People: ‘Mad Men’ lives on at the Smithsonian

Don Draper is making his exit with “Mad Men” this year, but his image as a 1960s advertising man will live on at the Smithsonian Institution.

Jon Hamm, who plays Draper on the AMC drama about a New York ad agency, joined cast members and show creator Matthew Weiner at the National Museum of American History on Friday to donate costumes, props, sketches and a script from the show. The collection includes Draper’s trademark gray suit and fedora.

Curators at the Smithsonian were particularly interested in “Mad Men’s” real 1960s-period relics, from cigarette cartons and liquor bottles to shaving kits and toothbrushes that were used in the show, along with costumes that were recreated for the period.

Weiner said he was thrilled that objects from the show might one day be seen during a school field trip at the Smithsonian.

“What I love about these objects being here is that these are for the most actual objects; they are not re-creation,” he said. “This is the archaeological site of humanity from this period. We’re glad that we saved these things.”

Diesel: ‘Furious’ deserves Oscar

Vin Diesel said Friday that the latest “Fast & Furious” film deserves a best-picture Oscar but has two strikes against it when it comes to the Academy: It’s an action flick and it’s a sequel.

“Do I shy away from aiming high? No, I don’t,” said the 47-year-old actor, who has appeared in virtually all of the “Fast & Furious” action films based around fast cars.

“And yet we all know that there’s a little stigma towards action films, we know it, we’ve heard people complain about it, we’ve heard Marvel complain about it, we’ve heard DC complain about it, and now Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Batman has never gotten a shot at that,” he said.

In “Fast & Furious 7,” Diesel plays street racer Dominic Toretto, whose family is threatened by Jason Statham’s character, who is out for revenge for the death of his brother. Statham said audiences will be able to relate to the fact that both men are standing up for their family.

The film is one of the last movies starring Paul Walker, who died in a car crash during a break in the filming of “Fast & Furious 7” in November 2013.

The birthday bunch

Comedian Eric Idle is 72. Composer Vangelis is 72. Actor Christopher Lawford is 60. Comedian-actress Amy Sedaris is 54. Model Elle Macpherson is 52. Actress Lucy Lawless is 47.