Donald Draper

Donald Francis “Don” Draper is a fictional character and the protagonist of AMC’s television series Mad Men, portrayed by 2008 Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm. Until the Season 3 finale, Don was Creative Director of Manhattan advertising firm Sterling Cooper. He then became a founding partner at a new firm, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, after he and his superiors abandoned their old agency in advance of an unwanted acquisition. Their agency later merged with CGC to become Sterling Cooper and Partners while pursuing a contract from Chevy. Don’s character is partially based on Draper Daniels, a creative director at Leo Burnett advertising agency in Chicago in the 1950s, who worked on the Marlboro Man campaign. In 2009, Ask Men named the fictional Don Draper the most influential man in the world, ahead of real-life figures. Additionally, Comcast listed him among TV’s Most Intriguing Characters.