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Jon Hamm Biography Quotes 20 Report mistakes

20 Quotes
Occup.Actor
FromUSA
BornMarch 10, 1971
Age54 years
Early Life
Jonathan Daniel Hamm was born on March 10, 1971, in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in the nearby community of Clayton. His parents divorced when he was very young, and he lived with his mother until her death from illness during his childhood, after which he moved in with his father. The early losses in his family life shaped a steady, resilient temperament that he later credited with helping him navigate the uncertainties of an acting career. He attended John Burroughs School, where he was active in theater and athletics. Years later, he returned to the school to teach acting for a time, encouraging students including future comedian and actor Ellie Kemper. Hamm studied English at the University of Missouri, appearing in stage productions while finishing his degree.

Formative Years and Early Career
After college, Hamm moved to Los Angeles with the pragmatic goal of finding professional traction in acting before age 30. He worked day jobs and took small roles while steadily building credits. Early television appearances included work on series such as Providence, The Division, and Gilmore Girls. On the film side, he took supporting parts in projects like Space Cowboys and Kissing Jessica Stein. Those years of persistence, auditions, and incremental breaks set a foundation for the polished, understated style he would bring to his major breakthrough.

Breakthrough with Mad Men
Hamm became internationally known in 2007 when he was cast by creator Matthew Weiner as Don Draper in AMC's Mad Men. The series, set in the world of 1960s advertising, paired Hamm with an ensemble that included Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, Vincent Kartheiser, and Kiernan Shipka. Hamm's performance grounded the show with a mixture of charisma, restraint, and psychological depth, helping make it one of the defining dramas of its era. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2015 after multiple nominations and received Golden Globe Awards in 2008 and 2016. In later seasons, he also stepped behind the camera to direct episodes, contributing to the series' visual and narrative character.

Film Work
Parallel to his television success, Hamm built a varied film career. In The Town (2010), directed by and co-starring Ben Affleck, he played an unyielding FBI agent. He appeared opposite Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids (2011), showing a flair for sharp-edged comedy, and he took the lead in the baseball drama Million Dollar Arm (2014). He expanded his range with thrillers and action films, including Baby Driver (2017) under director Edgar Wright, the Middle East-set drama Beirut (2018), ensemble noir Bad Times at the El Royale (2018), and Clint Eastwood's world in an earlier supporting turn in Space Cowboys. He joined the cast of Richard Jewell (2019) and later appeared in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick (2022) as Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson alongside Tom Cruise. Hamm also revived a classic comedic franchise by starring in Confess, Fletch (2022) with director Greg Mottola, blending deadpan humor with detective capers.

Television and Voice Roles Beyond Draper
Hamm repeatedly demonstrated comic timing on 30 Rock as Dr. Drew Baird, a daffy foil to Tina Fey's Liz Lemon, and he became a memorable part of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, where he played Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne opposite Ellie Kemper. He hosted Saturday Night Live multiple times, further cementing a reputation for versatility and self-parody. In anthology storytelling, he headlined the Black Mirror special White Christmas alongside Rafe Spall. He took on the role of the archangel Gabriel in the fantasy series Good Omens, working with creator Neil Gaiman and co-stars Michael Sheen and David Tennant. In 2023 he joined two high-profile television projects: season three of The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, and season five of Fargo for creator Noah Hawley, where he portrayed a menacing figure in a Midwestern crime saga. Hamm has also contributed voice work, notably in Minions (2015) and in animated television appearances.

Craft, Approach, and Public Image
Hamm's approach to performance often emphasizes control, listening, and specificity, a sensibility that aligns with the precise writing and visual language of prestige drama and the exact timing of sketch and situational comedy. Colleagues across mediums, from Matthew Weiner and John Slattery on Mad Men to Tina Fey on 30 Rock and Edgar Wright on Baby Driver, have drawn on his ability to shift between gravitas and wry humor. His onscreen presence is frequently described as classic yet contemporary, a quality that allows him to inhabit figures of authority as well as deeply conflicted characters.

Personal Life
For many years Hamm was in a relationship with actor and writer Jennifer Westfeldt; they collaborated on projects including Friends With Kids, which she wrote and directed and in which both appeared. He later married actor Anna Osceola in 2023, a relationship that followed their meeting within the Mad Men orbit. He has spoken publicly about seeking treatment for alcohol use, acknowledging the support of those close to him. Hamm maintains close ties to St. Louis and is known for his enthusiasm for the city's sports teams, a thread of hometown identity that has accompanied his success.

Legacy and Influence
Jon Hamm's portrayal of Don Draper helped define the possibilities of long-form character study on cable television, and it remains a touchstone for performances that balance charm with moral ambiguity. His subsequent work has resisted typecasting, spanning satire, action, thrillers, and character-driven drama. Through collaborations with creators and performers such as Matthew Weiner, Tina Fey, Ben Affleck, Edgar Wright, Neil Gaiman, and Noah Hawley, he has built a body of work that bridges prestige TV and popular film. With continued roles across platforms and genres, Hamm stands as a durable figure in American screen acting, carrying forward a classic leading-man sensibility while embracing contemporary storytelling.

Our collection contains 20 quotes who is written by Jon, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Funny - Leadership - Mother - Live in the Moment.

Other people realated to Jon: Geena Davis (Actress), Elizabeth Moss (Actress), Blake Lively (Actress), Rosamund Pike (Actress), Isla Fisher (Actress), Lake Bell (Actress)

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