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In the history of television and Hollywood, there have always been roles that have been perfectly cast. From Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool to Bryan Cranston’s Walter White, some characters could never be played by anyone else. One such role was Jon Hamm’s Mad Men stint as Don Draper. Fans all over the world fell head over heels in love with the charismatic and enigmatic ad executive. However, just two years after the series finale, some striking revelations were made about the fan-favorite show.
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men | Credits: AMCThe 7-season series gave the world the star in his most iconic role. But it ended up being revealed that the network, AMC, had wanted to cast someone other than the now 53-year-old actor.
AMC was unsure about Jon Hamm being Don Draper
Long before Mad Men premiered in 2007, the fate of the show was rather uncertain. After all, the idea for the show had been passed over more than once. However, the creator of the series, Matthew Wiener never gave up hope. Luckily for him, his staunch belief in his work paid off and AMC chose to go forward with the show.
But there was one problem. The network was not sold on Jon Hamm playing Don Draper. In an interview with TV Guide, Christina Wayne from AMC revealed that the network was on the fence about the actor taking on such a big role.
Jon Hamm in Mad Men | Credits: AMCWe were like, “Really? This is the guy you want?”
Wayne continued, “Matt was telling us he just knew it in his gut and he could see it. So l made the decision to fly Jon Hamm from L.A. to New York to meet with me in person.” And it might have been the best decision yet. The former SVP admitted that after going out for a drink, “it was immediately apparent in person that he would embody Don Draper.”
The meeting may have made it abundantly clear to the network that Hamm would be the only one up for the role. However, the actor’s notion of the meeting was rather different.
How Jon Hamm found out he would be Don Draper
Jon Hamm’s journey to bagging the role of Don Draper was anything but an overnight success. Although he had stolen the heart of Matthew Weiner, the actor also had to prove himself to the network, AMC. Thankfully, a quick meeting with the star had been enough to sway the network, it had left the 53-year-old rather nervous. In the same interview with TV Guide, he ended up revealing the moment he found out after 7 or 8 auditions.
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men | Credits: AMCI’m doing my thing and trying to be friendly and nice and prove that I can be the lead of a television show.
Hamm admitted that he found out the role was his as he left the meeting. The actor stated, “Christina [Wayne] just looked at me in the elevator and goes, “You know you got the job, right?” And I go, “No! I didn’t know. Somebody needs to be way more explicit about that.” Luckily for the star, he did not have to wait till after he got back to Los Angeles to realize he had been cast in the show.
The role of Don Draper ended up being Hamm’s biggest break. With the show going on to win multiple Golden Globes and Emmy awards, it skyrocketed him to fame. However, there is no saying how the show would have fared if AMC chose to go in a different direction. However, the uncertainty did not stop the actor from wanting to leave the series before it reached its conclusion.
Stream all 7 seasons of Matthew Weiner’s Mad Men on Amazon Prime Video.
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