Jon Hamm Reflects On ‘Mad Men:’ ‘I Love Coming To Work, But It’s Been Rough’

Jon Hamm admits playing Don Draper on Mad Men isn’t easy. Last month, Hamm completed a 30-day program for alcohol abuse, starting speculation that the addiction was related to the difficulties of playing Draper for the past eight years. Although the actor still hasn’t commented on the rumors, he did sit down with Variety to discuss what his sprint to fame has been like.

“Playing this guy does not come without its own difficulties. It’s not fun to live in this guy’s headspace year after year. And Matt (Weiner) will tell you, the darkness in Don has not abated, it’s gotten worse year after year. It’s relentless. And it can be hard on you as a person. I love coming to work; I love the people I work with. But it’s been rough.”

After a tough day of womanizing and inner conflict, Jon Hamm needs a decent escape. He talked to People about his unwind time after a day of Mad Men.

“It’s taking the suit off and taking the 5 lbs. of glop out of my hair and scrubbing my face – that kind of stuff is very therapeutic. You put a sweatshirt on, and you’re like, ‘Ahh.’ You’re genuinely pretty tired. You want to go back to your life, sit on the couch and eat Pringles and watch ‘The Daily Show.'”

Despite having a sound relaxation routine in place, Jon Hamm had to undergo rehab to treat his alcohol addiction. News about the treatment broke just a month before AMC premiered the last half of the final season of Mad Men.

The role may have taken a toll on Hamm, but it has been a critical success. The cast has been nominated for a number of Emmy awards, although they have never taken one home. For Jon Hamm’s part, he’s been nominated for an Emmy 13 times, both for his work on Mad Men and guest spots on various shows including 30 Rock. He also never took home an award.

Nevertheless, the show’s success comes with an unfortunate complication for Hamm: type casting. The actor explained to Variety that all the scripts he received after the first season of the show were for dark, brooding, womanizing characters similar to Draper. But, Jon Hamm does have a comedic side.

His guest spots and time hosting SNL showcased some of his comedic talents. Most recently, Hamm played crazy Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne on the break-out hit Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, making a far departure from Draper and donning a ponytail and long-beard.

Still, one of Jon Hamm’s biggest obstacles is just becoming famous.

“It’s weird to get super-famous, super-fast. It’s really hard. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not the hardest thing in the world. It’s not performing heart surgery or breaking big rocks into little rocks. (But) it takes a lot out of you emotionally.”

The full Variety interview with Jon Hamm can be found here.

[Image Credit: Getty Images]