Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm

Active - 1943 - Present  |   Born - Mar 10, 1971 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States  |   Genres - Drama, Romance, Comedy

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Biography by AllMovie

Sturdy, reliable character actor Jon Hamm debuted onscreen at the turn of the millennium, with a series of key supporting roles in features including Space Cowboys (2000), Kissing Jessica Stein (2001), and Mel Gibson's We Were Soldiers (2002). He also appeared on such TV series as Providence, The Division, What About Brian, and The Unit. Hamm scored his first major lead as executive Don Draper in the AMC network's series Mad Men (2007) -- a period serial about a group of boozing, chain-smoking, and sexist advertising suits toiling away at their jobs in a Manhattan high rise, circa 1960. He earned a variety of award nominations for his work on the show, which itself won the Emmy for best drama series each of its first four years on the air. He parlayed this high-profile success into a recurring gig on 30 Rock, and appeared in films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, Howl, and Sucker Punch. He was the cop chasing thief Ben Affleck in The Town (2010), and, the next year, had an uncredited appearance in the hit Bridesmaids. In 2012 he appeared in Friends With Kids, which was written and directed by his then-longtime girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt. While continuing to build his film résumé, Hamm snuck in some television appeances as a voice actor, including guest spots on shows like The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers and Archer. He had a memorable two episode stint on Parks and Recreation (essentially a stretched-out cameo). When Mad Men drew to a close in 2015 (with Hamm finally winning an Emmy Award for the final season), Hamm had significant guest arcs on two new web series lined up - The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. Hamm also expanded his film work with Million Dollar Arm, Minions and Keeping up with the Joneses.

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Factsheet

  • Has said he became interested in acting in first grade, when he was chosen to play storybook bear Winnie the Pooh.
  • Taught eighth-grade acting for a year before moving to Hollywood to pursue his own career. One of his students was his future Bridesmaids costar Ellie Kemper.
  • Made his big-screen debut in Clint Eastwood's astronaut drama Space Cowboys (2000).
  • A 2000 cameo appearance on the NBC drama Providence led to a season-long run.
  • Established the production company Points West Pictures in 2009 with Jennifer Westfeldt.
  • Narrated the DVD chronicling the St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 World Series championship.
  • Has worked in advertisements for the Gap, Mercedes-Benz USA and the St. Louis Blues NHL team.