Who played Pete Campbell on Mad Men?

Vincent Kartheiser played Pete Campbell on Mad Men. Pete is the ambitious, insecure account executive whose career at Sterling Cooper develops alongside the agency’s repeated transformations.

Kartheiser portrayed Pete from the series premiere in 2007 through the finale in 2015. The role made him widely known, although he had already acted in films and television, including the role of Connor on the supernatural drama Angel. On Mad Men, he played Pete as both deeply flawed and increasingly capable, allowing the character to change without losing his entitlement or sharp ambition.

Pete’s professional story includes becoming head of accounts, helping bring clients to Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and eventually joining McCann Erickson after the agencies merge. His personal life centers on his complicated marriage to Trudy Campbell and his concealed daughter with Peggy Olson.

The distractors are other major male characters: Jon Hamm played Don Draper, Jared Harris played Lane Pryce, and John Slattery played Roger Sterling. Pete Campbell is fictional, while Kartheiser is the real actor who portrays him.