Jon Hamm has one of the most remarkable success stories in Hollywood, mainly because he refused to give up, even when everything seemed to be pointing towards a disappointing career.
Early Life
- Jon is of German, English and Irish descent
- At the age of 10 he lost his Mother to colon cancer
- He attended the University of Texas and during his Sophomore year his Father passed away
- Jon finished school at the University of Missouri where he got a part in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Jon got a job after graduating at his old school, and began teaching drama
The Decision
- A normal career wasn’t enough for Jon, he still had a burning desire for something bigger. He moved to LA in 1995 with a car, $150 and 4 other aspiring actors
- Jon had no problem landing theatre work, but it was film that he truly wanted to get into. However Jon claims that he grew up in the Dawson Creek era, when young and small was cool, and he was simply told time and time again that he looked too old
- After 3 years without finding the kind of work he wanted, his agency, William Morris Agency, terminated his contract
- Jon had to turn to waiting tables in order to make money
- He decided to give himself 5 years in order to make it which would make him 30 years old. He didn’t want to be one of those washed up 45 year old’s still living in LA and kidding themselves about how well their life has gone
The Breakthrough
- Jon’s first break came from a TV series called Providence, he was originally given 1 episode, but that got extended to 19 and enabled Jon to quit waiting tables. He also landed a few minor roles in real films, strangely this all happened as he turned 30 years old
- From 2002 to 2004, Jon increased his weight with a role in Division, which aired on the TV network Lifetime
- This was followed by a string of minor roles before Jon got his big break
- Out of 80 candidates, Jon was selected to play the part of Don Draper in the TV series Mad Men. Mad Men made its debut in 2007 and had 1.4 million viewers. Jon was 36 at the time, which highlights how long he had to work for before he found true success. 12 years of rejection would take it’s toll on anyone
- Mad men was a global sensation, with 92 episodes and multiple series, each it appeared bigger than the last
- Jon received multiple awards and nominations for his role in Mad Men, most notably winning Best Actor In A TV Series. This role has made Jon into a global superstar today, who finally has the results that his resiliency deserved
