Jon Hamm really had to sell himself for ‘Mad Men’ role
Seven times, he took a drag. Just as many times, he downed a swig. Seven times, Jon Hamm auditioned for what would become his breakout role on the acclaimed TV series “Mad Men.”
“If I would have sucked, I would have been out the door. Bounced. ‘Next!’ ” he reasons. “But that’s how it goes with many things.”
Life is about taking that shot. At any age. Though it doesn’t hurt to have a fallback.
“At my ‘Mad Man’ audition at an ad agency in Santa Monica, I was sitting next to a 15-year-old kid who said, ‘Are you here for the toothpaste commercial?’ When I left my audition, I thought: ‘Maybe I could get an audition for that commercial. I have decent teeth.’ ”
Two months later, Hamm got the call that changed his life. “You don’t know if you don’t try,” he says.
Hamm, 54, earned eight Emmy nominations for his portrayal of Don Draper on “Mad Men” before he finally won the award. He also has garnered Emmy nods for his work in “Fargo” and “The Morning Show.”
His latest project is the new Apple TV+ series “Your Friends & Neighbors,” which has not only garnered critical raves, but has already been picked up for a second season.
Hamm portrays Andrew “Coop” Cooper, who’s life suddenly takes a turn for the absolute worst. His wife cheats on him and dumps him, and he loses his lucrative job as a hedge fund manager.
Coop begins to plunder the homes of affluent friends in his swanky Connecticut neighborhood, knowing that they won’t miss a Patek Philippe watch here or a Birkin bag there.
“This character must come to grips with his relationships with his family, his job, his kids and his wife. All those things are tricky balances to uphold, especially at the same time,” the actor says. “It’s a fun thing to play because, like life, you’re constantly keeping all the plates spinning.”
Hamm makes his home in Los Angeles with his wife, Anna Osceola, a fellow actor he met on the set of “Mad Men” and married in 2023.
His good life advice:
Reinvention is key
The key to his new show, Hamm says, is being of a certain age and facing a major life do-over. “He’s a man in crisis. He loses his job and his family, which makes him ask, ‘Who am I?’ ” he says. “I’m not sure if you’d call it a midlife crisis, but he has to figure out what he really needs in life. What is sustainable? How will he reinvent himself?”
More than a role
Being an actor has pretty much informed Hamm’s life, even back when other jobs were paying the bills. “I was a teacher, a waiter and a bartender for a moment, but most of my life has centered around being an actor,” he shares. “That’s where I invested my hopes and dreams even when I wasn’t making much money acting. I still called myself an actor. I feel for people who are let go at other jobs where they really feel displaced. It’s a tough transition. You have to establish a new, hopefully better version of yourself.”
Making connections
Hamm says he was never about acquiring things. “I’ve been poor plenty of times in my life,” he says. “Realizing that life is more than just the accumulation of larger and larger piles of stuff is the message here. When we look back, we realize that the important things in life are emotional connections. It’s about the relationships we build over the course of our lives. That’s what is priceless.”
Give it time
Acting was always the dream — he just didn’t know how long it would take to come true. “I was never really shy about getting up in front of a group of people and making a fool of myself. At age 5, my teacher picked me to be Winnie the Pooh. That’s where it began. … I moved out to L.A. at 25 and figured if I can’t make it in five legitimate years of trying, then the market has spoken and it’s time to give it up. I made it just under the wire.”
Own worst critic
Hamm acknowledges he is guilty of negative thinking. “I remember reading the pilot script for ‘Mad Men,’ thinking, ‘Wow, this is really a good story. This is going to be great. I wonder what movie star they will put in it?’ ” he says. “It’s better to try to be as positive as possible for yourself.”
Reframe aging
“Getting older is just a part of life,” Hamm says. “Everyone gets older — it’s just a given. Time will work its wonders on all of us. I’m not 20 anymore, but you can lament aging or just take it in stride. I look at it like it’s just a cool part of the process.”
Learn to move on
“All good things come to an end, and sometimes the end of something is as important as the beginning of it,” he says. “Saying goodbye to Don Draper was tough. But people move on, whether it’s a part or sending your kids to college or moving to a new city or changing jobs. Moving on is a part of life. It’s emotional, but also cathartic.”
Art informs life
I love stories that put a smile on your face. I’ve always enjoyed the type of films that make you believe that anything is possible. You walk out of the theater feeling moved and like you can conquer things,” Hamm says.
Don’t second-guess
“I’m not a guy who lives in the rearview mirror,” he says. “Once I decide I’m good with it, I lean on my track record, which is pretty good.”