Jon Hamm

Jonathan Daniel Hamm is an American actor born on March 10, 1971. He is best known for his portrayal of advertising executive Don Draper in the AMC period drama series Mad Men (2007–2015), a performance that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Throughout his career, Hamm has established a diverse portfolio of lead and supporting roles across feature films, television dramas, stage productions, and animated projects.

Hamm was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Deborah, a secretary, and Daniel Hamm, a trucking company manager. Following his parents' divorce when he was two, he lived in Creve Coeur with his mother until her death from colon cancer when he was ten. He then resided in Normandy with his father and grandmother until his father died when Hamm was twenty. At John Burroughs School, he played football, baseball, and swimming. He initially attended the University of Texas, where he was arrested in 1990 following a fraternity hazing incident; he received deferred adjudication and completed probation, after which assault charges were dismissed. He transferred to the University of Missouri, acted in local theater, and earned a BA in English in 1993.

After college, Hamm taught high school acting before moving to Los Angeles in 1995. He supported himself as a waiter and set decorator while attending auditions. After being dropped by his talent agency, he set a deadline to find success by age thirty. In 2000, he secured a recurring television role on Providence, allowing him to quit waiting tables, and made his film debut in Space Cowboys. He subsequently appeared in Kissing Jessica Stein, We Were Soldiers, and the series The Division.

Hamm achieved his career breakthrough in 2007 when he was cast as Don Draper in Mad Men, playing the character across seven seasons until 2015. Alongside his television success, Hamm starred in film productions such as Stolen, Million Dollar Arm, Keeping Up with the Joneses, Beirut, and Confess, Fletch. His supporting film credits include The Town, Sucker Punch, Bridesmaids, Baby Driver, Tag, Bad Times at the El Royale, The Report, Lucy in the Sky, Richard Jewell, No Sudden Move, and Top Gun: Maverick. He has also lent his voice to animated features such as Shrek Forever After, Minions, Transformers One, and Hoppers.

Hamm further broadened his television work with prominent roles in dramas such as A Young Doctor's Notebook, Fargo, Landman, and Your Friends & Neighbors, as well as appearances in Black Mirror: White Christmas, Legion, Good Omens, and The Morning Show. Additionally, he has performed comedic roles in 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Toast of London, and has hosted Saturday Night Live and the ESPYS.