8 Milestones in the Evolution of Jon Hamm

Saturday Night Live (2008)

No one quite knew what to expect from Jon Hamm's first appearance as host on SNL; the stoic Don Draper did not -- at first blush -- seem like the most ideal host. To his credit, however, Hamm took the opportunity to show off his comedic side by being the best type of SNL host: the "I'm up for anything" type. Exemplifying this was Hamm's self-mocking turn as a spokesperson for "Jon Hamm's John Ham," which is just part of the reason he's hosted the late night sketch comedy series twice since his debut.

30 Rock (2009)

With Hamm's comedic star on the rise, he accepted a recurring role on the critically acclaimed 30 Rock as Dr. Drew Baird, Liz Lemon's new love interest. Baird lived in "a bubble," which precluded him from accepting the reality that his looks are what made his life so easy. Hamm -- already an Emmy nominated actor for his work on Mad Men -- would score another Emmy nomination for his comedic work on 30 Rock.

The Town (2010)

For all intents and purposes, this is Hamm's first worthwhile role in a major, feature-length film. As an FBI agent assigned to stop a highly proficient team of bank robbers in Boston, Hamm was able to combine both sides of his acting career: His Agent Adam Frawley was a mannered professional like Don Draper, but one who knew his way around a quippy one-liner. (Example: "This is the not f*cking around crew so get me something that looks like a print because this not f*cking around thing is about to go both ways.") Does Hamm land this role without proving he's more than a one-trick dramatic pony? Probably not.

Childrens Hospital (2010)

Hamm's cameo on Rob Corddry's Adult Swim short Childrens Hospital is pretty much the essence of what the Emmy nominee has transformed himself into: an affable guy who's up for anything. What Hamm has effectively done is make audiences forget about his matinee idol looks. His personality has taken front and center, something that would never have happened without Hamm's somewhat risky post-Mad Men turn to comedy. He certainly doesn't land a brief role in the upcoming Bridesmaids without proving himself as a comedic heavyweight. In this clip from Childrens Hospital, Hamm plays Derrick Childrens, the son of the hospital's founder who has been disguising himself as a doctor named Valerie (played by Malin Akerman).

Follow Mike Ryan on Twitter

Follow Movieline on Twitter

Pages: 1 2