Rest easy -- and, if it's your thing, light up a smoke in celebration: Don Draper will be returning to the airwaves, and he'll be sticking around for a while.
Jon Hamm has signed a deal with Lionsgate to return to the AMC hit "Mad Men" for at least three more years, a Lionsgate spokesperson has confirmed.
Variety reports that the deal means a big pay bump for the actor, with his earnings crawling to $200,000 an episode by the third year of the deal.
Also Read: John Slattery Sets Us Straight: 'Mad Men' Is No Fun for its Characters
The fifth season of "Mad Men" is currently in pre-production, and Hamm, in addition to remaining on as the series lead, will make his directorial debut with the upcoming season's premiere. Hamm revealed the helming gig last month, admitting that he was approaching the challenge "with a mixture of utter fear and excitement."
Also Read: Jon Hamm to Direct 'Mad Men' Season 5 Premiere
While Hamm's re-upping doesn't exactly come as a surprise, the news will likely come as a relief to fans of the show, who have been kept on an emotional roller coaster for the past few months. Back in March, series creator Matthew Weiner revealed that he had been asked to cut six characters from the series over the next three years.
News of Hamm's new "Mad Men" deal was first published by Deadline.
