Midge Daniels
The beatnik artist who knew Don before the mask.
Midge Daniels is a beatnik artist living in Greenwich Village who appears in the first season of Mad Men. She is introduced as a woman with whom Don Draper is having an affair, cheating on his wife, Betty. Don's relationship with Midge is part of his struggle to balance his life as he cheats on Betty with her, a beatnik artist. Her character is defined by this affair and her connection to the artistic, nonconformist world of the Village.
Quick Facts
- Character role
- Ex-Love Interest; Past Connection
- First appears
- Season 1
Lore & Background
Midge Daniels is first encountered in the first season as the woman Don Draper is cheating on his wife Betty with. Her as a "beatnik artist," placing her firmly within the Greenwich Village bohemian scene of 1960. The affair with Midge is one of several relationships Don pursues outside his marriage, and it serves to illustrate his restless, secretive nature.
Reader's Guide
Midge Daniels appears in the first season of Mad Men as a supporting character whose primary function is to illustrate Don Draper's infidelity and his attraction to the bohemian counterculture. She is defined by her role as a "beatnik artist" and her location in Greenwich Village. Key moments involving Midge include Don's visits to her apartment, which are shown as part of his secret life.
More in Characters & Personalities
Elsewhere in Mad Men
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