Jessica Paré

Early Life and Education

Jessica Paré was born on December 5, 1980, in Montreal, Quebec, into a family with a strong artistic and academic background. Her father, Anthony Paré, was a former chair of the education department at McGill University and an actor and drama teacher, while her mother, Louise Mercier, worked as a conference interpreter and performed in amateur theatre. Paré grew up in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood of Montreal with her three brothers, immersed in a bilingual English and French household. Her family heritage includes French Canadian and Irish ancestry, with notable ancestors such as 18th-century Irish writer and actress Elizabeth Griffith. Paré's early exposure to the performing arts came from watching her father rehearse and helping him learn lines for plays like The Tempest, which sparked her own interest in acting. She attended the private Catholic high school Villa Maria in Montreal, where she further cultivated her dramatic interests. As a teenager, she studied drama at TheatreWorks and performed in over half a dozen amateur theatre productions, taking on roles such as Maid Marian in Robin Hood and Lucy in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This foundational period in Montreal's artistic community set the stage for her professional career.

Career Beginnings and Breakthrough

Paré's professional acting career began during her final year of high school with a small role in the 1999 television film Bonanno: A Godfather's Story, an experience that solidified her decision to pursue acting. She subsequently left the fine arts program at Montreal's Dawson College to focus on her career, taking on minor roles in an episode of Big Wolf on Campus and the French film En Vacances. Her major breakthrough arrived in 2000 when director Denys Arcand cast her in the lead role of the satirical film Stardom, which closed the Cannes Film Festival that year. In the film, Paré played a naive ice hockey player who becomes an international supermodel, a performance that established her as a rising star in the Canadian film industry. The following year, she starred alongside Mischa Barton and Piper Perabo in the boarding school drama Lost and Delirious, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to praise for the cast's performances. Throughout the early 2000s, Paré built a diverse filmography in Canadian television and film, including roles in the miniseries Random Passage (2002) and Napoléon (2002), a cameo in Deepa Mehta's Bollywood/Hollywood (2002), and the lead in the CTV film The Death and Life of Nancy Eaton (2003).

Hollywood and Independent Film Work

Paré made her Hollywood debut in the 2004 psychological thriller Wicker Park, starring Josh Hartnett and Rose Byrne. That same year, she appeared in the television miniseries Lives of the Saints and had a recurring role on The WB series Jack & Bobby, playing a character who grows up to be First Lady. She continued to balance work in larger American productions with independent Canadian projects, demonstrating her range. In 2009, she starred in the vampire horror-comedy Suck, for which she learned to play the bass guitar. Her performance earned a nomination for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Female Performance in Film in 2010. She also appeared in the Montreal-filmed comedy The Trotsky (2009) and the comedy Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) in a role as a groupie. Further independent work included the short film Beholder (2011) for PBS, the Yukon-filmed western The Mountie (2011), and the romantic comedy Standby (filmed 2012, released 2014), where she played the female lead Alice in Luxembourg and Ireland.

In the late 2000s, Jessica Paré filmed the vampire horror-comedy Suck (2008), for which she learned to play the bass guitar. She was nominated for a 2010 Canadian Comedy Award for best female performance in film for this role. In 2010, she played a groupie in the comedy film Hot Tub Time Machine. That same year, she also appeared in the Canadian comedy Peepers, which competed in the Just for Laughs film festival in Montreal. In 2011, she starred in the western The Mountie, filmed in a remote location outside of Whitehorse, Yukon.

• Suck (2009): A vampire horror-comedy where she learned bass guitar, leading to a Canadian Comedy Award nomination.
• The Trotsky (2009): A comedy filmed in her hometown of Montreal.
• Hot Tub Time Machine (2010): A Hollywood comedy featuring her as a blonde groupie.
• Peepers (2010): A Canadian comedy about voyeurism that competed at Montreal's Just for Laughs festival.
• The Mountie (2011): A western filmed outside Whitehorse, Yukon, about the North-West Mounted Police.
• Standby (2014): A romantic comedy where she played the lead role of Alice, filmed in Luxembourg and Ireland.

Television Success with <em>Mad Men</em> and <em>SEAL Team</em>

Paré's most defining television role came in 2010 when she joined the cast of the critically acclaimed AMC series Mad Men as Megan Calvet, who becomes the second wife of protagonist Don Draper. Her character was prominently featured in the Season 5 premiere in 2012, where she performed a sultry rendition of the song "Zou Bisou Bisou," a moment that became a cultural touchstone of the series. Paré's recording of the song was released as a single for digital download and on vinyl on March 26, 2012. Her performance on the show lasted through its final seasons, concluding in 2015. Building on this success, Paré joined the main cast of the CBS military drama SEAL Team in 2017, playing CIA liaison officer Amanda "Mandy" Ellis. The series, which follows an elite unit of U.S. Navy SEALs, was renewed for a fourth season in 2020, solidifying Paré's presence in a long-running primetime network series. Her roles on both Mad Men and SEAL Team illustrate her ability to inhabit complex characters within prestigious ensemble dramas.

Music, Stage, and Public Persona

Beyond acting, Paré has engaged in musical performances that complement her screen work. Her performance of "Zou Bisou Bisou" on Mad Men led to a legitimate music release, demonstrating her vocal abilities. In 2012, she took this a step further by appearing on stage as a guest vocalist with the alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain for two concerts, performing their song "Just Like Honey" in Buffalo, New York, and Toronto. This foray into live musical performance highlights the interdisciplinary nature of her artistic pursuits, blending her acting career with musical expression. In her personal life, Paré was married to writer and producer Joseph M. Smith from 2007 until their divorce in 2010. Since 2013, she has been in a relationship with musician John Kastner, with whom she has a son. Paré is a practising Catholic and has publicly identified as a feminist, stating in an interview with Fashion magazine that she believes in the equal treatment of men and women. She also worked briefly as a photographer's assistant on automotive shoots early in her career, and she was voted one of People magazine's 25 Most Beautiful People in 2012. Paré's career is marked by several key artistic and personal milestones that have defined her public image.

• 2000: Breakthrough lead role in Denys Arcand's Stardom, closing the Cannes Film Festival.
• 2010: Joined the main cast of AMC's Mad Men as Megan Calvet.
• 2012: Performed "Zou Bisou Bisou" on Mad Men and released the single on March 26.
• 2012: Guest vocalist with The Jesus and Mary Chain in Buffalo and Toronto.
• 2017: Joined the main cast of CBS's SEAL Team as Amanda Ellis.
• 2020: SEAL Team was renewed for its fourth season.

Selected Filmography

Questions about Jessica Paré

Where was Jessica Paré born and raised?

Jessica Paré was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. She grew up in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood in a bilingual English and French household. She attended the private Catholic high school Villa Maria in Montreal, where she began acting in amateur theatre productions. Her early exposure to the arts in Montreal influenced her decision to pursue an acting career.

What other movies has Jessica Paré been in?

Beyond her television work, Jessica Paré has appeared in a variety of films. Her early breakout role was in Denys Arcand's Stardom (2000). She starred in the drama Lost and Delirious (2001), made her Hollywood debut in Wicker Park (2004), and appeared in comedies like Suck (2009) and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010). She also had a role in the Oscar-nominated film Brooklyn (2015).

What is Jessica Paré best known for?

Jessica Paré is best known for her television roles as Megan Calvet on the AMC series Mad Men and as Amanda Ellis on the CBS series SEAL Team. Her role as Megan Calvet, Don Draper's second wife, became prominent in the show's fifth season. She is also recognized for her performance of the song Zou Bisou Bisou in a memorable Mad Men episode. In film, she gained early recognition starring as a supermodel in Denys Arcand's Stardom (2000) and as a young lover in Lost and Delirious (2001). Her career began with a small role in the television film Bonanno: A Godfather's Story (1999), which convinced her to pursue acting professionally.

Did Jessica Paré really sing "Zou Bisou Bisou" on Mad Men?

Yes, Jessica Paré performed the song Zou Bisou Bisou on Mad Men. Her character, Megan Calvet, danced and sang a version of the 1960 Gillian Hills hit in the Season 5 opener of the series. Paré's own recording of the song was subsequently released commercially. It was made available as a music download and on a vinyl special edition on March 26, 2012. This performance became a notable cultural moment from the show and showed her singing abilities.

Is Jessica Paré on social media?

Jessica Paré maintains a presence on the social media platform Instagram. Her professional filmography and acting credits are catalogued on the IMDb database. Details related to her music recording, specifically for Zou Bisou Bisou, are listed on the Discogs discography website. These platforms provide official sources for information about her career and public activities.

What awards has Jessica Paré been nominated for?

Jessica Paré was nominated for a 2010 Canadian Comedy Award for best female performance in film. This nomination was for her role in the vampire horror comedy film Suck (2009). For this role, she learned to play the bass guitar. The film premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Beyond this nomination, she was also voted one of the 25 Most Beautiful People of 2012 by People magazine.

Sources and further reading

• Jessica Paré (Wikipedia)
• Jessica Paré Movies & TV Shows List (rottentomatoes.com)
• Jessica Paré, the Mad Men actress who spent a decade ... (martincid.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-22.