Jon Hamm Discusses His Attraction to Playing Villains

LOS ANGELES, CA — Jon Hamm recently shared insights into why he enjoys playing villainous characters in his films and television shows. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hamm highlighted the allure of portraying flawed characters.

“I think people can relate to characters making bad decisions, because we’ve all made them,” Hamm said. He added that his choice of roles often leans toward the ‘bad guys.’ “My history of characters isn’t exactly the saints; it’s more on the sinner side of the equation,” he added.

While Hamm has taken on various roles throughout his career, his most memorable performances have often been as the antagonist. Notable examples include his chilling portrayal of Sheriff Roy Tillman in the fifth season of Fargo, his role as Buddy in the 2017 film Baby Driver, and the tech billionaire Paul Marks in The Morning Show.

Hamm also discussed his iconic character from Mad Men, Don Draper, suggesting that the audience often viewed Draper as a hero, despite the character’s many flaws. “The character got celebrated for the wrong reasons. People thought that Don was this paragon of masculinity or whatever,” Hamm explained. “There were so many think-pieces about him, and you go, ‘Wait, he was pretty messed up.’”

Reflecting on the character’s conclusion, he noted, “I was very happy with how Matt Weiner ended the story, but it was also hard.” Hamm likened his experience to that of actors like James Gandolfini with Tony Soprano and Bryan Cranston with Walter White, who were also celebrated for flawed roles.