“Mad Men”'s Jon Hamm Talks About His Early Career Struggles

Actor Jon Hamm is now a bonafide superstar thanks to his role as the stylish Don Draper on the hit show "Mad Men." But before the adulation, the 39-year-old once endured a difficult period in his career that included fruitless auditions and working as a waiter during the ‘90s.

“I drove around in a Volkswagen Rabbit I shared with one of my roommates, and it didn’t have a roof,” he said in the Aug. 1 edition of Parade magazine. “It doesn’t rain much in L.A., but when it did, it was utterly miserable.”

In fact, he once auditioned for a part on a '90s TV teen drama, but appeared more mature-looking than his age at the time. “I’d try out for parts on shows like “Dawson’s Creek”,” he said, “and people would say, ‘You should go up for the dad part,’ and I’d say, ‘But I’m the same age as the kid!’”

And while Hamm portrays a no-nonsense ad exec on the acclaimed "Mad Men," which recently kicked off its fourth season, in real life, he has a comic side and can quote lines from "Monty Python." Aside from two stints on Saturday Night Live, Hamm also appeared on “30 Rock,” whose star Tina Fey described him as “a huge comedy nerd who loves to quote the movie "Anchorman" as much as we normal looking people do.”

Aside from TV, Hamm is also making his presence on the big screen with roles in the upcoming films “The Town” and “Howl.”

As for what he and his longtime girlfriend, “Kissing Jessica Stein” actress/writer Jennifer Westfeldt, make of his sex symbol status, Ham told Parade: “That kind of stuff is only present if you give it attention. If it’s not reflected back, it goes away. It’s not like I’m Justin Bieber or anything."

Contact Us