Who plays you on TV?

Wherein we ponder characters and character, traits, personality, likeness, spirit animals and wish fulfillment.

I remember the moment less for the choice than for the reaction. I was sitting around with some other critics at a press tour bar and we were — to be clear — first talking about our “favorite” characters in a lead role and, over the din of voices broadening the definition, someone must have tossed in “most like you” or something like that and I already had the answer to the first part so I said it.

Don Draper.

It was not a popular choice. There was some recoiling. And some “you know he’s a terrible person, right?” There was some “that’s not actually flattering” references in case I was thinking about being suave and creative. But I knew all that. I didn’t think I was Don Draper. I just loved Don Draper — still do, faults and all (because, I believe, that’s the only way to know you’ve chosen a well-rounded, representational character. They can’t be all one thing or the other). And yet — AND YET — a lot of people still thought it was a terrible pick.

And then I thought, well, clearly I don’t have the looks and I seriously don’t think I’m an alcoholic, but I can definitely relate to Don. And of course I said that too, because, as you know by now, I’m not super shy about saying anything to anyone. “Would you rather I said Tony Soprano? Because that’s worse.”