As the first half of Mad Men season seven winds down, several things are apparent: Don Draper is a sellout. Roger Sterling has recently become a reluctant father figure. Peggy Olson is riding her high horse all over everyone, seemingly forgetting the way she was treated on her rise up the corporate ladder. But we forgive them, because we love them. Not quite as forgivable is Lou Avery, Draper's creative replacement. He's kind of a huge dick. He's constantly belittling everyone, has no tact, and as we learned last night in episode five, "The Runaways," he loves seeking revenge.

Avery is played by comedian Allan Havey, whose long career includes an early talk show on Comedy Central called Night After Night with Allan Havey, guest spots on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and recent roles on Louie and The Office. He also helped Ashton Kutcher punk Kanye.

We talked to Havey about the origins of Lou Avery, last night's big nipple episode, and why he loves Sterling Cooper's most hated employee.

Lou has a love interest on the show and it's Lou.

ESQUIRE.COM: So Lou Avery is a prickly bastard.

ALLAN HAVEY: I think Lou's just a really good businessman. He doesn't fit in with some of the people, but he does a good job. I can't look at Lou as a prickly bastard. I look at him as old-school — depression, World War II, paid his dues.

ESQ: What is it about him that Sterling Cooper likes?

AH: As compared to Don Draper, who's the only person they really have to compare him to, he's older, he's not as savvy in their eyes. But after having Don Draper coming in, getting drunk, taking off two weeks, writing the tobacco letter, Lou is a solid guy, who comes in early, stays late, he doesn't drink in the office. He's not hitting on the secretaries. After the storm of Don Draper, someone like Lou Avery is a welcome sight.

ESQ: He is an anomaly in the fact that he doesn't drink.

AH: He might not be the sharpest creative guy. But "Accutron is accurate" was the actual campaign for Accutron. I think what's happened is Matthew Weiner and company, over the last six seasons, have created an amazing atmosphere in these characters. The audience is emotionally involved. All of a sudden this guy comes along and is upsetting their apple cart. That's where all the hate comes from.

ESQ: Is he the anti-Don Draper?

AH: Maybe when he was a younger guy, he was a bit like Don. I doubt it. You gotta understand, in 1969, this guy wasn't old-school. This was the way it was. We call it "old-school" now, but it's Don who's going through these problems. It's Ginsberg who's flipping out. It's Peggy who's trying to have her career and she's lonely. Ted Chaough is out in California, he doesn't seem that happy. Pete's upset. Lou's happy as a clam. He came in to save the day.

ESQ: In "The Runaways," Lou is the butt of the office joke because his comic "Scout's Honor" is discovered. He doesn't strike us as a particularly funny guy.

AH: I heard about this at the table read when I got the material. Maybe Lou isn't a funny guy, but he sees himself as very creative and very witty. This cartoon is probably something he's been working on for a long time. He mentioned Chet Stover and Dancer Fitzgerald and a couple guys there who created Underdog and had success with it. Lou sees this like a lot of people: "Hey, I can do something better than that."

ESQ: Do you get the hatred for Lou?

AH: They wrote a great part for me. People don't even refer to me as an actor. Just Lou Avery, as if I'm real. They either love you or hate you and, man, do they hate my character.

ESQ: Were you there when the nipple scene was shot?

AH: Yeah, I was there after. That was pretty bizarre. I was at the table when we read it and it blew me away.

ESQ: If they were taking odds in Vegas about what's happening in Mad Men, that's not on the board.

AH: [Laughs.] Ginsberg without a nipple was probably 10,000:1.

ESQ: But the idea of computers made people go crazy?

AH: Any new technology, especially something as massive as that, is going to threaten a certain amount of people. Computers were a recent thing in 1969, computers that size that literally push people out of a creative space. That's what really set Ginsberg off. I was around in 1969, but we were more excited about moving sidewalks, monorails, and jetpacks.

ESQ: At the end of "The Runaways," we see Don sell himself out for tobacco. Is there a Don-Lou showdown brewing?

AH: I try not to prognosticate. The real thrill for this show is getting your scene the night before the table read. I try not to predict things with Lou. It makes it more fun. With a show this good, I just let it wash all over me. It's so much more imaginative than a lot of people.

ESQ: Has embodying Lou given you any insight as to what not to do as a boss?

AH: Not really. I love Lou. Lou has a love interest on the show and it's Lou. There are times when I've been a boss and it's a tough job, but Lou thinks his ideas are the best. I can't tell you how many people have said, "I had a boss just like this." The writers really nailed this guy. So many people relate to Lou and not in a good way. You go through your adult life, 20 minutes in, we've all had a boss like Lou.

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