Jon Hamm says he will always be “forever grateful” to Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels for the impact he’s had on his career.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, January 31, after being named the 2025 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year at Harvard in Cambridge, Mass., the 53-year-old actor reflected on how Michaels, allowed him to demonstrate his comedic chops beyond his well-known dramatic performances.
According to People, Hamm explained that during the height of Mad Men—where he portrayed Don Draper, the complex and charismatic creative director of a 1960s New York advertising agency—he was frequently cast in roles that echoed Draper’s persona. “I was offered a lot of roles that were a version of that character where you had been smoking a cigarette and sort of brooding, looking out a window into the dark city of some kind of place,” he said.
Acknowledging that those brooding roles became his “day job,” Hamm expressed his desire to explore different creative avenues. “So I figured, I will do that for my day job,” he continued. “But I think there’s more stuff out [there] to do.”
According to Hamm, it was Michaels who helped expand his opportunities by inviting him to host SNL.
“I really credit none other than Lorne Michaels for offering me a [chance to] guest host Saturday Night Live [for the first time in 2008] to really get the sense of, well, I do have a funny side to me,” he shared.
Hamm noted that humor had always been a significant part of his personality, but it wasn’t widely recognized before his dramatic breakout. “Most of the people who knew me before they knew me for Mad Men knew that was the predominant side of me,” he explained. “So Lorne gave me that opportunity, which led to 30 Rock, which led to Bridesmaids, which led to a lot of other gigs in the Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Lorne Michaels universe.”
Reflecting on his time with SNL, Hamm—who returned as guest host twice more in 2010—expressed deep appreciation for Michaels. “So I’ll be forever grateful to [Michaels] for that,” he said.
While he has enjoyed branching out into different roles, Hamm acknowledged that Mad Men remains a defining chapter of his career. He described playing Draper as one of the most rewarding and demanding roles ever.
“It will always be a high-water mark in my life and career,” he admitted. “It will be I think 10 years since we wrapped the show and 20 years this year since we started the show, so it’s fading in the rearview, but it’s still very prevalent in my life.”
Hamm also revealed that he initially doubted he would ever land the role in Mad Men, especially after losing out on a part in The West Wing to Rob Lowe. I’d had an experience with another really good script that I read, and I was like, ‘I would do anything to get this part,’ ” he recalled in a June 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“And I was great in the audition, but I saw the casting director’s face, and I knew this part’s already cast. Then it was like, ‘Oh, it’s Rob Lowe. OK, I get it,’ ” Hamm shared. “So I thought the same thing would happen on Mad Men. I’ll give a great audition, and they’ll give it to a movie star.”
As he continues exploring new opportunities, Hamm has expressed interest in leading a romantic comedy, specifically alongside his Morning Show co-star Jennifer Aniston.
“I have no idea what it would look like,” he told IndieWire about a potential project. “I think it would just have to be funny and fun and it would let us do what we both do very well, which is be charming and funny and compelling. I certainly wouldn’t say no to that.”
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