Printable Biography of John Hamm

A handsome, versatile character actor, St. Louis native Jon Hamm got his first taste of celebrity at the age of six when he was cast as Winnie the Pooh in his first grade class play. Moving to Hollywood years later, Hamm gradually made a name for himself as a popular guest star on television, before graduating to TV stardom in his own right. Kicking off his career in the late 1990s, Hamm made his big screen debut as a young rocket-ship jockey in director-star Clint Eastwood’s geriatric adventure drama, “Space Cowboys” (2000). His star-making role, however, became that of 1960s ad executive, Don Draper, in the critically adored cable dramedy series, “Mad Men” (AMC, 2007- ).

Born in St. Louis, MO in 1971, Hamm was orphaned by the age of 20. Inheriting a trust from his late mother, Hamm attended the John Burroughs School, a prestigious private prep academy. After graduating with an English degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Hamm returned to the Burroughs School to teach. As Hamm explained: “I went back to my old high school and said, ‘You’re the reason I am the person I am today. Now I want to inspire other young people in the way this place inspired me.’” Hamm’s flattery got him the job; for the next year he worked at the school as a faculty drama teacher.

Moving out to L.A. in the 1990s, Hamm suffered through a three year lull before work started rolling in. After a couple of unsuccessful pilots, Hamm caught his big break in 2000, landing a semi-regular role as romantic firefighter Burt Ridley, on “Providence” (NBC, 1999-2002). That led to Hamm’s next engagement, a two-season gig as Police Inspector Nate Basso on “The Division” (Lifetime, 2001-04). From there, it was a steady domino-effect of employment. Over the next few years, Hamm popped up as a guest-star on such hit series as “CSI: Miami” (CBS, 2002- ), “Related’ (WB, 2005-06), “Numb3rs” (CBS, 2005- ) and “The Sarah Silverman Program” (Comedy Central, 2007- ). “The hardest part was just getting that first domino to fall,” Hamm later jokingly recalled .

And it was not over. A successful six-episode recurring arc on the short-lived ABC dramedy “What About Brian” (2006-07) led Hamm to another comfortable semi-regular gig on the Emmy-nominated espionage-drama, “The Unit” (CBS, 2006-07). In 2007, Hamm was tapped by Matthew Weiner, a former writer-producer for “The Sopranos” (HBO, 1999-2007), to star in his new cable series “Mad Men.” In it, Hamm played Don Draper, the embattled creative director of the fictional Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. Set in the early 1960s, the show followed Draper as he struggled to keep his controversial but lucrative tobacco account from leaving the firm; while at the same time, struggling to maintain order amid the mounting chaos of his home life. So impressive was his work, he won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series in early 2008, and later that year, received an Emmy nod for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, as well. He had the opportunity to repeat his Golden Globe win in early 2008 when he was nominated for the same award later that year.

Though he was a much lesser player on the big screen, Hamm nevertheless had a showy role as Captain Matt Dillon in the 2002 war epic, “We Were Soldiers.” Hamm’s best known feature work, however, was probably his supporting turn in the 2002 romantic comedy “Kissing Jessica Stein,” in which he played Charles, a hapless would-be suitor for the title character – played coincidentally by the actor’s real-life longtime girlfriend, Jennifer Westfeldt. After a small supporting part in the low budget indie, “Ira & Abby” (2007), Hamm landed a high-profile role as NASA official Dr. Michael Granier in the blockbuster remake of the 1951 sci-fi movie, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (2008). In 2009, Hamm sought redemption for his loss to Bryan Cranston at the Emmys the previous year when he was again nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his exquisite portrayal of the complicated Don Draper on “Mad Men.” On the comedy side of the ledger, he earned another Emmy nod that year in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category for his performance as Liz Lemon’s (Tina Fey) neighbor and love interest on “30 Rock” (NBC, 2006- ).