You wouldn’t think Hamm was the sentimental type, based on his most famous role, Don Draper. As Draper, Hamm was more than a jerk. He was a smug, arrogant alpha male, the very type of man Hamm seems to politely disdain in his regular life.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, Don Draper would totally cry at the ballet. But he’d be crying because it reminded him of getting raped by a hooker during the Dust Bowl, not just because he thinks ballet is so damn beautiful.
In 2015, and after the conclusion of Mad Men, Hamm split with his significant other, the writer/director Jennifer Westfeldt. In an interview with InStyle, Hamm commented on his breakup:
“It’s fine…It’s hard. It’s hard to be single after being together for a long time. It’s really hard. It sucks.”
Actually, that’s the connection. Don Draper also had trouble being alone. I think he managed to be single for a stretch of four episodes in season four before hooking up with Jessica Pare’s character. Then he was back to his old tricks like drinking. Actually, he never stopped drinking. Maybe that’s something else Hamm and Draper have in common.
After doing a stint in rehab for alcoholism (which wouldn’t have been a bad idea for Draper), Hamm came out with a refreshed outlook.
“Medical attention is medical attention whether it’s for your elbow or for your teeth or for your brain…And it’s important. We live in a world where to admit anything negative about yourself is seen as a weakness, when it’s actually a strength. It’s not a weak move to say, ‘I need help.’ In the long run it’s way better, because you have to fix it.”
When you think about it, Hamm and his character Draper are one and the same. Over the show’s many seasons, Don Draper proved himself to be a complicated, discerning guy, who didn’t pick his projects lightly. Hamm, with his movie star good looks, could have landed the part of Superman or whatever. He has a face that screams “Hollywood leading man,” not “bit player in a Tina Fey comedy.” But bit player is what he wants to do, and Hamm and Draper both seek out the project that brings them the most professional satisfaction.
Damn, I guess Don Draper and Jon Hamm really are the same person. The only difference is that Hamm is much sweeter about all his damage.
Oh and they have one other thing in common. Ladies seem satisfied with their natural gifts.