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Jon Hamm played Sterling Cooper’s charismatic adman Don Draper for seven seasons of AMC’sMad Men. One of the most iconic characters in TV history, Don Draper was the epitome of male beauty. However, AMC Network was initially hesitant to cast Hamm in the role as they found him not sexy enough for the role.
Hamm recalled auditioning for the role multiple times before he could land the role. However, theMad Menrole propelled Hamm into one of the leading stars in Hollywood. He was recently seen in Jennifer Aniston’s critically acclaimed series,The Morning Show.
AMC Initially Believed Jon Hamm Wasn’t Right ForMad Men
Jon Hammappeared alongside Charlize Theron and Steve Coogan in one episode ofThe Graham Norton Show. Hamm opened up about his early days in the industry, reflecting on how he got his breakout role as Don Draper inMad Men.
AnsweringGraham Norton‘s question about hispre-Mad Mencareer, Hamm recalled that he did not get any work after landing in Los Angeles in 1994 for almost four years.
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During this period, he waited tables and did some bartending gigs. He made a deal with himself that he would get out of the business if his big role didn’t come by the age of 30. Hamm told Norton (via Instagram):
I landed in LA in 1994 or somewhere around then and proceeded not to work for a solid three or four years. I waited tables and bar tended and did that whole circuit. I gave myself to the age of 30 and if it didn’t happen by then I guess the market had spoken and I would slink back to the Mid-West.
To the surprise of Norton and Theron, Hamm revealed that it took seven or eight auditions for him to land the role of Don Draper. He shared that the series was AMC’s first original series and they wanted a famous actor in the leading role.
The network had to be convinced to cast Hamm in the role. He also added he came to know way after his casting that the network initially didn’t find him sexy enough for the role. Hamm shared:
I had to audition seven or eight times for it. It was the network’s first foray into original programming and they obviously wanted someone incredibly famous and I was not that and they had to be convinced. It’s only recently that I found out they didn’t think I was sexy enough.
Charlize Theronwas completely taken aback by the revelation. TheMad Max: Fury Roadactress expressed her shock, stating,“Were they all blind?”. However, Hamm went on to prove the network completely wrong. Elsewhere in the episode, Norton showed the guests a Barbie doll designed after Hamm’s character inMad Men.
Jon Hamm Reprised His Don Draper Role In Jerry Seinfeld’sUnfrosted
Jerry Seinfeld’s latest Netflix feature,Unfrosted, surprised everyone whenJon Hamm’s Don Draper and John Slattery’s Roger Sterlingappeared in the film. The film about Pop-Tarts includes a scene where Kellogg’s is working with an advertising firm from Madison Avenue, with the twoMad Mencharacters appearing on screen shortly after.
While some fans were excited to see Jon Hamm back in the role, the cameo turned out to be a bit controversial (via ScreenRant). The story’s timelines matched, however, many believed that the serious tone ofMad Mendid not fit into the comic parody style ofUnfrosted.
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Nevertheless, the cameo opened the possibility of Jon Hamm returning to the role in some capacity. Fans hope Hamm will play the role in future endeavors, though they wouldn’t want pointless cameos like theUnfrostedrole.
Mad Menis now available for streaming on AMC+, whileUnfrostedis available on Netflix.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
