a nuanced performance that charted a child's awakening to the unsettling realities of the 1960s. This early immersion in high-stakes drama forged a poised and intelligent performer. As she transitioned to adolescence, Shipka deliberately shifted gears, taking the lead in Netflix's 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,' where she anchored a gothic, horror-tinged reimagining of the Archie Comics character for four seasons. Her choices reflect a strategic navigation from prestige television's darling to a Gen-Z genre star, establishing her as an actor with both serious chops and a keen understanding of pop culture's evolving landscape.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Kiernan was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kiernan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Kiernan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received widespread critical praise for her portrayal of Sally Draper across eight seasons of the landmark television series 'Mad Men.'
- Starred as the titular character in all 36 episodes of Netflix's supernatural series 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.'
- Nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Young Performer in 2013 for her work on 'Mad Men.'
Did You Know?
She began her acting career in commercials at the age of five months.
She is a trained ballet dancer and studied at the same studio as Maddie Ziegler.
She provided the voice of Jinora in the animated series 'The Legend of Korra.'
“I learned to read scripts before I could read books.”
