Los Angeles

Matthew Weiner, the creator and driving force of the AMC cable series "Mad Men," doesn't outwardly resemble the show's main character, the unflappable advertising executive Don Draper. Mr. Weiner (pronounced WINE-er) is intense and excitable, and—being small and balding—he looks nothing like Jon Hamm, the movie-star handsome actor who plays Don. But the two share at least one trait: a strong desire to control their world.

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