Key Takeaways
- Jon Hamm’s versatility: He has successfully transitioned between dramatic and comedic roles throughout his career.
- Character dynamics: Joining an established show can add pressure, but Hamm focuses on enhancing the ensemble rather than altering his approach.
- Wealth portrayal: Hamm believes that playing wealthy characters does not change his performance; he remains true to the character’s essence.
- Future projects: He is open to comedy roles if they align with the right creative team and project.
Jon Hamm is one of the best actors working today, regardless of genre. While he appears in big-screen projects like Bridesmaids, The Town, and Top Gun: Maverick, Hamm is a staple of marquee television series, having become a breakout star in AMC’s Mad Men. In the years since, Hamm has led numerous series and been a significant component in making shows like Landman and Your Friends & Neighbors so successful. He has returned in a key role on Apple TV’s The Morning Show, and I had the opportunity to discuss that role and his career.
Jon Hamm: Hey Alex, how are you?
I’m great. I am a massive fan of yours. Very excited to talk to you today. Thank you so much for taking the time. I was actually watching the first couple of episodes of the new season of Landman, and it’s incredible how your absence from the character is such a specter on the show, given how fantastic Monty was in that first season. And here you’re coming in this series. You came in after it had already been established, had already been a couple of seasons, and then Paul came into the mix. Does coming into a show that’s already started and joining an ensemble affect how you play a character, how you join the cast?
Jon Hamm: I don’t think it affects it so much; it adds a little bit of pressure, especially if the show that you’re coming on to is a big hit. You know, nobody wants to be the Ted McGinley who comes in and kind of steals the show like Married…with Children, then takes a nose dive. Famous, no shade on Ted. I’m sure he’s a wonderful guy, but that was sort of what had happened over many shows in the ’70s and ’80s. So, you want to come up and join the show, and you want to be value-added. We were fortunate to have that with guys like Jared Harris on Mad Men. You know, you want people to come in and be a character that people really like. So I think the fact that I’m getting asked back, but also that the audience seems to have really responded to my character in The Morning Show, and we’ve had a great time doing it, you know? I think those are the hallmarks so I don’t really do anything different or try to adapt, really, to the show. I feel that if they hired me, they want me to do what I do and do it at a high level, making the show better. That’s what I try to do.
There has been a recent trend among some of your characters being incredibly wealthy, and we’ve seen a lot of shows lately that follow this pattern where characters are incredibly rich. We love watching them behave badly or fail. Does that alter how you play the character at all? Because I know that with Your Friends & Neighbors, it took a twist on that performance where it showed the other side of that dynamic, but this character in The Morning Show is at a different echelon of wealth. Does that alter anything for you?
Jon Hamm: Well, like I said, it doesn’t really alter anything. You play the character and the part you’re given. I always think that every actor should never try to be their character and judge the character they play. I certainly never did that with Don Draper, who was in many ways the king of questionable moral decisions, and Paul Marks is no exception to that, nor is Coop. You know, Coop is a person who often finds himself in situations that are sometimes not of his own making and sometimes are. And I think it’s very self-reflective. You know, we have a running voiceover about how conflicted his feelings are about all of this—especially the lavishness of the life he leads—and the ridiculous extremes he has to go through to maintain it. I think that’s what the show really is about. So you know with someone like Monty—that his unfortunate arc was that he lost his life pursuing high stakes and high stress of wildcatting and gas and oil exploration—you know there’s a wonderful scene in the first season where Jerry Jones reminds him that all this stuff can come and go in a minute but family will stay with you forever; they’re the ones who will be there on your deathbed. And of course, that’s what ends up happening. So you know it’s—that’s what drama is—and you can’t come at it with any kind of judgment or else the audience will pick up on it and it won’t read true.
With The Morning Show, compared to many of your projects this is one of the most stacked casts of any projects you’ve been part of. You’ve had so many phenomenal actors you’ve worked with dramatically and comedically. Is there anyone in The Morning Show that you haven’t shared the screen with whom you really want to or are looking forward to?
Jon Hamm: Marion Cotillard. Our characters never really crossed paths and I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time. I wish I had gotten to work with Holland Taylor’s character; I love her work—I think she’s phenomenal. I know her a little bit personally; she and Sarah are good friends of mine—so yeah when it was a cast this deep—you look at Boyd Holbrook and William Jackson Harper—I’m actually working with Will on my new product American Hostage here in Winnipeg—but when you have a bench this deep yeah there are quite a few people that you really wish you got a chance to be with still; you can’t feed that many mouths—you know—I can only imagine it’s much harder for writers to actually try to get everybody good stuff to do.
Is there anybody that you’ve worked with that you have been starstruck by either on this series or any recent projects?
Jon Hamm: I would say the only person that I was honestly flabbergasted to work with—well there were probably two—one was Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, and the other was Jeff Bridges in Bad Times at the El Royale. Those guys were both pretty big up in my superstar echelon—and getting to work with them was a real treat in every way—and I’m really glad I had both those experiences.
There have been so many movies and television series that you’ve done—and everybody keeps talking about the golden age of television—or that we’re in this great moment with shows—and Mad Men was one of those shows that helped kick things off. Do you still feel that the bar for television is as high as it has ever been? Or are you seeing a shift back towards more big-screen fare for yourself?
Jon Hamm: For me—I go where interesting work is—you know—and sometimes that’s on features—and sometimes that’s on television—and sometimes that’s animation—and sometimes that’s a podcast that I’ll produce and turn into a limited series—so there are lots of ways to get things in front of people these days—and I think that really helps everybody—you know rising tide kind of lifts all boats—in that world—and we’re living in pretty pretty excellent—a pretty fantastic time for people who like what used to be called TV.
I think every performance that you give has elements striking me differently each time—we see something like Fargo, which was just very dark compared to many things—you don’t like—maybe one of your darker roles—and with Your Friends & Neighbors, there are so many layers to cope with—and it’s just such a beautiful series to watch—and I love watching all those things—is there a character you’ve portrayed where you felt physically drained after playing because it took so much out of you?
Jon Hamm: Fargo was a lot of that—a big part was being on location by myself up in Calgary for long periods away from my then fiancée now wife—and Calgary in winter is punishing on good days—which is why I’m wondering why I’m here in Winnipeg shooting another project—but that’s another story—but it’s difficult—you know being on location is difficult—being away from family is difficult—it’s lonely—it’s hard—and if you’re playing a character who doesn’t necessarily represent joyful energy then it makes it exponentially more difficult—so yeah—that was really tricky—but thought it came out great—and that’s the wonder of acting—you know—is making something challenging can lead to something great—so that’s what I’d also like to do—I still love going to work—that’s really what it’s all about for me.
One last question for you is despite being in so many great dramatic roles and hilarious roles—people are still shocked when you do something as funny as this—and there are times when you’ve been more humorous than dramatic—and vice versa—is there any interest in joining a series that’s 100% comedy-focused? Is that something intriguing for you?
Jon Hamm: Sure if it’s with the right group of people—the right kind—I recently did a movie that’s probably coming out at Sundance—that’s pretty hardcore comedy—but I’ve had experiences working on 30 Rock. I’ve had experiences working on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.You know I’ve definitely had those experiences—those are very fun—it’s enjoyable doing goofy silly things for living for while.
30 Rock remains one my favorite experiences ever because got come back keep doing more silly ridiculous things—to point where by end two hooks for hand—so it’s goof being able do—it’s fully part arsenal definitely series colors our crayon box we get use our art—so if right opportunity presents itself—I would love.
The Morning Show is now airing its fourth season on Apple TV.
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Source:
JoBlo.com
