Gwen Stefani Joins the ‘The Voice’: Check Out Five of Her Past Jobs

She’s a rock icon, a fashion designer, and a new mom! So how will Gwen Stefani find the time to be a coach on “The Voice?” The No Doubt frontwoman stars on the new NBC singing competition, and longtime “Voice” host Carson Daly recently told reporters that he thinks the 44-year-old rock star is a “solid choice.”

“[Stefani] certainly fits that bill, that shortlist of what we have to be a good coach on the show, which is somebody who's got some experience and who's on top of their game,” he said. “She's friends with the other coaches but has a strong opinion, which is also important. They can't all just be too lovey out there." 

Stefani may be best known or her hit songs like “Hollaback Girl” and “The Sweet Escape,” but no doubt about it, her career path has included a couple of interesting pit stops as well. Check out five of Gwen Stefani’s past jobs, some that had nothing to do with the music biz.

Dairy Queen worker

Back in the day, Stefani started out with a typical high school job. According to Shape, she worked at a local Dairy Queen, mopping floors and scooping out ice cream. DQ proved to be a pivotal career stop, though, as her band No Doubt was formed by a group of employees at the ice cream shop.

Department store worker

She’s a fashionista now, but when she was 20 years old, Stefani worked in a department store that sold not-so-trendy clothes. She told Elle, “When I was 20, I worked in a department store—basically mature women’s shop with, like, polyester slacks. The clothes were horrible, but I really enjoyed helping women pick outfits. Later, I graduated to be one of the stuck-up girls at the makeup counter, which was a big deal … I got to smell all the fragrances and be with all the pretty girls and intimidate everybody. Well, I didn't, but they did.”

Perfumer

Speaking of fragrances, in 2007 the rocker launched her own perfume as a part of her L.A.M.B. clothing and accessories line. At the time she told the Associated Press, "The whole L.A.M.B. thing is pretty greedy. I'm making it all for me. The goal with this fragrance is that I'll wear it and have endless bottles of it." The following year she released her Harajuku Girls fragrance line. The scents: Love, Lil' Angel, Music, Baby and G (for Gwen, of course!)

Fashion designer

The fashion loving Stefani is set to launch her third clothing line this spring. In addition to the high end L.A.M.B. collection, which debuted nearly a decade ago, she’s the head honcho of the Harajaku Lovers clothing line.  Now she’s teamed up with denim guru Michael Glasser for a new label, DWP (Design With Purpose), that’s set to feature a line of lightweight basics that includes moto vests, slouchy pants and crop tops.

Actress

In 2006, Stefani made her acting debut in Marti Scorsese flick “The Aviator,” playing blonde bombshell Jean Harlow. (She even scored a Screen Actors Guild Award nod for her performance!) In an interview with MTV, the No Doubt lead singer said, “Acting is a lot different than singing. It's not as theatrical, it's a lot more subtle, and that's a lot harder. Simpler is usually harder. So I would love to do more. I got my feet wet, but I would love to go swimming."

10 of the Biggest ‘Friends’ Cameos

It’s been 20 years since “Friends” debuted on NBC. The hit sitcom premiered on Sept. 22, 1994, and  made headlines throughout its decade-long run with endless Emmy nods and history-making paydays for the show’s six stars, and it boasted an impressive lineup of guest stars in the process.

Check out 10 of the most memorable “Friends” guest stars.

George Clooney and Noah Wyle

TV docs George Clooney and Noah Wyle crossed over in a Season 1 “Friends” episode, when Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) switched identities with Monica (Courteney Cox) so she could use her medical insurance. The episode was “The One With Two Parts, Part 2,” when Rachel spoke for us all when she asked this burning question to “ER” hunk Wyle: “Aren’t you a little cute to be a doctor?”

Charlie Sheen

Season 2 brought Charlie Sheen to the “Friends” set in the episode “The One With the Chicken Pox.” He played Phoebe’s (Lisa Kudrow) old boyfriend Ryan, who came to visit while on a two week leave from the Navy. Unfortunately, Pheebs had a case of the chicken pox, so the visit included more scratching than kissing.

Charlton Heston

He once parted the Red Sea, but “The Ten Commandments” icon Charlton Heston met his match when a stinky Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) invaded his shower on the Season 4 episode “The One With Joey’s Dirty Day.” When struggling actor Joey borrowed Heston’s dressing room shower, the movie star busted him and warned, “Put some pants on kid so I can kick your butt.” When Joey tried to explain that he “stinks” (he’d just returned from a three-day fishing trip),  a confused Heston tried to comfort him with, “Every actor thinks he stinks, even Lawrence Oliver at sometimes thought he stank, Bob Redford won’t even watch himself...”

Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chris Isaak, Fred Willard, Dan Castenella

“The One After the Super Bowl” was a double-length 1996 episode with a star-studded, supersized cast.  Brooke Shields as a stalker? Check. Julia Roberts as Chandler’s grade school tormenter? Yep! The hour-long  episode aired immediately following NBC’s broadcast of the Super Bowl and was the most-watched post episode in the show’s history, and well as the top rated post-Super Bowl episode of all time.

Billy Crystal and Robin Williams

The year was 1997 and the movie was “Father’s Day.” Comedians Billy Crystal and Robin Williams did a crossover cameo on “Friends” to generate buzz for the flick.  The duo appeared on the pre-credit teaser sequence of the third season episode “The One With the Ultimate Fighting Champion,” playing Central Perk customers trying to have a private conversation amid six pairs of big ears.

Bruce Willis

Actor Bruce Willis scored an Emmy for his appearance in the Season 6 episode “The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth’s Dad.” He played Paul Stevens, the father of Ross’s college student girlfriend and the older suitor of Rachel (Jennifer Aniston).

John Stamos

“Full House” alum John Stamos turned up on Season 9’s “The One With the Donor,” playing Zack, a work colleague Chandler (Matthew Perry) was eyeing to be a sperm donor. “Zack may be the guy!” an excited Chandler told Monica. “I mean, look, he's intelligent, he's healthy, he's athletic, I mean, he is ‘spermtastic!’ I'm telling you, he's great! I mean, even if my sperm worked fine, I'd think he'd be the way to go!” The duo drilled Zack with questions about his family medical history before complimenting his perfect set of teeth.

Reese Witherspoon

The “Legally Blonde” star guest starred on “Friends” as spoiled rich girl Jill Green in “The One With Rachel’s Sister.” In 2011, Witherspoon revealed that she had stage fright during the live taping of the sitcom. According to Us Weekly, Witherspoon said, "In all my enthusiasm, I completely forgot something crucial...I had never been on television [or] in front of a live audience ever in my entire life. And I panicked! I totally froze! I couldn't remember my lines and the writers were yelling ... I just stood there absolutely completely frozen." She credits Aniston with giving her a pep talk.

Brad Pitt

Back when he was still married to Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt appeared on the 2001 Thanksgiving-themed episode, “The One With the Rumor.”  He played Rachel’s high school nemesis Will, a former geek whose claim to gain was founding the “I Hate Rachel Green Club.”  He also spread a pretty nasty rumor about her having both male and female reproductive parts. Pass the yams, please.

Sean Penn

Oscar winning actor Sean Penn appeared on two 2001 “Friends” episode as Eric, the fiance of Phoebe’s identical twin sister Ursula. In “The One With the Halloween party,” viewers met Eric. In “The One With the Stain,” things got a little weird when Eric realized he had a thing for Phoebe, and even weirder when he confused Ursula for Phoebe, and…well, you get the picture.

Five ‘Mad Men’ Movie Moments

It’s easy to track time with “Mad Men.” Pop culture references are diligently weaved into the AMC drama’s storylines, making it clear what month and year each episode is set in. Wondering what year Don Draper landed in when the show’s final season premiered? Hint: Nixon was being sworn in as President. (Hello, January 1969!)

The Emmy winning drama features blast-from-the-past songs in its ending credits (when’s the last time you heard Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice” or  Paul Mauriat’s “Love is Blue?”), but it’s the movie mentions that really help viewers turn back (and track) time. Season 1 had Joan (Christina Hendricks) contemplating the 1960 Shirley MacLaine movie “The Apartment,” while Roger (John Slattery) was complaining about Hollywood extremes and the Hitchcock horror flick, “Psycho.” In Season 6, Megan (Jessica Pare) talked movies with stepdaughter Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka), dropping ‘60s-era titles like “Georgy Girl,” “Alfie,” and “Night of the Generals,” before concluding with, “’Fistful of Dollars?’  I think your father would kill me if I saw that without him.”

Movie mentions are great, but we prefer seeing the characters actually at the movies, with popcorn and other substances of choice in hand. (Joanie and Roger’s movie date never panned out, and Sally and Megan never made it to a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western.)

Check out five “Mad Men” movie moments.

“Born Free” (1966)

The Season 5 episode “Far Away Places” had Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) calling it a day with matinee after a failed pitch to the Heinz executives. (Could anything be worse than the “bean ballet?”) The film was the 1966 British drama “Born Free,” and Peggy’s mid-day movie included some pot smoking (and more) with a male stranger. The same episode had Peggy and then-boyfriend Abe talking about going to see “The Naked Prey.” Cornel Wilde naked and wrestling a boa constrictor? Peggy was all in.

“Casino Royale” (1967)

By the end of Season 5, Peggy was working at rival ad agency Cutler Gleason Chaough, but the season finale “The Phantom” had Don bumping into her at the cinema. The movie was the James Bond spoof “Casino Royale,” but before the lights dimmed, the former co-workers chatted about Peggy’s newfound success, which he always imagined would alongside him. “That's what happens when you help someone,” Don told his mentee. “They succeed and move on.”

“Planet of the Apes” (1968)

In Season 6’s “The Flood,” Draper had a rare father-son moment with his boy Bobby (Mason Vale Cotton) when they both played hooky and went to see the 1968 science fiction flick “Planet of the Apes.” Bobby Draper liked the movie so much that he and his dad stayed in the theater to watch it a second time. (“It’s really good we're seeing it again. Everybody likes to go to the movies when they're sad,” the tot informed the movie usher.) But there was a surprising backlash after this episode aired. The ending to the Charlton Heston classic was shown in the scene, and some viewers blasted “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner for spoiling the twist ending to the 45-year old flick.

“Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)

Season 6 had some fans wondering if Megan Draper could be “Mad Men’s” version of Sharon Tate, and the conspiracy theory was further tested in “The Quality of Mercy." That’s because the Roman Polanski film “Rosemary’s Baby” was heavily referenced in the episode. (The Mia Farrow hit was Polanski’s final movie before the murder of his wife Sharon Tate.) “Mad Men” featured Peggy channeling the flick for a St. Joseph’s children’s aspirin ad, so she and her married crush Ted Chaough (Kevin Rahm) went to an early viewing of the movie for inspiration. (Don and Megan were there, too!)  So, did the pitch culminate with a Clio worthy commercial? You have to wait for Season 7 to get your answer.  But on the plus side, we did get to see Don do his best baby impression.

“Model Shop” (1969)

And most recently, the Season 7 episode “Field Trip” opened with a brief clip from the 1969 Jacques Demy film “Model Shop.” Yep, an unemployed Don Draper (Jon Hamm) was at the movies, watching the film about a man whose relationship with a wannabe French actress was crumbling. Kind of like his relationship with Megan.

See the trailer for “Model Shop":

‘Grease’ Live Musical: Who’s the One That You Want On the Cast?

Who Should Play Sandy, Danny, Rizzo and Kenickie in the live TV production?

We’ve got chills and they’re multiplying, because the word is that “Grease” is coming to Fox. The network will air a live, three-hour production of the musical next year. Last year, the TV special “The Sound of Music Live,” was a ratings smash for NBC, (the network now has “Peter Pan Live” in the works), so it’s no surprise that Fox is jumping on the live musical bandwagon.  And while it will be based on the original 1971 Broadway musical and not the popular 1978 movie, Fox will incorporate the songs written for the film version. (That mean yes, you’ll probably hear "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "You're the One That I Want.")

Shana C. Waterman, senior VP of event series for Fox, touted the musical’s broad appeal and added, “Its iconic characters and addictive songs make it the perfect fit for Fox, and we're going to give it the kind of star power and production quality to make every Sandy, Danny, Rizzo and Kenickie out there want to get up and sing along.”

Speaking of the characters, there’s some pretty iconic shoes to fill. Who’s your pick for Fox’s “young ensemble cast?” Check out some past stars who’ve starred in productions of “Greas,"

Broadway: Barry Bostwick

Movie:  John Travolta

Singer Adam Lambert has the singing chops and the stage presence to play Danny Zuko in the live TV version, but at age 32 is he too old? (Travolta was 23 when he played the role.) Here’s a surprising past Danny: In 1973, Richard Gere starred as the Burger Palace Boys leader in the London production of “Grease.”

Check out the stock footage:

Sandy

Broadway: Carole Demas

Movie:  Olivia Newton-John

“American Idol” alum Kellie Pickler would make an adorable Sandy (hey, Carrie Underwood starred in NBC’s “Sound of Music” last year!), but others are calling for superstar Taylor Swift for the starring role. In the early 1990s, pop star Debbie Gibson played Sandy in the stage version at London’s Dominion Theatre.

See Gibson’s electrifying performance of “You’re the One That I Want":

Rizzo

Broadway: Adrienne Barbeau

Movie: Stockard Channing

“Glease” is the word, so don’t be surprised if a “Glee” cast member turns up on the TV musical (it’s being produced by Fox, after all.) So, how about Naya Rivera as Rizzo? “Glee” fans may recall her character Santana’s awesome performance of the song “There are Worse Things I Could Do” on an

“Grease”-themed episode of the Fox series. Another pick: Pop star Demi Lovato could definitely fill Rizzo’s Pink Ladies jacket. Rizzo blast from the past: Rosie O’Donnell played the character in the 1994 Broadway revival of “Grease.”

See Stockard Channing as Rizzo here:

Kenickie

Broadway: Timothy Meyers

Movie: Jeff Conaway

Who has what it takes to be Danny’s “second” at Thunder Road? Interesting names are being tossed around for this part, including Zap 2 It’s pick of pop star Cody Simpson. Kenickie with an Australian accent? We like it! But another popular choice is “High School Musical alum Zac Efron. Of course, the Kenickie by which all others are measured is the late Jeff Conaway.

See Conway and John Travolta in a scene from the 1978 film:

Teen Angel

As for who will nab the coveted cameo role of dreamy Teen Angel, on Broadway it was Alan Paul, while the legendary Frankie Avalon turned up in the movie to croon “Beauty School Dropout.” Everyone from Chubby Checker to ex-Monkee Davy Jones have taken on the role in the past, so who looks good for the upcoming Fox musical? How about Justin Timberlake, who covered the iconic song at a London concert last year?

Gentlemen Prefer to be Blonde: Five Male Celebs Who’ve Dyed Their Hair Blonde

Do blondes have more fun? Just ask these Hollywood hunks who hit the bottle—of peroxide! Move over Madonna, because blonde ambition isn’t just for the ladies. Check out five male celebs who went blonde.

Adam Levine

The Maroon 5 front man shocked fans when he tweeted a photo of his new platinum blonde ‘do with the caption: “Apocalypse prep course complete.” And even though he’s People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive (until next year, that is), the rocker isn’t immune to some ribbing from his co-stars on “The Voice.” Levine’s mentor pals Blake Shelton, Shakira and Usher compared him to everything from ‘90s fitness pitchwoman Susan Powter to a futuristic cyborg.  "That's Adam?” Shelton deadpanned when Levine debuted his new ‘do. “I thought Meg Ryan was sitting in with us tonight for a second there." 

Jared Leto

The Oscar winning actor has changed up his look so many times it’s hard to keep track, but Jared Leto first lightened up his dark locks in 1997 for the movie “Prefontaine.” Two years later he really hit the bleach (on his eyebrows too) for the role of Angel Face in “Fight Club.” But Leto’s strangest blonde moment was in 2011, when he dressed up like Kurt Cobain for a bizarre music video tribute to the late Nirvana front man. You can see the clip here:

Wesley Snipes

We’ll give him a pass because he did it for a movie role, but Wesley Snipes’s dye job for the 1993 sci-fi action film “Demolition Man” was not his best look. The actor played bleached baddie Simon Phoenix in the flick, and, thankfully, retired the look shortly thereafter.

Freddie Prinze Jr.

Speaking of movie roles, there’s no way Freddie Prinze Jr. could have pulled off the part of “Scooby Doo” character Freddie without a little help from some hair dye. Well, he could have donned a wig – and maybe he should have. In an interview with Tribute, Prinze revealed that his blonde experiment bombed: “No, it was not a lot of fun,” he said. “Hey, I’m a guy; I don’t want to do that crap! … We were in Australia and I like to go in the ocean. Everybody else got to do that but, no, not me! I couldn’t even get in a pool because there was chlorine and it would have turned my hair green! It really was not a great experience and I was told to wear a wig, but I chose not to because it was so hot.”

Ryan Gosling

The actor premiered bleached blonde locks in the 2011 movie "The Place Beyond the Pines," but the look didn’t turn out exactly as he’d planned. Gosling told Extra! he aspired to look like a rock star but ended up more like teen sitcom character Zack Morris:  "When I did that blonde thing, I thought about when I was a kid and I wanted to be like Billy Idol,” he said. “So I thought I'll try to do the Billy Idol thing, but I ended up looking like the guy from 'Saved By the Bell.' It just didn't work out."

Whatever Happened to the Child Actors from the Movie 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?'

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a classic children's movie from 1971 that starred Gene Wilder as eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The movie, based on Roald Dahl’s iconic book,  has been beloved by millions for more than 40 years. And although Wilder went on to continue with his successful acting career, starring in films like Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, the five child actors from the movie have been less visible. So what ever happened to the five child actors from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?

Peter Ostrum (Charlie Bucket). The main child character in the movie, Peter Ostrum was delightful as Charlie Bucket and he looked to have a promising career as a child actor. In fact, after the success of Willy Wonka, Ostrum was offered a three-movie deal, but he turned the offer down and never made another movie. Instead, Ostrum went on to graduate from Cornell. Today he's a large animal veterinarian, specializing in cattle and horses, and lives in New York.

See Ostrum today:

Michael Bollner (Augustus Gloop). Michael Bollner, who played the glutinous Augustus Gloop, didn't know how to speak English when he first started filming Willy Wonka. And although he was interested in continuing acting after the film's success, his father made him retire to pursue his education. Today, Bollner is a tax accountant and still lives in Munich, the city where the classic movie was filmed.

Interview with Willy Wonka castmates:

Denise Nickerson (Violet Beauregarde). Denise Nickerson played the gum-chomping Violet Beauregarde in the movie, best known for the scene where she blows up into a giant blueberry. Although a veteran of the goth-soap opera Dark Shadows, Nickerson is best known for her role in Willy Wonka. After Wonka, she continued on as a child actor, appearing on The Electric Company, Search for Tomorrow and even an episode of The Brady Bunch. (You may have recognized her as Peter Brady’s date in the season 5  episode “Two Petes in a Pod.”) After an accident left her in a leg cast for nearly a year, Nickerson married in 1981, and worked as a nurse. Sadly, her husband died suddenly two years later. She remarried in 1995 and had a son, Josh. Today, Nickerson is divorced and works as an accountant in Colorado. She also makes personal appearances at Dark Shadows and Willy Wonka memorabilia events.

Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee). Paris Themmen played the role of the hyper, TV-addicted Mike Teevee. After Willy Wonka, he landed a stint on Broadway in the musical "The Rothschilds," but then, like the other kids from the movie, he pretty much abandoned his childhood acting career. He went on to graduate from New York University with a BFA in theater, and also appeared as a guest on a couple of game shows like "Win Ben Stein's Money" and "Trivial Pursuit.” Themmen also had a few small, uncredited parts in movies like "The Doors" and "The Big Lebowski.” He dabbled in a real estate and film production, and even worked in retail for a bit. These days Themmen is an avid backpacker and works as a commercial casting director in Los Angeles.

Interview with Themmen and Nickerson:

Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt). After portraying spoiled brat rich girl Veruca Salt in Willly Wonka, Julie Dawn Cole continued with her acting career. Her role in Willy Wonka was immortalized in the 1990s when  rock band Veruca Salt, clearly named after her character, hit it big with the 1994 hit "Seether.” A veteran of British television, Cole has an impressive resume of acting and stage credits, including a surprising nude scene in the BBC series "Poldark" in the late 1970's (she was 19 at the time). Today, Cole has two children, Holly and Barnaby, and she is the only Willy Wonka child star who still works as an actor.

See Julie Dawn Cole today:

Five Fabulous Facts About ‘Mad Men’ Star Jon Hamm

His days as Don Draper are nearly done, but actor Jon Hamm will forever be associated with his Emmy-nominated role as the hard drinking advertising exec on Matthew Weiner’s hit AMC drama.  As we say goodbye to “Mad Men” (the show’s final episodes have been filmed and will air in early 2015), here are five things you may not know about Jon Hamm.

He once had a “soul-crushing” job

The 43-year-old actor definitely paid his dues before hitting it big on “Mad Men.” In addition to the obligatory waiter job as he struggled to land acting roles, Hamm took on a short-lived stint as a set dresser for soft corn porn films. Hamm told Vanity Fair he hated the sleazy work:  "It was soul-crushing,” he said.

His prom date has a famous face

Don Draper dated Bella Swan’s mother? Well, sort of. During the Hollywood Reporter’s 2012 Emmy roundtable, Hamm revealed that actress Sarah Clarke, who played Bella’s mom Renee in the “Twilight” films, was his prom date. The future stars met in their mutual hometown of St. Louis, Mo.

He shares a nickname with a baseball legend

What do you do with a name like Hamm? It turns out you get a lot of corny (er, hammy?) nicknames.  The “Mad Men” star told People, “My nicknames have gone from Hammer to Ham and Cheese to Ham and Eggs.” So which of those names is the actor’s favorite? In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Hamm revealed, “Hank Aaron's oldest son is my best friend. We went down to spring training, and this guy walked up to me; I looked up and it was Hank Aaron. He said, ‘I hear your name is Hamm. Is your nickname 'The Hammer?'’ I said, ‘… Sometimes.’ ‘That's my nickname, too.’ Whoa. That … just … happened. I was probably 16; my jaw was on the ground.”

In the ‘90s, he had no game

While he’s been in a relationship with actress and filmmaker Jennifer Westfeldt for 17 years, back in the day Hamm was so desperate for a date that he went on the cheesy ‘90s game show “The Big Date.” The mulleted 25-year-old didn’t get the girl, but he did drop his idea for a dream date: “Start off with some fabulous food, a little fabulous conversation, with a fabulous foot massage for an evening of total fabulosity.” Huh?

He’s not a bourbon drinker

While his “Mad Men” character is a chain smoker and his signature drink is an old-fashioned, Hamm told late night host Conan O’Brien he doesn’t do bourbon –even when well-meaning fans send it over to him at a bar. “I get sent over bourbon... in these, sort of, tankers... which, human beings can't drink that much bourbon,” he said. “I don't think they really realize what I'm drinking on the show is... not bourbon. It's tea … or water with food coloring in it." Instead, the actor prefers "a nice, frothy” Midori sour. “I feel the real men go for any drink that's in the neon family,” he said.  As for cigarettes, Hamm quit smoking when he was 24.

How Will ‘Mad Men’ End? Five Ways It Probably Won’t

The first half of the final season of “Mad Men” is winding down, and longtime fans are obsessed with how the show’s final seven episodes will play out. Will Don Draper (Jon Hamm) jump to his death from a New York skyscraper a la the show’s opening credits? Will Roger Sterling quit the hippie chicks and finally settle down with his baby mama, Joan? Will Peggy take over the world?

We’ve done some digging, so here’s a checklist of five ways ‘Mad Men” probably won’t end.

Don and Betty will reunite and live happily ever after

While Don Draper’s marriage to second wife Megan (Jessica Pare) is on the rocks, don’t expect him to reconcile with frosty first wife, Betty (January Jones). That hookup came via a one-nighter at son Bobby’s summer camp last season. In an interview on AMC’s website, Jones dished on how much the Betty character has “grown” since she moved on to second hubby, Henry Francis. But she added, “As an audience member, I always rooted for a Don and Betty reunion even though it would never work. I just always wanted to see how it would happen now, and I loved the way it did.” Sounds pretty final to us.

Roger and Joan will end up together

Fans have been clamoring for it, and doesn’t big-hearted Joan (Christina Hendricks) deserve a happy ending? Or at least a father figure for baby Kevin? Actor John Slattery, who plays hard drinking silver fox Roger Sterling on the AMC series, told HuffPost Live he knows viewers want to see his character end up with the red-haired bombshell, but he doubts creator Matthew Weiner will go there: "It isn't to say he's not going to give the audience what they want, but it's much more interesting to expect one thing and get the other,” Slattery said. "That's why Matt's as good as he is. Because he knows what the audience wants -- you know, Joan and Roger -- that's not what he's necessarily interested in."

Sally Draper will go to Woodstock

“Mad Men” fans apparently want to see Sally Draper run off to White Lake, New York for three days of peace and music with Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. But while Weiner has joked that the teen daughter of Don Draper will probably end up with a lot of issues (“She's inherited a lot. I predict smoking. I predict alcoholism,” he said), he later told Rolling Stone the rebellious character won’t be attending the biggest music festival of the era. "Is Sally going to go off to Woodstock?” he mused. “You know what, I'm just going to go on record as saying no. But when she grows up she's going to tell everybody that she was there."

Megan Draper will be a victim of the Manson murders

The rumors have been swirling ever since Megan Draper was spotted wearing a shirt identical to one that slain actress Sharon Tate once wore in a photo shoot. Now Megan’s moved into a secluded little house in the canyons amid the howling coyotes, and there have been Folgers coffee references (Abigail Folger was a victim in the murders) and “Rosemary’s Baby” readings (the last movie Tate’s husband, Roman Polanksi, directed before her murder). 

But Weiner insists these are not clues that Megan will end up a Manson casualty: “The T-shirt she was wearing on the balcony at the end of episode nine was a T-shirt Sharon Tate wore, so everyone's convinced that this is some secret clue that Megan's going to be murdered or die or end up in Los Angeles in a house in the hills,” he said. “And then because Sally was reading ‘Rosemary's Baby’ too, they thought that was some kind of clue. It's not. It's the end of the '60s. Honestly, on the cheap, we're trying to tell the story of the disintegration of the city. That's our way of evoking hard-core decay.”

Don Draper will die

“Mad Men” has had deathly undertones since its debut, so the death of Don Draper would almost seem too obvious at this point. The Daily Beast compiled a list of the show’s incessant death imagery:  Unusual airplane images, Don’s reading of “Dante’s Inferno,” the doorman’s sudden death, the Zippo lighter (long story if you haven’t watched the show faithfully), an abundance of orange (a “Godfather” reference) and more.  Slate has even posted a handy dandy Don Draper Death Watch tool.

At the end of the penultimate season last year, Weiner told the Los Angeles Times, “I don't want to spoil anything for people, but after [the death of ‘Mad men’ character] Lane … It's just not part of the show. No one's going to die.” But then he added, “This season. I didn't say never!”

OK, so let’s keep that death watch going…

The final seven episodes of “Mad Men” will air in 2015.

Five Memorial Day Moments in Pop Culture

Memorial Day is often celebrated with beer and barbecues, but it’s really a day of remembrance of the military personnel who died while serving our country. In pop culture, Memorial Day has been referenced in books, music, TV and movies. Here are five interesting Memorial Day moments in pop culture history.

The Doors, “The Unknown Soldier”

There have been many songs written about war, but one of the most interesting is “The Unknown Soldier” by The Doors. The first single on the band’s 1968 “Waiting for the Sun” album, the song was presumed to be Jim Morrison’s reaction to the Vietnam War and it included the sounds of military drums, military commands, and a firing squad. But some radio stations refused to play the controversial record at the time.

In a 1968 interview with Hullabaloo magazine, Morrison said he didn’t understand what the problem with the song was. Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek said, “It came out at a bad time. If it had come out maybe six months earlier or four months later … it probably would have done all right. It was the war thing, you know. When it came out, the war was just sort of really coming to a head. I think it came out just when we started negotiations and that everybody was really into a funny thing about the war. But now, I don't know, I guess the war is over. Everybody assumes it's over. It's not, of course. They're still fighting.”

“Mad Men” Memorial Days

Two episodes of AMC’s 1960s drama “Mad Men” were actually set on Memorial Day weekend. The Season 5 premiere “A Little Kiss” opened on Memorial Day weekend 1966 (which also marked Don Draper’s 40th birthday), while a few years before that, Season 2’s “Maidenform” had Draper and then-wife Betty at a country club “Ribs and Fashion Show” that included an odd recognition for those who fought for our country when the fashion show emcee announced:  “It is a tradition that we have our ribs and fashion show on this day every year. Well, this is not to dim our resolute admiration for the fortitude of those who have so nobly served our country, many of whom will not be enjoying ribs this afternoon. If you could please stand, all servicemen, for a moment of our insufficient appreciation.”  And yes, Korean War vet Don Draper stood up.

See a “Mad Men” clip that features Pete Campbell’s Memorial Day barbecue:

Beetle Bailey’s Serious Strip

Newspaper comic strips aren’t always the funny pages. In fact, they can be downright poignant when the time calls for it. Mort Walker’s long running Army-themed comic strip “Beetle Bailey” featured a strip that showed it’s “going to take a lot of remembering” to remember all in the military who died for our country.  You can see the strip here.

Memorial Day Movies

Hundreds of war-related films have been made over the years, so it’s not difficult to fill a Memorial Day movie marathon lineup. In 2014,  cable network Antennae TV hosted a “Memorial Day Cinema Salute” featuring nine classic war movies, including “All The Young Men” (1960), “Tank Battalion” (1958), and “The Victors” (1963). And TCM presented a 72-hour marathon of movies about servicemen and women, including the Clint Eastwood classic, “Kelly's Heroes” (1970) and Gary Cooper’s “Sergeant York” (1941).

Soldier Stories

Many books have been written from the perspective of soldiers, including Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms,” Stephen Crane’s “The Red Badge of Courage,” and the Kurt Vonnegut classic, “Slaughterhouse-Five.” According to NPR, Vonnegut once revealed he had a good reason for penning his satirical look at war:  “My own feeling is that civilization ended in World War I, and we're still trying to recover from that," he said in an interview. "Much of the blame is the malarkey that artists have created to glorify war, which as we all know, is nonsense, and a good deal worse than that — romantic pictures of battle, and of the dead and men in uniform and all that. And I did not want to have that story told again."