It's hard to believe it now, but before Jon Hamm was a "Mad" success, he was just another hot mess.
In a Thursday interview on "Conan," the actor revealed that when he came to Los Angeles in 1995, he was driving a beat up, 1986 Toyota Corolla.
The first three years of his life in Los Angeles didn't net him any acting jobs, and eventually he had collected so many parking tickets that they were worth more than his car. "Parking tickets -- they're so colorful!" the actor said. "Unfortunately, they also come with fines," said Hamm, which is why the City of Los Angeles ended up taking the car away.
Even though he had no money and no car, he still continued to audition for commercial roles and bit parts by getting around LA on the city's extensive bus system. Also, rollerblades.
"I don't know if you know this, but the City of Los Angeles has a wonderful public transportation system," Hamm said with a cheesy smile. "I rode the bus, and then when I would get near to where I needed to go, I would roller blade."
Hamm continued to poke fun at his past, admitting, "there is not a worse look in the world than a dude skating down Highland Avenue to an audition to try and sell soap.... Rolling in sweaty and stinky, skates on. 'I'm here!' "
Eventually, a friend took pity on Hamm and gave him their old 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit. "I was regressing," Hamm said glumly.
Nowadays, Hamm couldn't be further from where he started. He's played the lead role of AMC's immensely successful "Mad Men" series since 2007, won a Golden Globe for the role and been featured in hit films like "The Town" and "Bridesmaids." He also does the voiceover for Mercedez-Benz commercials, which probably means there are no more Volkswagen Rabbits in his life.