Jon Hamm went from being an acting teacher to one of the most popular Hollywood stars mainly due to his award-winning performance in the hit television show Mad Men. Hamm, who played the fictional advertising mogul Don Draper in the series, received widespread acclaim for his role which served as a stepping stone to other prestigious projects.
Recent months have seen the actor reveling in the limelight with his appearance in Tom Cruise’s massive blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. The handsome star also joined Jennifer Aniston’s award-winning drama The Morning Show and replaced Chevy Chase in the Fletch franchise. Jon Hamm appeared on The Howard Stern Show to talk about his career choices and his experience with Mad Men and also shared details of his latest film.
Jon Hamm Did Not consider Josh Malina As His Competition
Among the many things that Jon Hamm spoke about in The Howard Stern Show, including his new crime comedy Confess, Fletch, the star touched upon his experience working on the award-winning television show Mad Men. Hamm who essayed the role of the protagonist Don Draper admitted that he was part of a grueling process for which he auditioned a total of 7 times before finally being cast. The Top Gun: Maverick actor went down memory lane and reminisced about his initial reaction on the show, saying,
“I remember reading the script, putting it down, and thinking, ‘Holy shit, that’s a really good story.”
Hamm also spoke about his competitors for the role which included The West Wing star Josh Malina, who ran toe to toe with him for the part. Oozing confidence in his ability, Jon Hamm cooly dismissed Malina stating,
“The only name that I remember from any of those [audition] sign-in sheets … was Josh Malina, who I’m not sure had a great shot at being Don Draper. But it would’ve been a choice”
The celebrity was quick to add that he shared a great rapport with Malina and admired his wonderful acting skills.
The story of Jon Hamm, Tom Cruise, and Mom Cruise
Jon Hamm recently featured in Tom Cruise’s blockbuster Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, which went on to make colossal numbers at the box office. The two stars shared great chemistry in their several scenes together on screen. Hamm confessed that he was a huge fan of the original film which he watched as a teenager. But the actor revealed that his first meeting with Tom Cruise happened many years before Top Gun: Maverick when Cruise casually stopped by Hamm’s home with his mother. Recalling the anecdote and the Mission Impossible star’s praise for Mad Men, the actor said,
“We got Tom Cruise and Mom Cruise, and we’re all having an out-of-body experience. He was very direct and intense, [saying] ‘I love that show’, That was a good day – a really good day”
A decade later, when Jon Hamm was approached by Tom Cruise’s team to be a part of Top Gun: Maverick, the actor admitted that the decision was a no-brainer and that life had indeed come a full circle for him.
Source: Howard Stern
