Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Though the Emmys just recently gave him the critical praise he deserved so long ago, it’s easy to see why Jon Hamm has been a fan favorite ever since Season One of Mad Men. Between his dashing good looks, charm, and hyper-confidence, Hamm makes a perfectly imperfect antihero that’s due for a fall. Hamm’s dramatic chops, however, aren’t the only thing that audiences and critics alike have praised.
Over the past few years, Hamm has guest starred in more and more comedic roles to the delight of fans everywhere. It’s made for some incredibly delightful Internet. Do you want to hear the king of primetime advertising voice a talking toilet? Bob’s Burgers has you covered. Or would you prefer to hear about this womanizer’s interest in much, much older women? There’s a Web Therapy for that.
As Hamm has appeared in more and more comedies, I started to question what it is about Hamm that we as audiences find so appealing (besides the obvious). To answer this, I broke down four of Hamm’s funniest roles to see why we find a ridiculous Jon Hamm so delightful.
30 Rock (2009)
There are few idiots more lovable that Liz Lemon’s Dr. Drew. Through his three-episode arc in Season Three, we met and fell in love with this imbecile who was too attractive to know that the world was easier for his pretty face. Too bad Liz’s big mouth busted his bubble by pointing out his many flaws, losing the show some serious eye candy. In an EW interview, Tina Fey said that Hamm was always in mind for the part, and stars aligned through a combination of a Mad Men break and Fey discovering that Hamm was hilarious on SNL.
It’s fitting that Hamm’s first mainstream comedic role is basically a clueless Don Draper. I think this role exploited something we secretly all wanted to see during early episodes of Mad Men: The bubble of perfection around Don Draper popping. Though it was brief, for a few minutes Hamm’s character learned that life was different for his breathtakingly handsome face, and watching that realization unfold was beautiful in a very petty way.
Bridesmaids (2011)
The uncredited Hamm played the worst friend with benefits alongside writer and star Kristen Wiig, making us all want to simultaneously punch him in the face. Whether he was kicking Annie out of his bed in the least gracious way possible or refusing to stop his car when picking up his bang buddy, Hamm was a hilarious onscreen nightmare.
In an interview promoting this movie, Hamm joked, “I seem to be the go-to douchebag,” and it’s hard to argue with him. What Hamm brought to the table was a certifiably hilarious level of arrogance. Maybe I’m alone in this one, but between Hamm’s arrogance and good looks and Annie’s painfully low level of self-esteem, I can totally understand why Wiig’s character keeps going back for more abuse. That intense level of identification with Annie is what makes this character so great.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015)
Jon Hamm must have really left a good impression with the women of SNL. He made his way back onto Fey’s latest show as DJ / Apprentice-hopeful / cult leader Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne. True to Fey’s cartoonish universes, Reverend Wayne-squared’s blinding charm makes him all but impervious to logic. He’s basically a more sinister and competent version of Dr. Drew in a world filled with easily manipulated morons.
As the Decider’s own Tyler Coates has covered, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has a straight, white male problem, and nowhere is that more obvious then when the Reverend is introduced. Up until this point, Hamm’s natural onscreen charm has been played up solely for comedic effect, but in this role, his charm takes on a sinister quality. He’s charismatic, believable, and adored to the point where Tina Fey and Jerry Minor, the Reverend’s incompetent prosecutors, are almost immediately fooled by him. In fact, the Reverend is so eccentrically loveable, I had to remind myself as a viewer that he is actually a monster who imprisoned four women for years.
[Where to stream Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt]
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015)
Thankfully for the world, Hamm was able to put all of those sweet Unbreakable karate moves to good use when he became The Falcon, a secret government assassin. He’s a lethal killing machine that serves as one of the show’s main antagonists, but it’s revealed that this operative has a heart of gold more secretive than his orders from President Reagan.
In a mini-series jammed full of star power, adding Hamm is like putting chocolate syrup on your campfire s’more — not necessary, but it tastes so much better. However, what makes this character remarkable is how perfectly he mocks the “unstoppable” villain from every action movie. Hamm’s sweet fighting moves paired with his brooding evil looks make his on-screen appearances a welcome source of ridiculousness. By the way, if you’re reading Netflix, I would binge the hell out of a Gene and Falcon spinoff series.
[Where to stream Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp]
The Verdict:
I think the reason we love a comedic Jon Hamm is because he represents the character we all-too-often like to mock: the popular, and often cruel, stud. Sure, the appeal may be related in part to a desire to see Don Draper in insane situations, but I think there’s more to it than that. Hamm, like his advertising counterpart, practically oozes confidence. If Hamm as we know him now went to your high school, you better believe he would have been prom king. This is in sharp contrast to the people we typically see as successful in comedy — the “outsiders.”
Comedy in and of itself requires outsiders. It depends on people who are, whether or not by choice, so removed from day-to-day, “normal” situations that they are able to provide commentary on systems and ideas the rest of the world takes for granted. Though he looks like the handsome, dramatic lead he is and so clearly deserves to be, there’s an intentionality behind his comedic performances. Hamm doesn’t just seem to be playing another part; he seems to understand the behind-the-scenes commentary in this same distanced way as the “outside” creators around him. In a way, Hamm feels like a double agent, infiltrating the emotional and morose world of drama, while also working for the underlying biting and angry land of comedy.
At a time when comedies are including heart-wrenching plotlines (BoJack Horseman) and action-packed dramas are fueled by laughs (Fargo), Hamm is able to embody the progressive, genre-ambiguous characters we have grown to love, and he does it well. Who else could have made this horribly offensive “old NBC” sketch funnier than Jon Hamm? No one.
Please keep being involved in comedy, Jon Hamm. We need more moments like these.
Kayla Cobb is a proud graduate of Clemson University and loves her cat and TV shows more than some people love their kids. You should really follow her on Twitter at @KaylCobb.
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