Ben Ahlers and Kiernan Shipka reunited for a wide-ranging conversation about growing up on television, the perks and pressures of fandom, and how long-running roles change both actor and character.
Ahlers, 29, is best known to mainstream audiences today as Jack Trotter, the footman and watchmaker on HBO’s period drama The Gilded Age, whose season three finale aired this past weekend. Shipka, who broke out as Sally Draper on Mad Men (playing the role from ages seven to 15), and Ahlers first met on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Their friendship and professional intersection provide the backdrop for a candid chat that moved from journaling habits to theater, social media boundaries, and the peculiar joy of attending a WWE event.
Key takeaways from the conversation
– Growing into roles: Both actors emphasized the advantages of returning to the same character over multiple seasons. Ahlers noted that having lived through similar life changes helped him bring authentic sensitivity to Jack’s arc, especially as he navigated the character’s departures and transitions. Shipka reflected on how long-term roles allow actors to not only invent a past for a character but to truly inhabit one over time.
– Social media and attention management: Ahlers described using a hardware device called Brick to limit impulsive phone checks—placing it across the room or by the front door so he has to physically unlock apps—to protect focus while still occasionally engaging with fans. He said working on current projects also helps him resist the urge to constantly monitor online reaction.
– Theater and new projects: Ahlers shared his recent theater experience in Matt Weiner’s play John Wilkes Booth: One Night Only!, where he served as narrator. He praised the play’s tight structure and Weiner’s disciplined approach to trimming text when needed. Shipka expressed interest in theater and praised the discipline and repeatable craft it offers. Ahlers also described a new comedy project he’s on, opposite John Cena (playing a reality-TV real estate star), Michelle Monaghan, Eric André, Sherry Cola, and Caleb Hearon, directed by Matt Spicer; Ahlers plays the reality-show nemesis and enjoyed the mixture of scripted and improvisational energy on set.
– Personal notes and habits: Both revealed daily habits—Ahlers favors handwritten journaling alongside his notes app and admitted to leaning on RXBARs for snacks, though dating a cook has improved his diet; Shipka stuck to cereal and popcorn with creative seasonings like nutritional yeast or parmesan. Ahlers also shared a vivid dream about skydiving that prompted discussion about trust and relying on friends during fast life changes.
– Shared history: Shipka recounted first spotting Ahlers at a Sabrina table read in November 2019 and feeling an instant connection; within weeks Ahlers booked The Gilded Age. The pair expressed enthusiasm about future collaborations and the prospect of doing theater together.
Context and analysis
Long-running television roles are unusually formative for young actors. Playing the same character through formative years enables an actor to grow into and alongside the role: emotional shifts and lived experience feed performance choices in a way that single-season parts rarely allow. Ahlers’ reflections on losing and reclaiming parts of himself when stepping into Jack’s clothes again exemplify how practical details—costume fit, time gaps between shoots—can become emotional tools that inform performance.
Ahlers’ use of Brick and similar attention-management techniques also highlights a growing industry trend: actors and creators trying to balance public engagement with mental health and sustained creative focus. For performers who receive sudden or viral attention, deliberate boundaries help preserve attention for the work itself.
Additional comments to add value for publication or social channels
– Suggested pull quotes: “I feel so lucky to be the steward of Jack. I think he’s such a good person and role model.” and “WWE is drag for straight people — it’s unbelievable.”
– Suggested tags/keywords: Ben Ahlers, Kiernan Shipka, The Gilded Age, Mad Men, Brick device, Matt Weiner, John Wilkes Booth, John Cena, theater, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, mental health, social media.
– Potential social media angles: Short clip or quote cards about managing social media (Brick), or a teaser about Ahlers joining a comedy ensemble with John Cena and Eric André to drive reader curiosity.
– For editorial linking: Consider linking to coverage of The Gilded Age season 3 finale, Matt Weiner’s theatrical debut, and profiles of the new comedy’s cast for reader context.
Brief summary
Ben Ahlers and Kiernan Shipka discussed the rewards and challenges of growing up on TV—how returning to a character over years deepens performance, how they manage fan attention and social media, and their recent creative work. Ahlers highlighted his role on The Gilded Age, his theater work with Matt Weiner, and an upcoming comedy opposite John Cena and Eric André; Shipka teased a secret role on Industry and expressed enthusiasm for future theater work together.
Hopeful angle
Their conversation underscores a positive throughline: long-term creative work and close professional friendships can sustain and enrich young actors’ careers. Both Ahlers and Shipka show how discipline—whether through journaling, theater rehearsal, or setting digital boundaries—can preserve the clarity and joy that drew them to acting in the first place, and leave room for new, collaborative projects ahead.