Sal Leaving 'Mad Men': Bryan Batt Out Of Work

Don Draper unceremoniously fired Salvatore Romano when a spurned gay client tried to out him towards the end of last season, and now it looks we won't see any more of Sal as AMC has failed to renew Bryan Batt's contract for Season 4.

Creator Matthew Weiner told TV Guide that ousting Batt "was a tough moment for the show, but that's where we are. I know how people felt about Bryan. I obviously love working with him, and he has been an indelible character since the pilot. But I felt it was an expression of the times that he couldn't work there anymore. It's the ultimate case of sexual harassment."

Batt said that, despite his character's unemployability at Sterling Cooper, he didn't know he was being let go. "I was supposed to be notified by December 31, and nothing," he told the magazine. In the fall after Sal's firing he implored fans to start a Facebook group to keep him on. It doesn't look like they listened.

Meanwhile Betty Draper fans can rest assured that January Jones' contract was renewed despite rumors she was off to Reno for good.

WATCH Don fire Sal:

Comments

[EllenD]

07:04 PM on 03/16/2010

What do they mean"a sign of the times"? These babies don't have a clue because they weren't there.
I was in advertising making commercials during that period. Our hottest director was openly gay. All the agencies wanted him. I was hoping this storyline would follow that reality but no. It would be nice if the writers actually asked ad people who were there.

[bettyx1138]

02:40 AM on 02/02/2010

Noooooooooooooo!

[Cuthach]

01:53 AM on 01/31/2010

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[ElizaFox]

12:50 AM on 01/31/2010

Sal is my least favorite character on Mad Men..maybe because Bryan Batt is a mediocre actor.
Batt should be just fine. There are people who have it a lot worse.

[Deli]

11:08 PM on 01/30/2010

I just answered my own question about Sal working for the new agency by reading further posts. I had not realized it was Lucky Strike that did him in, it was so long ago that I watched it.

[Deli]

11:00 PM on 01/30/2010

Now that Sterling Cooper has launched out to create a new agency out of a hotel room, they would be able to hire Sal back. It seems they would need his talent. I hope they work it into the script. I could not believe they let such a deep, incredible character go.He did a great job at acting straight while being gay. Perhaps they did not have the kahunas to continue his storyline. There were many gays in prominent corporate and political roles throughout time. In all walks of life, actually. Many of their friends knew, many lived together. He would have been able to work, that is just not entirely accurate.

[lockDown]

10:30 PM on 01/30/2010

Soooo, the character was canned for being gay as a sign of the era. Thus the actor playing the character was released also, and is resisting. Sad all around.

Most actors leave gracefully, not begging FBers to help. They just get another role. Times are reeeally hard when you have to resort to that.

[MNinWI]

05:14 PM on 01/31/2010

Harsh

[EnPointe]

06:10 PM on 01/30/2010

If this was going to be the end-all, I wish they had never had that storyline of the incident ! Or, that they could've found a way to write him in as a returning guest in some capacity. I feel that was shabbily handled. He'll be missed. Good Luck to him.

[oceanofconsciousness]

01:43 PM on 01/30/2010

It's a loss for the show. His character really brought something unique to the mix.

[JTJMOMEDTEK]

10:06 PM on 01/30/2010

agreed

[MNinWI]

05:16 PM on 01/31/2010

And far far more interesting than the milk-toast January Jones (who may also be a Repug--ugh! which accounts for her lack of talent).

[Sandra Stipp]

06:43 PM on 01/29/2010

It was unbelievable when I saw Sal fired. I absolutely loved his character and he brought something that was unique to the show. I think it was a very bad decision to fire him. Just for that I won't be watching Mad Men this year.....take that Mr Weiner.

[Deli]

11:11 PM on 01/30/2010

I feel the show has definitely lost some of its season one quality of detail and has taken some weird twists that seem to force them in regrettable directions. I felt the entire final episode had an air of complete unbelievability about it. So contrived.

[Cowboylove]

06:34 PM on 01/29/2010

I think he should come back to the new agency, after a time l to reprise his role. Even in the 1960s talent was an acceptable dodge for many gay men. This was New York in the ad business. There were gay men on staff then!

[punkin1023]

10:54 AM on 01/30/2010

He can't go to SCDP while they're still working for Lucky Strike. $25M is, after all, a good 60% of their billings. Maybe they can bring Batt back guesting as a freelancer to work on other accounts.

[PoliticalJunkie65]

05:37 PM on 01/29/2010

SAY IT ISN"T SO! I loved Sal! He brought such humour and always a sense of mystery...will his co-workers find out, does the wife stay even though she guesses at what he is, will we see him with a partner? So much to do with Sal's character...it's such a shame.

[Steve1]

04:42 PM on 01/29/2010

This is too bad, as this character was an interesting one for a plot set in the early 1960's ad company in New York.

[imaxfli]

04:23 PM on 01/29/2010

It was a perfect situation for Drapers new Co to hire him......now who is going to be the GAY on the show?

[Truye]

05:35 PM on 01/29/2010

They couldn't take Sal with them. Roger Sterling took the Sterling Coo's biggest client Lucky Strike with them, the company responsible for Sal's firing. *sigh* I really loved Sal, good luck Bryan!

[Deli]

11:03 PM on 01/30/2010

Draper.

[rationalthought1]

04:20 PM on 01/29/2010

I don't get it. There must be something else going on. I thought one of the most memorable scenes ever, was Sal unintentionally revealing himself to his wife as he was imitating the Ann Margaret delivery from "Bye Bye Birdy". That was brilliantly conceived and brilliantly acted. Sal is a really sympathetic and complex character. BRING HIM BACK!

[EnPointe]

06:13 PM on 01/30/2010

Ditto. Bring him back!

[SayonaraSnot]

08:11 PM on 01/30/2010

I think he'll be back eventually. He brings too much to the show for him to be gone for good. Season 5???

[Deli]

11:05 PM on 01/30/2010

I think Sal should get a spinoff, where he starts doing stage and costume design for Broadway, gets famous, and keeps running into the ad agency people in the New York scene. The show could deal with the REAL things going on in New York at that time.