Born:
March 10, 1971
in
St Louis, Missouri
Best Known For:
Playing Don Draper in Mad Men.
Early-life:
Jonathan Daniel Hamm was born in March 1971 in Missouri. His parents split up when he was two, and he was raised by his mother until her death from cancer when he was 10. He studied theatre at college, but took jobs as a waiter and a teacher before moving to LA in 1995. It took five years of hard graft before Hamm landed his first TV role, as a firefighter in the TV series Providence.
Career:
In 2001, Hamm was asked to feature in a play, which then evolved into the critically acclaimed Kissing Jessica Stein. Around the same time he landed a small role in the comedy Space Cowboys. A series of recurring TV roles in shows such as Providence, The Division, What About Brian and The Unit boosted his CV, before he finally landed the role of Don Draper in Mad Men. In 2008, Hamm won the Golden Globe for his performance in the period drama. His film credits include The Day the Earth Stood Still, A Single Man, Sucker Punch, Friends with Kids and Million Dollar Arm. On the small screen, he has also starred in Black Mirror.
Quote:
'I'm not the kind of actor that craves attention 24-7 - but it's part of the deal. You're the leader on the set.'
Trivia:
He voices the character Herb Overkill in Minions (2015).