“Change is neither good nor bad, it simply is.” – Don Draper, season three

Could you see Jon Hamm on Dawson’s Creek? Didn’t think so. Neither could he, nor could anyone else in the youth-obsessed Hollywood of the ‘80s when he drove to L.A. with $150 and no real master plan to make it as an actor. It was a big risk at a time when no one was looking for mature, square-jawed, slightly world-weary leading men. Enter Don Draper, and a certain amount of irony. His status as a Hollywood unknown landed him the role of a lifetime as the suit-and-hat-clad personification of an era rapidly losing relevance on a network undergoing seismic shifts itself. Eight seasons, a Golden Globe and multiple Emmy nominations later, exit Don Draper. Once you’re famous for defining a character, how do you avoid to be defined by him for the rest of your career.

Struggling for years before officially “making it” on Mad Men and subsequently spending each hiatus wondering if the show would be coming back for another season, he’s developed a Draper-worthy sangfroid take on that question. Over the course of his career, he’s seen a lot, learned even more, and has a passionate but clear-eyed grip on the industry to show for it. This is a man who understands the value of his own hard work, and the importance surrounding himself with people as smart and curious as himself. We think he’ll be just fine.