The formula for popular TV actors is all but etched in stone. Secure your fame on the small screen and use it to land your first big movie role. Or three, if your agent can manage it.
That’s how George Clooney, Bruce Willis and dozens of other TV stars made the jump to the silver screen.
Not Jon Hamm.
Yes, the “Mad Men” star got a pretty juicy part in “The Town,” although he deferred the leading man slot to writer/director Ben Affleck. But his two most recent films amounted to glorified cameos, parts so small one has to squint at the screen and wonder, “hey, isn’t that the guy from ‘Mad Men?’”
Hamm played the villainous lobotomy doc in “Sucker Punch,” Zack Snyder’s ode to grrl power and incomprehensible storytelling. It’s a pivotal role, but hardly one requiring Hamm to be on set for very long. Frankly, any actor could have stepped in for him.
Next up for Hamm is “Bridesmaids,” clunkily dubbed the female “Hangover.” Hamm plays Kristen Wiig’s jerk of a beau, a himbo who epitomizes the hunky but unavailable type of suitor. Suffice to say he won’t be a fan favorite.
So why would a handsome TV star choose two roles which put him at odds with his audience? You’ll have to ask Hamm, but the strategy could pay off. He’s instantly breaking free of his “Mad Men” image while showing studios he’s eager to take on all manner of roles. His film career may just be taking off, but he’s already proving his range and ability to make the most of a small part.
There’s a catch, of course. Hamm’s brand of fame won’t last forever. If he keeps finding small but curious parts the next It Actor may swoop in and steal his leading man gigs.
(Photo: Actor Jon Hamm, seen here in the 2010 film “The Town,” is taking a curious path to movie stardom. Warner Bros.)
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I was just thinking the same thing. He’s cameo crazy but I’ve never seen him in the leading spot outside of “Mad Men.” Some strategy of subtly familiarizing himself with a range of audiences?
I love Mad Men but I’m beginning to think when it comes to Hamm that, unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of there there. He was kind of a dud in The Town, although I guess I’m willing to put the blame on the script in that case, since his character differed a lot from the book version. His role was the only weak part of the film for me.
Besides the cameos, what else is there? A half a dozen funny SNL skits, a couple painfully unfunny Funny or Die clips? Until I see him really deliver on a performance on the big screen I’m going to assume that he belongs in the “Big Screen Looks, Small Screen Talent” category.
There’s the rub, Blackhawk. He’s gotta show he’s worthy of the big screen. And while TV often has some superior content, movies remain (in this critic’s opinion) the Holy Grail of content.
He also had another cameo at the end of “The A-Team” as a CIA operative.