1. You’re at a magazine rack and can pick three magazines. What are they?
Bryan Batt: This is really telling. House Beautiful, because I love it. GQ, because I like fashion. And I guess Newsweek.
2. If your TV only carried three shows, which three would you want?
Mad Men — of course — The Daily Show and 30 Rock. If it would be throughout history, it would be Mary Tyler Moore, I Love Lucy, All in the Family and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
3. What has been your oddest fan encounter?
Our fans have been really nice. There was only once [when a fan wanted] more pictures and they practically wanted to do an interview. I was in a hurry and I was going to the theater and they wouldn’t let me go. That’s the only one; everyone is usually so cool — they are all well-educated and smart people who watch our show.
4. When was the last time you were starstruck?
At the SAG Awards when I passed Susan Sarandon. I was running back to our seats after we got our award, and I had to stop and I said, “I love you,” and she said, “I love you, too.” And I was like, “Yes!” It kind of turns us into goons — we turn into big nerds at these award shows. We just have to be careful how much we drink because then we start going up to everybody with, “Hey, I love you.”
5. Describe an ideal day to you.
A couple of hours of shooting, a great photo shoot, and a great dinner with my partner and some great friends. Work, love and friends. I like to be busy.
6. To date, what is your favorite episode of Mad Men and why?
I loved last year’s “The Gold Violin.” Also, there’s something about my first episode where I had a really good storyline, which was “The Hobo Code” [Season 1], where I had the dinner with Elliot.
7. If you had one wish for the direction of where they were going to take your character [Sal Romano], what would it be?
More. A spinoff. More of the same. Whatever I daydream or conjure, it’s nowhere near how brilliant of [storylines] the writers come up with. Eventually down the line I would love to see Sal happy, in a relationship and loved, and be who he should be. But I think it’s going to be through a lot of conflict and a lot of pain. As it would be.
8. If you had an opportunity to work at any ad agency today, what account would you love to have?
Viagra. Because I think it’s the biggest breakthrough in medical science. [laughing] I don’t know, I just think it would be fun. I think they could go a lot further with their ad campaign. Literally. And a lot longer.
Bryan Batt stars as Sal Romano in AMC’s Mad Men, which ends its third season on Nov. 8.