Mad Men – Season 4 Actor Biographies and Character Descriptions

JON HAMM – “Don”

Jon Hamm’s nuanced portrayal of the high-powered, philandering advertising executive, Don Draper has firmly established him as one of Hollywood’s most talented and versatile actors, and earned him numerous accolades, including the 2008 Golden Globe^® Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama.  Additionally, Hamm has been nominated for an Emmy^® Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (2008, 2009) and a Screen Actors Guild^® Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (2008, 2009, 2010).  In 2009 and 2010, he joined with the entire cast to win the Screen Actors Guild^® Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series.

On the big screen, Hamm will next star opposite Ben Affleck and Rebecca Hall in The Town, which Affleck also directed.  Additional upcoming films include roles in the indie feature Howl, about poet Allen Ginsberg, opposite James Franco, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, and David Strathairn, and in Zack Snyder’s fantasy-thriller Sucker Punch. His previous film credits include Shrek Forever After, in which he voiced the character ‘Brogan,’ The Day the Earth Stood Still, Stolen, Ira & Abby, Kissing Jessica Stein and We Were Soldiers.

Hamm first came to audience’s attention in the NBC series “Providence.”  Signed for a cameo role, he so impressed the producer’s that he ended up with an 18-episode run in the series.  Additional television credits include the popular Lifetime television series “The Division,” as well as “What About Brian,” “The Unit,” “Numb3rs” and “CSI Miami,” among others.  Hamm has also appeared on the Emmy-winning comedy, “30 Rock,” for which he received a 2009 Emmy^® nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, and has twice hosted “Saturday Night Live” to critical acclaim.

A native of St. Louis, MO, Hamm received his Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Missouri-Columbia and currently resides in Los Angeles.

What’s happening with Don Draper this year?

Don Draper’s marriage dissolved after his worst fear came to fruition: Betty discovering his secret past, causing her to reject him and ultimately seek a divorce.  As he struggled with the dissolution of his marriage and family, Don also faced the disbandment of Sterling Cooper.  As everything in his life that defined him was stripped away, Don rallied Roger, Bert and Lane to launch a new firm.  With the birth of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, Don faces the process of redefining his relationships and his world.

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Book Review: 101 Things I Learned In Film School

Spend thousands of dollars of going to UCLA for Film School or pick up 101 Things I learned in Film School for $15.00. I’m cheap so I choose the latter.

Written by Neil Landau, whose credits include Melrose Place, Doogie Howser MD,”MTV’s Undressed, and Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, it’s a quick, enjoyable read.

It starts like every film project should, with the script. Setting a scene, creating characters, how to start a scene (Hint: Start Late!) and then goes through the evolution of how a film gets made.

What’s the best camera angle? What are the technical terms when you’re on a set? What are the signs of a novice filmmaker? Why reading a script out loud helps you find out the flow of the story.

The best parts of the book were the acting portions (obviously). “Don’t cast solely on looks,” he writes. Any actor reading this is saying, “Duh!” But since this is mostly a book for filmmakers, anytime that bit of information gets in a new directors head is a point for us regular-looking people (Not me of course. Joking!)

This is basically a book for a budding filmmaker but from an acting stand point, it gives you a great overview of the process. All the basic questions are answered in a no-nonsense book about the inner workings of the film industry.

Want to win this book? Go to my Facebook page and put your name in the running!

List of Acting & Directing Oscar Nominees

Nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards

Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

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Mad Men Cast Biographies

JON HAMM
“Donald Draper”

Jon Hamm plays the lead character of ‘Donald Draper’ in the award-winning, critically-acclaimed AMC original series “Mad Men,” created by Matthew Weiner, about the professional lives, social mores and sexual exploits of advertising executives on Madison Avenue circa 1960. Among his many accolades for his performance on the show, Hamm won the 2008 Golden Globe® Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama, and has been nominated for an Emmy® Award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Screen Actors Guild® Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (the cast received the award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series at the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards).

Hamm will next be seen starring opposite James Franco, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, and David Strathairn in the indie feature Howl, about poet Allen Ginsberg, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.

Hamm recently starred opposite Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates in the sci-fi remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still directed by Scott Derrickson. He also completed work on the independent thriller The Boy in the Box, with Josh Lucas. Additional film credits include Kissing Jessica Stein, We Were Soldiers and Space Cowboys.

Hamm recently completed a three-episode arc on the Emmy-winning comedy, “30 Rock,” in which he played a love interest to Tina Fey, as well as a critically acclaimed hosting debut on “Saturday Night Live.” Other television credits include the popular Lifetime television series “The Division,” as well as “What About Brian,” “The Unit,” “Numb3rs” and “CSI Miami,” among others. He landed his first big role in the NBC series “Providence” where a cameo performance turned into an 18-episode run.

Hamm received BA in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

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