Jon Hamm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jon Hamm
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Hamm in 2024
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| Born |
Jonathan Daniel Hamm
March 10, 1971 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
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| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1996–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Anna Osceola
(m. 2023) |
| Partner(s) | Jennifer Westfeldt (1997–2015) |
| Awards | Full list |
Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Don Draper in the TV show Mad Men (2007–2015). For this role, he won many awards, including an Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.
Hamm has also starred in movies like Million Dollar Arm (2014) and Confess, Fletch (2022). He has played supporting roles in films such as The Town (2010), Bridesmaids (2011), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022). He has also lent his voice to animated movies like Minions (2015).
On TV, he has appeared in shows like Black Mirror, Good Omens, and Fargo. He was also nominated for Emmys for his roles in 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
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Early Life and School
Jon Hamm was born on March 10, 1971, in St. Louis, Missouri. His mother, Deborah, was a secretary. His father, Daniel, managed a family trucking business. His family has roots in Germany, England, and Ireland.
When Jon was two, his parents divorced. He lived with his mother until she passed away when he was 10. After that, he lived with his father and grandmother. His father also passed away ten years later, making Jon an orphan at age 20.
His very first acting role was playing Winnie-the-Pooh in first grade. At 16, he played Judas in a play called Godspell. He enjoyed it, but he didn't think about acting as a serious job back then.
He went to John Burroughs School, a private school. There, he played football, baseball, and was on the swim team. After high school, he went to the University of Texas. Later, he moved to the University of Missouri. While in college, he joined a theater company and acted in plays like A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Becoming an Actor
After college in 1993, Jon Hamm earned a degree in English. He went back to his old high school to teach acting to eighth graders. One of his students was Ellie Kemper, who later became a famous actress. Years later, Jon Hamm even appeared in Ellie Kemper's TV show, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Starting Out in Hollywood (1995–2006)
In 1995, Jon Hamm moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. He lived with other actors and worked as a waiter while going to auditions. He acted in theater plays, but it was hard to find work. He often looked older than his age, which made it tough to get roles.
By 1998, he hadn't found much acting work for three years. His agent even stopped representing him. He kept working as a waiter. He decided that if he wasn't successful by his 30th birthday, he would try a different career.
In 2000, Jon Hamm got a role as a firefighter on the TV show Providence. His one-episode contract grew to 19 episodes! This allowed him to stop waiting tables. He also made his first movie appearance in Space Cowboys (2000).
He got bigger roles in movies like Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) and We Were Soldiers (2002). His career also got a boost from his role as police inspector Nate Basso on the TV show The Division from 2002 to 2004. He also had small roles in other TV shows like CSI: Miami and Numb3rs.
Mad Men and Big Success (2007–2015)
Jon Hamm got his big break in 2007. He was chosen from over 80 actors to play Don Draper in the TV show Mad Men. The show was about an advertising agency in the 1960s. He played a smooth, married executive with a secret past.
He loved the script for Mad Men but didn't think he'd get the part. He thought they would pick a movie star. The show's creator, Matthew Weiner, thought Jon was "too handsome" at first. But they later decided he was perfect for the role. Weiner also felt that Jon Hamm understood the character because they both lost parents early in life. Jon Hamm used memories of his own father to play Don Draper.
Mad Men first aired on July 19, 2007. It quickly became popular. Critics praised Jon Hamm's acting. USA Today called his performance "starmaking." In 2008, he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a TV Series. He was also nominated for many other awards.
Mad Men ran for seven seasons and ended on May 17, 2015. On September 20, 2015, Jon Hamm finally won his first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He had been nominated 12 times before!
After Mad Men, Jon Hamm appeared in the science fiction movie The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008). He also hosted Saturday Night Live three times. In 2009, he guest-starred in the TV show 30 Rock and was nominated for an Emmy.
His first main movie role was in the thriller Stolen (2009). He played a police officer whose son had been missing for eight years. In 2010, he had a small voice role in the animated movie Shrek Forever After.
He played an FBI agent in the crime drama The Town with Ben Affleck. Jon Hamm liked this role because it was very different from Don Draper. The movie was well-liked and earned a lot of money. He also had a supporting role in the comedy Bridesmaids. He produced and acted in the movie Friends with Kids (2011) with his partner at the time, Jennifer Westfeldt.
In 2012, he had a recurring role in the TV show The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. He hosted the ESPYS Awards in 2013. He played sports agent J.B. Bernstein in Disney's sports movie Million Dollar Arm (2014). He also appeared with Daniel Radcliffe in the TV series A Young Doctor's Notebook.
In December 2014, he guest-starred in a special Christmas episode of the British show Black Mirror. In 2015, he was in the comedy show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He also voiced Herb Overkill in the animated movie Minions, which made over $1 billion worldwide.
Expanding His Career (2016–Present)
In 2016, Jon Hamm was in the comedy Keeping Up with the Joneses. In 2017, he appeared in the science fiction film Marjorie Prime. He was also in Edgar Wright's crime film Baby Driver.
In 2018, Hamm appeared in the drama Nostalgia and the thriller Beirut. In 2019, he played the Archangel Gabriel in the TV show Good Omens. From 2020 to 2021, he played himself in the TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm. During this time, he also voiced characters in animated shows like Invincible.
In 2022, Jon Hamm appeared in Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the 1986 movie Top Gun. The same year, he worked with director Greg Mottola again on Confess, Fletch. He played the main character, Fletch, and received good reviews for his comedic acting. In 2023, he joined the TV show The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston.
In 2023, Hamm played Sheriff Roy Tillman in the fifth season of the TV series Fargo. He also returned as the Archangel Gabriel in the second season of Good Omens. In 2024, Jon Hamm was in the movie musical Mean Girls playing Coach Carr. He also voices Marvin Flute in the animated show Grimsburg.
Awards and Achievements
Jon Hamm has won many awards for his acting. These include an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Commercials and Endorsements
Jon Hamm has used his voice and acting skills in many commercials. In 2010, he became the voice for Mercedes-Benz commercials. In 2013, he did the voice-over for American Airlines commercials. He has also appeared in ads for H&R Block tax services. In Canada, he is featured in ads for SkipTheDishes.
In 2022, he appeared in an Apple TV+ ad called "Everyone but Jon Hamm." This ad showed how many famous actors are on Apple TV+, but he wasn't. Also in 2022, he was in a series of TV commercials for Progressive Insurance.
Personal Life
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Relationships
Jon Hamm was in a long-term relationship with actress and writer Jennifer Westfeldt from 1997 to 2015. They also started their own production company together called Points West Pictures.
In February 2023, Jon Hamm got engaged to actress Anna Osceola. They had been dating for two years. They got married in June 2023 in Big Sur, California. Anna Osceola had a small role in the final episode of Mad Men, where Jon Hamm's character stayed at a retreat.
Sports Fan
Jon Hamm is a big fan of sports teams from his hometown of St. Louis. He loves the St. Louis Blues hockey team and has appeared in their TV ads. He also supports the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. He narrated the official highlight movie for the 2011 World Series, which the Cardinals won.
He also narrates the Amazon NFL documentary series All or Nothing. In 2012, he played in the MLB Legend and Celebrity All-Star Softball game. He represented the Cardinals and even hit a home run!
Political Views
Jon Hamm has shared his political views. In the 2012 United States presidential election, he supported President Barack Obama.
In October 2016, he attended a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. In May 2023, he narrated an ad for a Democratic candidate named Lucas Kunce in Missouri. In January 2024, Jon Hamm supported Adam Schiff in his campaign for the 2024 United States Senate elections in California.
See also
In Spanish: Jon Hamm para niños
