Jon Hamm Talks 'Mad Men' Emmy Snubs, Paul Rudd And His Future
There are few characters on television who cut a more dashing figure than Don Draper. And fewer who deal with so many demons. And even fewer who do both of those things while wearing a fedora.
Jon Hamm pulls off the role with aplomb, having garnered critical and popular raves over his first four seasons as the troubled 1960s adman. But while he's received a Golden Globe for the performance, Hamm has gone without the ultimate prize in television acting: the Emmy, striking out all three times he's been nominated.
As the nominations for this year's Emmys draw near, Hamm reflected on why he's never come up with the statue in a new interview with TV Line, agreeing that, at least in part, the show's simmering drama doesn't always light up voters' eyes the way an action show or fast paced drama might.
"I think that might be part of it. We're not out there killing people and blowing s*it up," he told the site. "There aren't many moments that you can point to and be like, 'That's the one that's going to win you an award' or something. But if you look at it as a whole, it's a pretty substantial thing to point to as an actor. I think there are plenty of examples of that in the history of television."
Hamm noted that he's happy just to be in the same conversation as Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"), Hugh Laughrie ("House") and Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad"), and is looking toward a career post-"Mad Men" that allows him to mix up his roles between drama and comedy -- a field he's entered with aplomb, in both "30 Rock" and "Bridesmaids."
"Well, I hope I get a chance to do both sides. I think that Paul's [Rudd] career has been really fun for me to watch because he's been able to do stuff on Broadway and he's been able to do big movies and big comedies and produce stuff, and really kind of be the architect of his own future, and it's been really successful for him," Hamm said. "So, yeah, one of my acting heroes, which is such a lame term, but one of the people whose careers I look at as an inspiration is a guy like Jeff Bridges, who has been around since he was 18 years old, has done work in drama and crazy 'Big Lebowski' comedy and now is finally getting recognized as a genius."
Hamm appeared this winter in "Sucker Punch," a sci-fi fantasy film, and may star in a Judd Apatow/Paul Feig film alongside "Bridesmaids" co-star Melissa McCarthy. And while he's on the set of "Mad Men," -- which he says should end after the seventh season -- he'll start learning the craft of directing, as he's set to direct the first episode of the fifth season.
For more from Hamm, click over to TV Line.
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First Posted: 06/20/11 06:44 PM ET Updated: 08/20/11 06:12 AM ET