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{{short description|Fictional character on American TV show "Mad Men"}}
{{Infobox soap character
{{Infobox character
| name = Don Draper
| series = Mad Men | name = Don Draper
| image = ] | series = ]
| caption = ] as Don Draper. | image = Don Draper Wiki.jpg
| portrayer = ] | caption = ] as Don Draper
| first = "]" (2007)
|birth_date=1925
| last = "]" (2015)<br>'']'' (2024; cameo)
| creator = ]
| creator = ]
| first = Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (1.01)
| portrayer = {{Plainlist|
| last =
* ]
| cause =
* ] (Young Dick Whitman)
| alias = '''"Don"''' (nickname)<br> '''"Dick"''' (nickname)<br> '''Richard Whitman''' (birth name)
* Troy Ruptash (Lieutenant Donald Draper)
| occupation = Founding Partner, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce
| death =
| age = 38
| parents = '''Archibald Whitman''' (father; deceased)<br> '''Abigail Whitman''' (step-mother)<br> '''Evangeline''' (mother; deceased)
| siblings = '''Adam Whitman''' (half-brother; deceased)
| spouse = ''']''' (ex-wife)
| romances = '''Midge Daniels''' (ex-lover)<br> '''Rachel Menken''' (ex-lover)<br> '''Bobbie Barrett''' (ex-lover)<br> '''Suzanne Farrell''' (ex-lover)
| children = '''Sally Draper''' (daughter with Betty Draper)<br> '''Bobby Draper''' (son with Betty Draper)<br> '''Gene Draper''' (son with Betty Draper)
| relatives =
}} }}
| full_name = Donald Francis Draper
| occupation = Advertising executive
| affiliation = Sterling Cooper
| nationality = American
}}
<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS NAME, THE CHARACTER'S BIRTH NAME IS RICHARD WHITMAN, THIS HAS BEEN CITED AND VERIFIED. CHANGING THIS MAY BE CONSIDERED VANDALISM -->
'''Donald Francis''' "'''Don'''" '''Draper''', born '''Richard''' "'''Dick'''" '''Whitman''', is a fictional character and the ] of the ] television series '']'' (2007–2015), portrayed by ]. At the beginning of the series, Draper is the charismatic yet enigmatic ] at the fictional ] ] Sterling Cooper. In spite of his success, he is plagued by several personal problems, including the issues of identity and social alienation, in part due to his difficult past. His personal and professional developments in the show are frequently situated against the larger social, political, and economic events of the 1960s. In 2024, Hamm reprised his role as Draper in a ] in the ] '']''.<ref>{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mUGtLzxHg0|title=''Don Draper Pitches Breakfast Pastry Name {{!}}'' Unfrosted ''{{!}} Netflix Is A Joke''|date=May 3, 2024|access-date=May 3, 2024|via=]|work=]}}</ref>


The character of Don Draper is partially inspired by Draper Daniels, a creative director at ] in ] in the 1950s, who worked on the ] campaign; and by ], an advertising executive at ] who created the "]" ad in 1971.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Myra Janco |last=Daniels|title=I Married a Mad Man|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2009/I-Married-a-Mad-Man/|magazine=]|publisher=]|location=Chicago, Illinois|date=August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100801085117/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2009/I-Married-a-Mad-Man/|archive-date=August 1, 2010|access-date=April 8, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Reilly, Katie (May 17, 2016). . '']''.</ref> Don Draper is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic characters in television history, and Jon Hamm received universal acclaim for his performance.<ref name="EW.com 2015 m619">{{cite web | title=25 Best TV Characters in the Past 25 Years | website=EW.com | date=2015-10-12 | url=https://ew.com/gallery/25-best-tv-characters/ | access-date=2023-08-16}}</ref><ref name="Nededog Acuna Renfro Shamsian 2018 q704">{{cite web | last1=Nededog | first1=Jethro | last2=Acuna | first2=Kirsten | last3=Renfro | first3=Kim | last4=Shamsian | first4=Jacob | last5=Oswald | first5=Anjelica | last6=Singh | first6=Olivia | title=The 50 most memorable TV characters of all time | website=Insider | date=2018-03-28 | url=https://www.insider.com/best-memorable-tv-characters-all-time-2018-3 | access-date=2023-08-16}}</ref><ref name="Riedel 2011 a794">{{cite web | last=Riedel | first=David | title=50 greatest TV characters | website=CBS News | date=2011-03-29 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/50-greatest-tv-characters/ | access-date=2023-08-16}}</ref><ref name="Gruttadaro 2020 s427">{{cite web | last=Gruttadaro | first=Andrew | title=The Best TV Character of the Century Bracket | website=The Ringer | date=2020-03-30 | url=https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/3/30/21197143/best-tv-character-of-the-century-bracket-intro-round-1 | access-date=2023-08-16}}</ref><ref name="Schultz 2015 l288">{{cite web | last=Schultz | first=Cody | title=Ranking the 20 best TV characters of all-time | website=Hidden Remote | date=2015-02-23 | url=https://hiddenremote.com/2015/02/23/ranking-20-best-tv-characters-time/15/ | access-date=2023-08-16 | archive-date=2023-08-16 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816231222/https://hiddenremote.com/2015/02/23/ranking-20-best-tv-characters-time/15/ | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Yahoo Entertainment 2015 z226">{{cite web | title=The 99 Greatest TV Characters Since Tony Soprano: #9-1 | website=Yahoo Entertainment | date=2015-03-14 | url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-99-greatest-tv-characters-since-tony-soprano-113470995545.html | access-date=2023-08-16}}</ref><ref name="Ben Travers Travers Nguyen 2017 c304">{{cite web | last1=Ben Travers | first1=Hanh Nguyen | last2=Travers | first2=Ben | last3=Nguyen | first3=Hanh | title=The Best TV Characters of the 2000s, Ranked | website=IndieWire | date=2017-06-27 | url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/best-tv-characters-ranked-2000s-1201847284/ | access-date=2023-08-16}}</ref><ref name="Sheffield Sheffield 2015 v763">{{cite magazine | last=Sheffield | first=Rob | title=50 Best 'Mad Men' Characters | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=2015-05-11 | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/50-best-mad-men-characters-171240/ | access-date=2023-08-16}}</ref>
'''Donald Francis''' "'''Don'''" '''Draper''' is a fictional character and the protagonist of ]'s ] '']''. He is portrayed by 2008 ] winner ]. Until the third season finale, Draper was Creative Director of ] advertising firm Sterling Cooper. He 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.


== Biography ==
Draper's character is partially based on ], the creative head of the ] in ] in the 1950s who created the ] campaign.<ref>The Real-Life Don Draper - Chicago magazine: http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2009/I-Married-a-Mad-Man/</ref>
Donald Francis Draper is revealed through flashbacks to be the assumed identity of Richard "Dick" Whitman, born in Bunbury, Illinois, at some point between late 1925 and early 1926<ref>According to "]", the real Don Draper's birthday falls June 1st. In conversation with Megan Don admits he's "been 40 for half a year", to which Megan responds "When is that gonna stop? Only you know that. This is your birthday now." This would place Don/Dick's real date in roughly late 1925 or early 1926.</ref> to Evangeline (Kelly Huddleston), a ], and an abusive, ] farmer, Archibald "Archie" Whitman (]). Archie was married to Abigail. Archie saw a prostitute and the prostitute gave birth to Don. His biological mother ]. The midwife brought the baby to be raised by Abigail and Archie. Archie was kicked to death by a spooked horse, which the 10-year-old Dick witnessed.


He began to suffer from ] and was left under the care of a prostitute named Aimée (]). She took his virginity in a way that creator ] stated concerned "his relationship to sex and ]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amc.com/shows/mad-men/video-extras/season-06/episode-08/inside-episode-608-mad-men-the-crash |title=Inside Episode 608 Mad Men: The Crash |publisher=AMC |date=May 19, 2013 |access-date=December 30, 2016}}</ref> and reviewer Abigail Rine described more directly as ].<ref>{{cite news|first=Abigail|last=Rine|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/06/don-draper-was-raped/276937/|title=Don Draper Was Raped|magazine=]|date=March 28, 2012|publisher=]|location=Boston, Massachusetts|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170123155725/http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/06/don-draper-was-raped/276937/|archive-date=January 23, 2017|access-date=June 18, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2009, Don Draper was named the most influential man in the world by ahead of such figures as ] and ].


Dick Whitman briefly served in the Korean War, where he and his commanding officer, a Lieutenant Donald Draper, were injured in a gasoline explosion, the lieutenant mortally. Dick switched dog tags with the disfigured, unidentifiable body of Lieutenant Draper and assumed his identity, becoming Don Draper.
==Character biography==
Most of the characters in the series know little, if anything, of Draper’s history and true identity; Harry Crane remarks in the third episode of the series, "Draper? Who knows anything about that guy? No one’s ever lifted that rock. He could be Batman for all we know." Clues are given through flashbacks, confessions, and clandestine visits to figures from his past.<ref name="MadMenEp212">{{cite episode | title=The Mountain King | series=Mad Men | network=AMC | airdate=2008-11-19 | season=2 | number=12 }}</ref>


The new Don Draper relocated to New York City, where he worked as a ] salesman and attended ] at night. With the support of his boss, he wrote advertising copy for the fur company, helping him build a portfolio along with some spec ads. At this job in 1953 Draper met his future wife, ] (]), a model who was photographed for one of his own ads. After a chance meeting at the store, he tricked a drunken ] (]) into offering him a job at Sterling Cooper, where he eventually became ].
The name "Don Draper" is an alias; his given name is <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS NAME, THE CHARACTER'S BIRTH NAME IS RICHARD WHITMAN, THIS HAS BEEN CITED AND VERIFIED. CHANGING THIS MAY BE CONSIDERED VANDALISM -->Richard Whitman.<ref>http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/episode310</ref> Draper was born in Illinois, and his birth mother was a 22-year-old prostitute who died giving birth to him. He was subsequently adopted by his biological father Archibald "Archie" Whitman and his wife Abigail.


He was considered a major asset to the company, as he had considerable talent for understanding the desires of others and for effectively pitching and selling ideas. Because of this, he was occasionally courted by other advertising firms. Although he kept his true character heavily guarded, almost everyone at the firm was portrayed as respecting his talent. At the same time, many in the firm were also troubled by Draper's erratic behavior.
When Dick was ten years old, following an allotment act that slashed the price of Archibald's crops in half, Archie was killed by a spooked horse that kicked him in the face during an electrical storm; Dick was a witness to this. Subsequently, Abigail, Dick and his half-brother Adam moved to Pennsylvania (described by Draper as "coal country") and were raised by Abigail and a man referred to as "Uncle Mac."


His marriage was rocky, with Draper having numerous affairs.<ref>{{cite web|first=Logan|last=Hill|url=http://www.vulture.com/2010/07/don_drapers_ladies.html#photo=1|title=What Is Don Draper's Type? A Guide to His Many Women|website=]|publisher=]|location=New York City|date=July 26, 2010|access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> They filed for divorce in 1964 after Betty discovered his true identity, and she later married Republican political operative Henry Francis (]). Don married his secretary, ] (]), and they moved to a stylish, ] apartment on Park Avenue.<ref>{{cite news|first=Libby|last=Nelson|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/4/14/8409587/mad-men-new-business-megan|title=Megan was guilty of the worst sin a Mad Men character can commit — she was boring|website=]|publisher=]|location=New York CitY|date=April 14, 2015|access-date=July 22, 2018}}</ref>
Dick's relationship with his family was apparently contentious - he revealed to Betty that Archibald "beat the hell out of him" on a regular basis, and he "fantasized" about the day he could murder him. It is unclear if Abigail also abused him, but she made no effort to conceal Dick's past from him and referred to him as a "whore child." When told of her death from stomach cancer by Adam, he simply commented "Good." However, Don states during his confession to Betty regarding his past that Uncle Mac was "nice to him." He also appeared to be close to his half-brother Adam, who was eleven years younger than him.


Draper embarked on a nomadic existence as a mechanic and in the series' final episode, "Person to Person", moved into a commune with Anna's niece Stephanie (]). In the last scene of the episode and series, he sits and meditates, with a smile on his face.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Person to Person |series=Mad Men |network=AMC |airdate=May 17, 2015 |season=7 |number=14}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Ashley|last=Lee|url=https://time.com/3891861/mad-men-finale-don-draper-jon-hamm-matthew-weiner-coke-ad-recap/|title=Don Draper Wrote That Coke Ad, After All|magazine=]|publisher=]|location=New York City|date=May 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123160933/http://time.com/3891861/mad-men-finale-don-draper-jon-hamm-matthew-weiner-coke-ad-recap/|archive-date=January 23, 2017|url-status=live|access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> His ultimate fate is left ambiguous: In their reviews of the final episode, some critics said that the episode's final shot—the iconic 1971 "]" ad, produced by McCann Erickson—implied that the episode did not provide a definite ending to Draper's story, while others noted that Peggy's last conversation with Don was a phone call inviting him to work with her on a new client she just landed, Coca-Cola, suggests Draper returned to advertising and created that commercial.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Shirley|last=Li|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/18/mad-men-series-finale-reviews-are|title=Here's what everyone wrote about the Mad Men finale|magazine=]|publisher=]|location=New York City|date=May 15, 2015|access-date=March 21, 2018}}</ref>
===Korean War===
When Whitman was in his twenties, he enlisted in the U.S. Army - he mentioned that he "ran away" to do so - and was sent to serve in the ]. Whitman was put under the command of Lt. Donald Draper, an engineer<ref name="MadMenEp212"/> who was in charge of building a field hospital with only Whitman to assist him.


== Reception ==
The two men are fired upon by the enemy, but they are unharmed, and after dusting themselves off soon begin to light cigarettes. When Lt. Draper tells Whitman that he has pissed himself, Whitman accidentally drops his lighter and ignites a pool of gasoline, which sets off a stockpile of explosives. Lt. Draper is killed in the explosion, his face burned beyond recognition. Upon seeing this, Whitman removes Lt. Draper's dog tags and switches them for his own.
] and a ] for his performance.]]
Hamm's portrayal of Don Draper received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Draper has been cited as one of the greatest and most iconic TV characters of all time.


Dan Fienberg of '']'' wrote "Hamm's performance as Don Draper is the decade's definitive star turn, a breakout on par with what ] did on '']'' for a brief period of the '90s. All Jon Hamm had to do was convince producers that there was value in Jon Hamm and he's done that in spades. If Matthew Weiner has occasionally pushed up against the limits of Hamm's range, it's only because Draper has been written as such a tortured and frequently unravelling character. To my mind, every time you think you've seen Hamm hit a wall, you get an episode like ']' or ']' or ']' or, especially, this past season's '].'"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/the-fien-print/posts/tv-s-best-of-the-decade-no-3-mad-men|title=TV's Best of the Decade: No. 3 – 'Mad Men'|date=December 29, 2009|website=Uproxx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123161144/http://uproxx.com/hitfix/tv-s-best-of-the-decade-no-3-mad-men/|archive-date=January 23, 2017|url-status=live|last1=Fienberg|first1=Dan|access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> Bee Wilson of ''The Guardian'' praised Hamm's performance writing that "The Eames chairs and hour-glass dresses are a visual treat, but it's really all about Jon Hamm's performance as a man sickened by his womanising and in thrall to his own pretty lies".<ref>{{cite web|first=Bee|last=Wilson|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/16/my-highlight-mad-men-bee-wilson|title=My highlight: Mad Men by Bee Wilson|newspaper=]|location=London, England|date=May 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123161305/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/16/my-highlight-mad-men-bee-wilson|archive-date=January 23, 2017|url-status=live|access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref>
Whitman (as Draper) awakens in the hospital, and is awarded the Purple Heart. He is then sent home with Lt. Draper's coffin (now believed to be Whitman's) to offer the Army's regrets to Whitman's survivors. He avoids meeting the Whitmans at the train station, but is spotted by Adam. Whitman makes his escape and begins his life as Don Draper.


In 2009, '']'' named the fictional Don Draper the most influential man in the world, ahead of real-life figures.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.askmen.com/specials/2009_top_49/don-draper-1.html |title=2009 Top 49 Most Influential Men |website=Askmen.com |access-date=June 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612073951/http://www.askmen.com/specials/2009_top_49/don-draper-1.html|archive-date=June 12, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, ] listed him among TV's Most Intriguing Characters.<ref>{{cite web|title=TV's Most Intriguing Characters|url=http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/tv-intriguingCharacters/5/|publisher=]|access-date=February 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014103322/http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/tv-intriguingcharacters/5/|archive-date=October 14, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Life as "Don Draper"===
Draper was working as a used car salesman when he was tracked down by Anna Draper, the real Draper's widow. The two remained friends until Draper met and married Betty Hofstadt. After securing a legal divorce, he continued to support Anna, a piano teacher, financially. Their relationship evolved from confrontational at first to more supportive, with Don ultimately fleeing to her place for a few weeks in the later part of the second season to help clear his head.


In 2010, '']'' included Draper on its list of The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years,<ref>{{cite web|first=Adam|last=Vary|title=The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years: Here's our full list!|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2010/06/01/100-greatest-characters-of-last-20-years-full-list|magazine=]|publisher=]|location=New York City|date=June 1, 2010|access-date=August 30, 2015}}</ref> and in 2015, they named Draper one of the 25 Best TV Characters of the Past 25 Years.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=25 Best TV Characters in the Past 25 Years|url=http://www.ew.com/gallery/25-best-tv-characters/2334136_don-draper-mad-men-jon-hamm|magazine=]|publisher=]|location=New York City|date=October 12, 2015|access-date=October 10, 2015}}</ref>
Not many details have been provided as to how Don Draper became the creative director at Sterling Cooper. For some time, Draper was a used car salesman, and he wrote copy for a fur company. It was at this job that he met his future wife, Betty. Roger Sterling claims that he "discovered" Draper in this job, and brought him to work at Sterling Cooper. At some point Don and Betty marry, and move into a house at 42 Bullet Park Road, ] in ].


Hamm received eight nominations for the ] for ] for every season that Mad Men was eligible. Hamm failed to win seven times, losing out four times to ] for his portrayal of ] in '']''. Many critics felt that Matthew Weiner unnecessarily split up the final season of ''Mad Men'' over two parts and two years so Hamm would have an opportunity for the Emmy, since ''Breaking Bad'' had already ended its final season. Hamm indeed won his final nomination at the ]. Hamm crawled onto the stage, making fun of his nearly decade long quest to win an Emmy.
Draper eventually became Creative Director, and then a junior partner, at Sterling Cooper. He is considered a great asset to the company as he has considerable talent for understanding the desires of others, and for effectively pitching and selling ideas. Because of this, he has occasionally been courted by other advertising firms. Although his true character remains mysterious and heavily guarded, almost everyone at the firm respects his talent. Among these is account executive Pete Campbell, who seems to view Draper as both a mentor and a hindrance to his advancement within the firm. When Campbell purposely takes a package addressed to Draper from his estranged brother Adam, Campbell discovers Draper’s true identity, subsequently attempting to blackmail Draper with this information. However, when Campbell confronts Draper in his office with what he's discovered, Don walks directly to senior partner Bert Cooper's office, with Campbell following behind incredulously. Once in Cooper's office, Campbell, getting in the first word, reveals Don's true identity to Cooper, who simply shrugs off the news, much to Campbell's astonishment. However, Cooper later uses the same information to compel Don to sign, under duress, a three-year employment contract.


In addition to his Emmy, Hamm won the ] for ] twice, in ] and ]. He is tied with ], ], ] and ] for most wins in the category. He also won the ] twice, in ] and ]; won the ] in ]; and received six nominations for the ].
] begins her career at Sterling Cooper as Draper's secretary, but with his support transitions into the role of copywriter. He carefully but firmly nurtures her talent as she learns the process, although in the first season he makes sure she continues with her secretarial duties until promoting her in the episode "The Wheel." In the show's second season, the relationship between Peggy and Don is revealed to be more complex than it first appears, each having helped the other while in trouble: Don giving Peggy the push to leave the hospital after she gave birth and was held by the doctors, and Peggy bailing him out of police custody after a drunk-driving accident and allowing his female companion to recuperate at her place. Peggy is one of few people in the office to refer to Draper by his first name on a regular basis. Despite this, Don generally does not show her any favoritism, and aggressively shuts down her request for a pay raise (which she argues she should be given under emerging "equal pay for equal work" statutes), which leads her to seriously consider taking a job at another agency.


== References ==
Betty remains unaware of Don's past until she discovers the collection of photographs and other documents from his previous life which Don keeps in a locked drawer in his desk. When Betty confronts Don and demands to know the truth, Don breaks down and reveals to her the secret of his true identity. Their marriage suffers another setback when Betty realizes, in the wake of ]'s ], that she does not love or trust Don. She relocates to ] to file for divorce shortly thereafter. After being kicked out of the Draper family residence, Don moves into an apartment.
{{Reflist}}


== Further reading ==
In December 1963, Don convinces Bert Cooper, Roger Sterling, and Lane Pryce, along with Peggy, Pete and Harry Crane, to leave Sterling Cooper rather than take their chances when they learn that their parent company is being purchased by rival firm McCann Erickson. They form the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce agency, working out of a hotel suite before moving to the ].<ref name="Public Relations">{{cite episode|title=Public Relations|series=Mad Men|serieslink=Mad Men|credits=written by ], directed by ]|network=AMC|airdate=2010-07-25|season=4|number=1}}</ref>
* {{cite web|author=Lewis, Jordan Gaines|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-babble/201404/mad-man-indeed-the-psychology-don-draper|title=A Mad Man, Indeed: The Psychology of Don Draper|work=]|date=2014-04-11}}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-07-22/don-drapers-sex-appeal-in-mad-men/ |title=The Secret of Don Draper's Sex Appeal|author=Vargas-Cooper, Natasha|work=] |date=July 22, 2010}}
* {{cite web|author=Watkins, Gwynne|url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/04/psychiatrist-analyzes-mad-men-don-draper.html|title=''Mad Men'' on the Couch: A Psychiatrist Analyzes Don and Roger|work=]|date=2013-04-10}}


== External links ==
==Personality==
* at AMCtv.com
In many respects, Draper is the stereotype of an ] upper-middle class white man of ]. It becomes clear during the second season that many of Draper's less admirable qualities (his ], for example) are his way of dealing with internal conflicts. Draper appears to be one of the very few men at Sterling Cooper who does not engage in the sex-centered, locker-room style conversations that characterize its corporate culture. In fact, Draper keeps his ] to himself and otherwise appears to be a decent and chivalrous man.

He warns Pete Campbell in the first episode ("Smoke Gets in Your Eyes") about his rude remarks to and about Peggy Olson, whom he has just met.

In the first episode of the second season (]), Draper is in an elevator listening to two younger men having a crude sexual conversation. Draper is disgusted and, when an older woman enters the elevator and they continue their graphic conversation, Draper twice tells one of the men to remove his hat. The man ignores Draper, who proceeds to remove the man's hat himself, thereby ending the men's conversation and sparing the woman further embarrassment.

During the episode "Six Month Leave," Draper admonishes several subordinates for mocking Freddy Rumsen's episode of ], a symptom of his alcoholism.

In "My Old Kentucky Home" (Season 3, Episode 3), Draper attends a festive Kentucky Derby party hosted by Roger Sterling, where he watches as Sterling serenades his young wife in ] minstrel makeup. He and Pete Campbell seem to be the only guests who disapprove of or are uncomfortable with the spectacle.

Draper also adheres to a more strict code of business ethics than many of his colleagues. A second season arc has Draper upset about being told to drop the small local ] client in favor of a chance at ]. In Season 3, he is hesitant to sign a wealthy client eager to pour his fortune into promoting ], a sport the client thinks will replace baseball as "America's game," Don knowing the client is about to squander his considerable fortune on a doomed enterprise.

He also keeps the secret of Art Director Sal Romano, a closeted and struggling homosexual, whom Don sees in a compromising position in a Baltimore hotel during a fire evacuation. Although Don continues to keep the secret, he nonetheless expresses his distaste for Sal's sexual orientation when he fires him in Season 3 because the son of a prominent client is irate at Sal's refusal to accept his sexual advances in the film editing room.

He has demonstrated a bold streak, perhaps best displayed in his snap decision to get fired from Sterling Cooper in order to form a new advertising agency.

It is also shown throughout different episodes that Don regrets how he treats his family. In the season three episode where Betty gives birth to their third child, he has a conversation with another man in the waiting room who says that he's going to be a better man for his wife and child. It is clear that Don feels the exact same way.

==Draper and women==
Draper met his ex-wife ] (] Hofstadt) in her modeling days, surprising Betty by buying her the fur she wore on a photo shoot where he was in attendance; this gesture appears to be the start of their relationship. Betty and Don marry when she is in her early twenties, and she gave birth to their first child Sally soon after. A few years later, she gave birth to their first son, Bobby. In Season 3, Betty gave birth to a second son named Eugene after her recently-deceased father, with whom Don shared a mutually antagonistic relationship

Don cheats on Betty repeatedly throughout Seasons 1 and 2. In Season 1, Draper is involved with Midge, a pot-smoking beatnik and illustrator who works out of her small, dingy apartment. Midge's beatnik lifestyle and friends do not appeal to Don, but she offers him an escape from his high-pressure job. Don receives a bonus check of $2,500 from Sterling Cooper and asks her to run away with him to ]. However, Don changes his mind, perhaps because he realizes Midge is in love with a fellow beatnik, or perhaps because the instinct to escape is fleeting, and instead stuffs the check into her blouse. He tells her to go buy a car with it and leaves.

Also during Season 1, Don pursues ]. She is Jewish and the daughter of Abraham Menken, the elderly founder of upscale Menken's department store. Rachel, 28, is educated, sophisticated, and a savvy businesswoman, assisting her father in running the family business. Despite bickering with her during initial business meetings, Draper begins an affair with her. She ends their affair on November 8, 1960, the night the 1960 Presidential election results are being tabulated ("Nixon vs. Kennedy," Season 1, Episode 12). She leaves on a cruise for Europe and marries another man sometime before the beginning of season 2.

In Season 2, Draper turns to an older woman, ]. She is the wife of Jimmy Barrett, an ] loosely based on ]er ], filming a commercial for one Sterling Cooper's clients, Utz Potato Chips. Don does not like Bobbie's demanding and often unprofessional behavior, and at one point squeezes her crotch in a restaurant corridor to coerce her into making a business concession. However, she is very sexually aggressive and Don caves in to her during a severe hail storm in his car (Episode 3, "The Benefactor").

Draper and Bobbie continue their affair, taking a trip to the beach at "Stony Brook" on Long Island, but their plans are interrupted by a car accident followed by his arrest for drunken driving. Unable to post bond with the cash on his person, Don reaches out to Peggy Olson, who travels the great distance from Brooklyn to Long Island by car in the middle of the night, posts Don's bail of $110, and later boards Bobbie until her injuries from the accident heal. Bobbie and Don continue their affair until Episode 6 ("Maidenform"), when Bobbie lets slip that Draper's previous mistresses have been talking about his sexual skills. Don, who values his privacy highly, is aghast that his extra-marital escapades are being gossiped about, and immediately ends the affair. Don must continue his professional relationship with Bobbie and Jimmy, and the four of them (including Betty) meet at ] for a night out (Season 2, Episode 7, "The Gold Violin"). It is at the end of the evening that Jimmy reveals to Betty that their spouses are having an affair. Betty is shocked and sickened. Jimmy finishes the night by telling Draper off with Betty within earshot.

A distraught Betty confronts Don (Episode 8, "A Night to Remember), but he repeatedly denies the accusations, which infuriates Betty. Eventually, Betty appears willing to put the suspicion behind her, but when she coincidentally sees the commercial Jimmy made for Utz air on television, her anger is reignited. She calls her husband at work and tells him not to come home, whereafter Don moves into a hotel room and frequently sleeps in his office. Betty's father has another stroke (Episode 10, "The Inheritance"), necessitating a visit from Betty, and to keep up appearances, the two of them pretend to be a happily married couple while staying at her father's home. After witnessing the rapid decline of her father, Betty surprises Don with a sexual encounter in the middle of the night, leading Don to believe that she has now forgiven him. When they arrive home, however, Betty tells a confused Don not to move back in. Betty later discovers that she is pregnant.

Don impulsively decides to join Campbell on a business trip to Los Angeles (Episode 11, "The Jet Set"). In California, Don meets a mysterious European viscount with a 21-year-old daughter named Joy. Despite telling Campbell that the trip is strictly business, Don joins Joy and her "jet set" family of self-described nomads at their lavish vacation home in Palm Springs. Joy is topless in the pool one night, attempting to seduce Don again—despite being surrounded by other relatives and even small children, around their large pool. Draper realizes that this "sexual freedom" is excessive, even for him, and seeks out his confidante, Anna Draper (Episode 12, "The Mountain King.")<ref name="MadMenEp212">{{cite episode | title=The Mountain King | series=] | network=] | airdate=2008-10-19 | season=2 | number=12 }}</ref> Anna reassures Don, who tells her that he's "ruined everything," that his loving Betty doesn't mean he has to tell her everything. Don then bathes in the Pacific Ocean, in a symbolic baptismal gesture of new beginnings, and returns home to profess his love for Betty and ask her to take him back.

In Season 3, Don had an affair lasting several months with his daughter Sally's schoolteacher Suzanne Farrell. Their relationship builds slowly over several accidental meetings and conversations laden with innuendo. They finally consummate their attraction in September, 1963 (Episode 9, "Wee Small Hours").

Don ended the affair with Suzanne on October 30, 1963. Thinking Betty and his children are out of town, he plans a weekend get-away with Suzanne. With Suzanne waiting out in the car, and intending only to go into the house for a suitcase, Don is stunned to find Betty at home. Before he can make his escape, however, Betty reveals she has found the key to the locked drawer in Don's desk in which he keeps a box of photographs and other evidence of his past life, as well as several hundred dollars in emergency escape funds, and has discovered he has been lying to her. She coerces him into telling her the truth about his past, and he confesses his real name and the details of his deception. (Episode 11, "The Gypsy and the Hobo"). Don never returns to the car where Suzanne awaits him, apparently for hours, before giving up and returning home. He calls her the next day to break things off, even though they have not been discovered, in an attempt to save his marriage.

==Draper and vehicles==

Don worked as a used-car salesman at the time Anna Draper found him, and on at least one occasion enjoyed the company of motorcyclists and hot rod enthusiasts while he was visiting Anna in Southern California. At the outset of the series, Don drives a 1959 Buick Electra 225 convertible. Later, Don wrecks an unassuming and utilitarian Dodge model, after which he is goaded by Roger Sterling into purchasing a blue & white 1962 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. Sterling tells him that the Cadillac was a sign that Don had 'arrived.'

==Pop-Cultural References==
Don Draper is imitated by the character ] in the show '']'' in Season 1, Episode 17, "Physical Education" while trying to learn to pick up women at the encouragement of his Spanish study group. Actress ] is a cast member of both ''Community'' and ''Mad Men''.

In Season 3 of the NBC sitcom '']'' (Episode 19, "The Ones"), page ] shouts out, "My real name is Dick Whitman!" as he is succumbing to a strawberry allergy. Jon Hamm appears on ''30 Rock'' as the recurring character ].

The Don Draper character was also parodied in a skit on ], in "Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women."

Don Draper was announced the "Number 1 Most Influential Man of 2009" in ]

In her ] article, Natasha Vargas-Cooper compared Don Draper's appeal as a combination of ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web | author= Natasha Vargas-Cooper | title= The Secret of Don Draper's Sex Appeal | url= http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-07-22/don-drapers-sex-appeal-in-mad-men/ | publisher= ] | date= July 22, 2010 | accessdate=2010-08-01}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* by Natasha Vargas-Cooper - ] - July 22, 2010


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Latest revision as of 14:48, 17 December 2024

Fictional character on American TV show "Mad Men" Fictional character
Don Draper
Mad Men character
Jon Hamm as Don Draper
First appearance"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" (2007)
Last appearance"Person to Person" (2015)
Unfrosted (2024; cameo)
Created byMatthew Weiner
Portrayed by
In-universe information
Full nameDonald Francis Draper
OccupationAdvertising executive
AffiliationSterling Cooper
NationalityAmerican

Donald Francis "Don" Draper, born Richard "Dick" Whitman, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the AMC television series Mad Men (2007–2015), portrayed by Jon Hamm. At the beginning of the series, Draper is the charismatic yet enigmatic creative director at the fictional Manhattan advertising firm Sterling Cooper. In spite of his success, he is plagued by several personal problems, including the issues of identity and social alienation, in part due to his difficult past. His personal and professional developments in the show are frequently situated against the larger social, political, and economic events of the 1960s. In 2024, Hamm reprised his role as Draper in a cameo role in the comedy film Unfrosted.

The character of Don Draper is partially inspired by Draper Daniels, a creative director at Leo Burnett advertising agency in Chicago in the 1950s, who worked on the Marlboro Man campaign; and by Bill Backer, an advertising executive at McCann Erickson who created the "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" ad in 1971. Don Draper is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic characters in television history, and Jon Hamm received universal acclaim for his performance.

Biography

Donald Francis Draper is revealed through flashbacks to be the assumed identity of Richard "Dick" Whitman, born in Bunbury, Illinois, at some point between late 1925 and early 1926 to Evangeline (Kelly Huddleston), a prostitute, and an abusive, alcoholic farmer, Archibald "Archie" Whitman (Joseph Culp). Archie was married to Abigail. Archie saw a prostitute and the prostitute gave birth to Don. His biological mother died in labor. The midwife brought the baby to be raised by Abigail and Archie. Archie was kicked to death by a spooked horse, which the 10-year-old Dick witnessed.

He began to suffer from croup and was left under the care of a prostitute named Aimée (Megan Ferguson). She took his virginity in a way that creator Matthew Weiner stated concerned "his relationship to sex and molestation", and reviewer Abigail Rine described more directly as rape.

Dick Whitman briefly served in the Korean War, where he and his commanding officer, a Lieutenant Donald Draper, were injured in a gasoline explosion, the lieutenant mortally. Dick switched dog tags with the disfigured, unidentifiable body of Lieutenant Draper and assumed his identity, becoming Don Draper.

The new Don Draper relocated to New York City, where he worked as a fur salesman and attended City College at night. With the support of his boss, he wrote advertising copy for the fur company, helping him build a portfolio along with some spec ads. At this job in 1953 Draper met his future wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Hofstadt (January Jones), a model who was photographed for one of his own ads. After a chance meeting at the store, he tricked a drunken Roger Sterling (John Slattery) into offering him a job at Sterling Cooper, where he eventually became Creative Director.

He was considered a major asset to the company, as he had considerable talent for understanding the desires of others and for effectively pitching and selling ideas. Because of this, he was occasionally courted by other advertising firms. Although he kept his true character heavily guarded, almost everyone at the firm was portrayed as respecting his talent. At the same time, many in the firm were also troubled by Draper's erratic behavior.

His marriage was rocky, with Draper having numerous affairs. They filed for divorce in 1964 after Betty discovered his true identity, and she later married Republican political operative Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley). Don married his secretary, Megan Calvet (Jessica Paré), and they moved to a stylish, Upper East Side apartment on Park Avenue.

Draper embarked on a nomadic existence as a mechanic and in the series' final episode, "Person to Person", moved into a commune with Anna's niece Stephanie (Caity Lotz). In the last scene of the episode and series, he sits and meditates, with a smile on his face. His ultimate fate is left ambiguous: In their reviews of the final episode, some critics said that the episode's final shot—the iconic 1971 "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" ad, produced by McCann Erickson—implied that the episode did not provide a definite ending to Draper's story, while others noted that Peggy's last conversation with Don was a phone call inviting him to work with her on a new client she just landed, Coca-Cola, suggests Draper returned to advertising and created that commercial.

Reception

Hamm received two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance.

Hamm's portrayal of Don Draper received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Draper has been cited as one of the greatest and most iconic TV characters of all time.

Dan Fienberg of HitFix wrote "Hamm's performance as Don Draper is the decade's definitive star turn, a breakout on par with what George Clooney did on ER for a brief period of the '90s. All Jon Hamm had to do was convince producers that there was value in Jon Hamm and he's done that in spades. If Matthew Weiner has occasionally pushed up against the limits of Hamm's range, it's only because Draper has been written as such a tortured and frequently unravelling character. To my mind, every time you think you've seen Hamm hit a wall, you get an episode like 'The Hobo Code' or 'For Those Who Think Young' or 'Meditations in an Emergency' or, especially, this past season's 'The Gypsy and the Hobo.'" Bee Wilson of The Guardian praised Hamm's performance writing that "The Eames chairs and hour-glass dresses are a visual treat, but it's really all about Jon Hamm's performance as a man sickened by his womanising and in thrall to his own pretty lies".

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.

In 2010, Entertainment Weekly included Draper on its list of The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years, and in 2015, they named Draper one of the 25 Best TV Characters of the Past 25 Years.

Hamm received eight nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for every season that Mad Men was eligible. Hamm failed to win seven times, losing out four times to Bryan Cranston for his portrayal of Walter White in Breaking Bad. Many critics felt that Matthew Weiner unnecessarily split up the final season of Mad Men over two parts and two years so Hamm would have an opportunity for the Emmy, since Breaking Bad had already ended its final season. Hamm indeed won his final nomination at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. Hamm crawled onto the stage, making fun of his nearly decade long quest to win an Emmy.

In addition to his Emmy, Hamm won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama twice, in 2008 and 2016. He is tied with Ed Asner, John Forsythe, Hugh Laurie and Tom Selleck for most wins in the category. He also won the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama twice, in 2011 and 2015; won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2011; and received six nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.

References

  1. Don Draper Pitches Breakfast Pastry Name | Unfrosted | Netflix Is A Joke. Netflix Is A Joke. May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024 – via YouTube.
  2. Daniels, Myra Janco (August 2009). "I Married a Mad Man". Chicago. Chicago, Illinois: Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
  3. Reilly, Katie (May 17, 2016). "Man Who Inspired Mad Men and 'Taught the World to Sing' Dies". Time.
  4. "25 Best TV Characters in the Past 25 Years". EW.com. 2015-10-12. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  5. Nededog, Jethro; Acuna, Kirsten; Renfro, Kim; Shamsian, Jacob; Oswald, Anjelica; Singh, Olivia (2018-03-28). "The 50 most memorable TV characters of all time". Insider. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  6. Riedel, David (2011-03-29). "50 greatest TV characters". CBS News. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  7. Gruttadaro, Andrew (2020-03-30). "The Best TV Character of the Century Bracket". The Ringer. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  8. Schultz, Cody (2015-02-23). "Ranking the 20 best TV characters of all-time". Hidden Remote. Archived from the original on 2023-08-16. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  9. "The 99 Greatest TV Characters Since Tony Soprano: #9-1". Yahoo Entertainment. 2015-03-14. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  10. Ben Travers, Hanh Nguyen; Travers, Ben; Nguyen, Hanh (2017-06-27). "The Best TV Characters of the 2000s, Ranked". IndieWire. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  11. Sheffield, Rob (2015-05-11). "50 Best 'Mad Men' Characters". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  12. According to "A Little Kiss", the real Don Draper's birthday falls June 1st. In conversation with Megan Don admits he's "been 40 for half a year", to which Megan responds "When is that gonna stop? Only you know that. This is your birthday now." This would place Don/Dick's real date in roughly late 1925 or early 1926.
  13. "Inside Episode 608 Mad Men: The Crash". AMC. May 19, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  14. Rine, Abigail (March 28, 2012). "Don Draper Was Raped". The Atlantic. Boston, Massachusetts: Emerson Collective. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  15. Hill, Logan (July 26, 2010). "What Is Don Draper's Type? A Guide to His Many Women". Vulture. New York City: New York Media. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  16. Nelson, Libby (April 14, 2015). "Megan was guilty of the worst sin a Mad Men character can commit — she was boring". Vox. New York CitY: Vox Media. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  17. "Person to Person". Mad Men. Season 7. Episode 14. May 17, 2015. AMC.
  18. Lee, Ashley (May 20, 2015). "Don Draper Wrote That Coke Ad, After All". Time. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  19. Li, Shirley (May 15, 2015). "Here's what everyone wrote about the Mad Men finale". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  20. Fienberg, Dan (December 29, 2009). "TV's Best of the Decade: No. 3 – 'Mad Men'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  21. Wilson, Bee (May 16, 2015). "My highlight: Mad Men by Bee Wilson". The Guardian. London, England. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  22. "2009 Top 49 Most Influential Men". Askmen.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  23. "TV's Most Intriguing Characters". Comcast. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  24. Vary, Adam (June 1, 2010). "The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years: Here's our full list!". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  25. "25 Best TV Characters in the Past 25 Years". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. October 12, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.

Further reading

External links

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