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Jon Hamm RULES

Jon Hamm…man, I gotta tell you, this guy is one of those performers that kind of sneaks up on you, and then before you know it, he’s everywhere, and he’s great in everything, and you’re like, “Wait a minute…how the hell did this happen?”


And then you go back and you look at the career and you go, “Oh, okay…yeah, that makes sense. This guy’s the real deal.”


Jonathan Daniel Hamm, born March 10, 1971, in St. Louis, Missouri…Midwestern guy, Cardinals fan, which, as a Cubs fan, pains me deeply, but I’ll let it slide because the guy is so damn talented. His early life is not easy, by the way. His parents split when he was a kid, his mom dies when he’s ten, his dad dies when he’s twenty.


That kind of stuff sticks with you, and you can see it in his work, especially in the heavier roles. There’s a weight there, there’s a sadness, there’s something under the surface that he taps into, and it’s real.


He goes to college, gets into some trouble (well-documented, ugly stuff during his fraternity days) turns things around, finds his way into acting, moves out to L.A. in the mid-’90s like a million other guys with dreams, and struggles. I mean really struggles.


Waiting tables, doing whatever he can, gets dropped by his agent, almost quits the business entirely. Gives himself that classic deadline: “If I don’t make it by 30, I’m out.” And then, like something out of a movie, it starts to happen.


Bit parts, TV appearances, a line in Space Cowboys, some recurring roles…you know, the usual grind. And then 2007 hits and boom: Mad Men.


Now look, I was a little late to the party on Mad Men. The show premieres in 2007, everybody’s talking about it, it becomes this cultural phenomenon, and when I finally sit down and watch it, I’m like, “Okay, yeah…this is the real thing.”


And at the center of it is Jon Hamm as Don Draper. And it is a star-making performance in every sense of the word. He wins Emmys, he wins Golden Globes, he becomes an icon, a sex symbol, the guy in the suit that everybody wants to be or be with.


But here’s the thing (and this is where it gets interesting) I didn’t really know what he could do outside of that. I remembered him from a Gilmore Girls episode (yes, of course I do, because I’m obsessed with Gilmore Girls, everybody knows that) but I didn’t know the range. I didn’t know the versatility.


And then October 25, 2008 happens. He hosts Saturday Night Live.


And that’s when everything changes.


Because suddenly this guy who we all thought was this brooding, mysterious, hyper-serious dramatic actor comes out and absolutely kills it as a comedian. I mean destroys. The timing, the confidence, the willingness to look ridiculous, the ability to improvise... it's all there.


And that Vincent Price Halloween sketch? With Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen? And Hamm doing James Mason, which was an impression he basically had to pull out of his ass at the last second? It’s one of the funniest sketches in the history of that show. Period.


And from that moment on, you realize: this guy might actually be, at his core, one of the funniest actors working today.


And he leans into it. You see it in 30 Rock, in Bridesmaids where he plays that unbelievably hilarious, arrogant jerk of a boyfriend, in all those guest spots on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, all the voice work (Archer, Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Robot Chicken) he’s everywhere, and he’s funny in all of it.


But he never loses the ability to go dark. Or serious. Or intense.


He’s terrific as the FBI agent in The Town, he’s nasty and dangerous in Baby Driver, creepy and off in Bad Times at the El Royale, flat-out terrifying in Fargo. He can play authority figures, he can play villains, he can play leading men, he can do voice work, he can do broad comedy, subtle comedy, improvisational comedy, he’s the whole package.


And then there’s Confess, Fletch.


Now this is where I’m gonna plant a flag. Chevy Chase in the original Fletch, he's iconic, no question. But Jon Hamm? I think he’s better. I really do. That performance is charming, it’s relaxed, it’s genuinely funny without trying too hard, and it fits the character in a way that feels effortless. It’s one of my favorite performances of his, and one of my favorite comedies of the last several years.


And here we are now. You can hear him doing terrific voice work in Hoppers, you can see him in Your Friends & Neighbors, which shows off that great mix of charm and edge that he’s perfected, and he continues to just show up and deliver. Every single time.


So yeah, I’m a huge fan. I think Jon Hamm is one of the most charismatic, versatile, and (still, somehow) slightly underrated actors working today. A guy who surprised everybody by not just being Don Draper, but by being able to do literally everything.


So in honor of all that…in honor of the voice work, the new TV stuff, and just a career that has now spanned nearly two decades at the top, I thought it would be fun to put together a list.


These are 10 terrific Jon Hamm performances in film and television. A mix of comedy, drama, weird stuff, mainstream stuff, the roles that really showcase just how good this guy is.


So sit back, check out the clips, enjoy yourself…and here are 10 fantastic examples of why Jon Hamm absolutely rules.


10 CLIPS PROVING THAT JON HAMM RULES (in no particular order):


A very early glimpse of Hamm before the fame, and yeah, I remember him clearly as one of Lorelai’s love interests. Even in that small role, you could see the charm, the ease, the screen presence. It's like, “Okay, who’s this guy?” A tiny part, but a fun one, especially if you’re a Gilmore Girls obsessive like me.


This is Hamm doing the anti-Draper. No charm, no smooth edges, just a relentless, smart, hard-nosed FBI agent. He’s tough, intense, and really effective here. It’s one of the first times people went, “Oh, he can do this too.”


Man, he is terrifying in this. Just a complete psycho wrapped in this calm, controlled exterior. It’s dark, it’s weird, it’s layered, and Hamm goes all in. One of his best dramatic performances, no question.


One of the funniest supporting roles of the last 20 years. That opening scene alone tells you everything. He’s such a clueless, arrogant jerk and plays it with absolute confidence. Hilarious. Just kills it.


Totally ridiculous, completely over-the-top, and Hamm leans into the insanity beautifully. He understands the tone, the silliness, and just goes for it. Perfect fit for that world.

The Falcon...outstanding.


Slick, dangerous, and cool in a really unsettling way. He’s got that smile that can turn on a dime, and when it does, it’s scary. A great villain performance in a movie that’s all about style.


Weird, twitchy, and unpredictable, this is Hamm doing off-kilter in a really fun way. You’re never quite sure what he’s up to, and that unpredictability makes him fascinating to watch. Also, this is a truly great, underappreciated movie.


I’m telling you, this is the best Fletch movie. Hamm is charming, relaxed, genuinely funny, and completely owns the role. He makes it his own and does it better than Chase. Yeah, I said it.


His appearances as Drew are just genius. That whole “beautiful but dumb” joke is one of the funniest running gags in sitcom history, and Hamm plays it perfectly. Subtle, silly, and spot-on.


This is it. This is the one. This is where he proved he’s one of the funniest guys in the business. From his first hosting gig to all the cameos, he’s fearless, quick, and brilliant. This is the legendary Vincent Price sketch in which he plays James Mason. An all-timer.



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