Who portrays Don Draper in Mad Men?

Jon Hamm portrays Don Draper in Mad Men. Hamm plays the series’ central character, a polished but secretive advertising executive whose professional brilliance contrasts with the turmoil in his private life.

Mad Men became Hamm’s breakthrough role after its 2007 premiere. Creator Matthew Weiner initially considered him unusually handsome for the part, but that quality helped establish Draper’s carefully constructed image as a charismatic 1960s executive. Hamm’s performance earned widespread critical praise and made the character one of television’s most recognizable protagonists.

Hamm received eight Primetime Emmy nominations for playing Draper and won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2015, the year the series ended. He also won two Golden Globe Awards for the role. Viewers sometimes confuse the actor with characters such as Roger Sterling or Pete Campbell, but those roles were played by John Slattery and Vincent Kartheiser, respectively.