"I remember opening my dad's closet and there were, like, 40 suits, every color of the rainbow, plaid and winter and summer. He had two jewelry boxes full of watches and lighters and cuff links. And just... he was that guy. He was probably unfulfilled in his life in many ways"
About this Quote
The telling pivot is the move from loving detail to the blunt, almost reluctant diagnosis: “he was that guy.” It’s affectionate and distancing at once, the kind of label you use when you’ve spent years translating someone’s habits into a type. “That guy” is a recognizable American figure: the man who invests in symbols of control and status because control and status are easier to purchase than peace. Watches and lighters and cuff links are small machines of confidence; they click, they shine, they keep time. They also keep you busy.
Hamm’s “probably unfulfilled” lands softly, padded with uncertainty, but it’s the emotional thesis. He’s reading his father the way a son does when he’s old enough to see that adulthood isn’t a solved problem; it’s a costume you maintain. Coming from an actor - a profession built on wardrobe, persona, and the gap between public and private - the observation doubles back on itself. He’s not just describing a father. He’s tracing the origin story of a certain masculine style: conspicuous polish as a substitute for intimacy, and material abundance as a strategy for not naming the lack.
Quote Details
| Topic | Father |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Hamm, Jon. (2026, January 15). I remember opening my dad's closet and there were, like, 40 suits, every color of the rainbow, plaid and winter and summer. He had two jewelry boxes full of watches and lighters and cuff links. And just... he was that guy. He was probably unfulfilled in his life in many ways. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-remember-opening-my-dads-closet-and-there-were-166041/
Chicago Style
Hamm, Jon. "I remember opening my dad's closet and there were, like, 40 suits, every color of the rainbow, plaid and winter and summer. He had two jewelry boxes full of watches and lighters and cuff links. And just... he was that guy. He was probably unfulfilled in his life in many ways." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-remember-opening-my-dads-closet-and-there-were-166041/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I remember opening my dad's closet and there were, like, 40 suits, every color of the rainbow, plaid and winter and summer. He had two jewelry boxes full of watches and lighters and cuff links. And just... he was that guy. He was probably unfulfilled in his life in many ways." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-remember-opening-my-dads-closet-and-there-were-166041/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.






