John Slattery Directing Two 'Mad Men' Episodes in Season Six

Frank Ockenfels/AMC

John Slattery

As Roger Sterling loses his grip on power, John Slattery continues his ascent on the set of Mad Men.

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The 50-year-old actor, who has earned four Emmy nominations for his work as the slick ad executive on the AMC drama, will direct two episodes of the show's upcoming sixth season, he told The Hollywood Reporter during an interview about his new movie, In Our Nature. AMC confirmed that he will be directing the episodes. Slattery previously has helmed three episodes of the multiple-Emmy-winning show, including "Signal 30" during its 2012 season.

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He will shoot his first episode in February, though he'll be working far in advance.

"It takes a lot more time," to direct an episode than to act in one, Slattery said. "You have a hand in the whole thing, and each one takes about a month, from a directorial standpoint. From the time you get the script to the time you turn your cut in, it’s a month. And it’s a long month."

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Still, show creator Matthew Weiner, known for his secrecy with scripts and plot, doesn't exactly give him a world of prep time.

"You get [the script] a little in advance of when the actors get it, but only for the necessity of preproduction," he said. "And they used to try -- and they still do try -- to limit the amount you’re [acting] in it, but I think we’ve all kind of gotten a grip on what that’s like, so they don’t have to make as much of an effort. And so, yeah, you get what you get. Especially with us. Jon Hamm is directing as well, so we’re there. So our schedules are kind of easier for them to figure out because the other directors come in and out."