The high profile of some of their fans has been overwhelming as well. "It's the most bizarre sensation to read some article and hear that Paul McCartney loves 'Mad Men.' Or Jerry Seinfeld loves it," says Hendricks, who plays secretary Joan Holloway, for whom the word "bombshell" could have been created.
Hamm's biggest shock was being told by Sean Penn and Meryl Streep that they were fans. Weiner has heard from some of his writing heroes, like Larry Gelbart and Norman Lear. Frank Pierson ("Dog Day Afternoon") approached him, offering his services. "He's now in the writers' room," Weiner says. "Arguably one of the greatest living writers. It means you're doing something right."
So do the parodies. "The Simpsons," in its famous Halloween episode, featured a homage to "Mad Men's" opening credits. Homer's silhouette falls out of a high rise in slow motion in the segment "How to Get Ahead in Dead-vertising."
Last October, Hamm was asked to host "Saturday Night Live," to his great surprise. In his opening monologue, he described "Mad Men," embellishing the plot a little to include the cast of "CSI" and a dance competition to draw in more viewers.
In a sketch showing the admen at work, Hamm was joined by "Mad Men" costar John Slattery (Roger Sterling) and Moss. (Moss was filling in at the last minute for Amy Poehler, who had gone into labor that day.) "I didn't know they were going to make fun of the show as much as they did," Weiner says. "I loved every minute of it."
The in-joke homages haven't stopped. On a recent "30 Rock," Kenneth the page goes into anaphylactic shock; right before he passes out, he whispers, "My real name is Dick Whitman," a reference to Don Draper's true identity.
Hamm appeared on "30 Rock" earlier in the season, in a role completely unlike Don, except for the part about his devastating good looks. He's the show's first breakout star, but others have seen changes in their careers as well. As Hendricks notes, "I've been able to sit in rooms of people I've respected my entire life, and they know exactly who I am and talk about working with me. It's every actress' dream."
For Weiner, who worked for years on the show and couldn't even get his agent to read the pilot, the public visibility is especially sweet. "When you do something like this, and you're paying attention to all the details, to find out that people are paying attention, that the audience is intimately involved in the show, that's a comfort," he says. "It makes you realize you're not screaming out into the darkness."
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