Jon Hamm has a good idea of where Don Draper ended up after the final credits rolled in “Mad Men.”
While talking with Amy Poehler on her “Good Hang” podcast Tuesday, the two talked long about the lasting impact of the AMC hit series and where the main character might have gone after his cliffside epiphany at the end of the show. Don is coming out of a group therapy session, and shed of all the trappings of his advertising life, realizing how good he was at the job and coming up with the ideal for the mythical Hilltop Coca-Cola ad. Hamm had a joke and serious answer for where he thought Don went from there.
“Lung cancer. I mean, for sure,” Hamm said before making a larger assumption. “I think he goes back. He is a successful advertising executive and I think he finds happiness and peace. I think he connects with his children.”
The two did not just talk about the end of the AMC hit. Hamm also recalled the harrowing process of being cast as Don Draper. After a few auditions, creator Matt Weiner brought him around and introduced him to everyone, but he had never officially been told he got the role. It wasn’t until an odd drink-and-cheers moment at the end of the day that he learned the part was his. Hamm said he only wished he had been able to enjoy the drinks more.
“We go and we have drinks and we’re having a drink and I’m with Matt [Weiner] and Scott Hornbacher, the two producers, and the three executives and kind of holding my drink and I’m like, ‘What, what are we – what is this? What are we doing? Is this—this is a prank? This is the most elaborate, meanest prank.’”
He continued: “And so we’re having drinks and they’re like, ‘Here’s to the show.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, here’s to the show.’ And I drink the drink, and we go, and we get into the elevator. They still haven’t said anything. And the lady who’s in charge finally turns to me. She goes, ‘You know you got the job, right?’ I go, ‘Oh my god, no, I didn’t. This would have been way more fun earlier when we were having drinks to toast.’”
The entirety of “Mad Men” is available to stream on HBO Max.
You can watch Hamm’s full “Good Hang” interview in the video above.
