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Mad about Jon Hamm

SINGAPORE — Over the phone, Jon Hamm is as likeable as his iconic character, Don Draper in the hit American television series Mad Men, is complicated.

SINGAPORE — Over the phone, Jon Hamm is as likeable as his iconic character, Don Draper in the hit American television series Mad Men, is complicated.

There is that charming way the actor apologises for briefly interrupting a phone call with international media to kiss his long-time girlfriend, actress-screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt, goodbye before she leaves for work.

And then, he scoffs at the notion that he could be perceived as a sex symbol. Even though there is a two-year-old Tumblr account dedicated to the worship of his er, more physical aspects.

“If you could see me right now in my sweatpants and with my dog, Cora, staring at me and wondering when she’s going to be fed and walked, (you’ll think) it’s so silly,” Hamm quipped. “I don’t know anyone (in the entertainment business) who approaches that title or status with anything but bemused curiosity because it’s something that only other people can bestow upon you.

“I don’t relate to it at all, I find it so confusing,” he added.

It’s hard to believe that Hamm, now one of the most recognisable faces on American television, was a virtual nobody in Hollywood just 10 years ago. He’d lost both his parents at a young age. He moved to Los Angeles in 1995 with only US$150 (S$187) in his pocket, and spent time waiting tables and playing supporting roles until he was offered the part of Don Draper, the tortured but dapper protagonist of Mad Men. Since then, Hamm has starred in films like Bridesmaids and the coming sports drama, Million Dollar Arm. The actor also recently co-starred in a British miniseries, A Young Doctor’s Notebook, with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.

Despite his achievements, the Golden Globe and Emmy winner humbly called himself a “lucky fool” who owes “100 per cent” of his success to Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, though he also admits he is very proud of what the show has achieved.

“I really am a fan of what we’ve done,” said Hamm. “I really do think that what we’ve done is special in some way, and I like our show and I’m unapologetic about that.”

He added: “I hope people appreciate the show, not just that it was a flash in the pan. I hope they appreciate the whole arc of the show.”

Mad Men is now approaching its seventh and final season with two seven-episode parts that will air about a year apart. And after this grand, decade-long adventure, Hamm believes it is the right time to draw the curtains on the television series.

“I think all good things come to an end,” said Hamm. “Other shows just sort of fade away or peter out, but the good shows end. I think there is a truism to that. And I don’t want to be on a show that overstays its welcome — I am not interested in being on a show that runs forever.

“We’ve laid the proper groundwork and prepared the show to end. And that’s part of every storytelling experience: The beginning, the middle and the end.”

Even so, the 43-year-old has no qualms admitting that he will be an emotional wreck once he wraps filming on the last episode. “Leaving Don behind will be difficult ... I think I am going to be a mess, honestly. This show has taken up a decade of my life. It’s been a great decade. I have met many friends whom I think will be friends for the rest of my life. It’s been an emotional ride for me.”

For now, Hamm is happy to let Cora stare at him, willing him to feed her as he speaks to journalists from all over the world about his last days as Don Draper. And he is equally content having no idea what his post-Mad Men plans are.

“I am very aware that I am going to be unemployed very soon,” laughed Hamm. “I don’t know what the future holds — it’s a brave new world out there.”

Mad Men Season Seven (Part One) premieres in Singapore on April 22 at 10pm on the FX Channel (SingTel mio TV Ch 310 and StarHub TV Ch 507).

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