Jon Hamm started career in soft porn: Mad Men actor describes ‘soul-crushing’ experience

The actor's first steps into the entertainment business were a world away from the decadence of Don Draper

He may be best known for playing the ever-suave Don Draper in Mad Men today, but life wasn’t always so glamorous for Jon Hamm.

He actually worked in the porn film industry, before working his way up the career ladder.

The actor first recalled his appearance on American dating game show The Big Date, when he was just 25 and still struggling to make a name for himself.

The clip resurfaced last month and features Hamm describe, somewhat embarrassingly, how he would impress on a date (“Fabulous food, a fabulous foot massage for an evening of total fabulous”, in case you’re interested).

But the show came at a particular low point for Hamm.

“I was actually at that time working as a set dresser for Cinemax softcore-porn movies,” he said. “It was soul-crushing.”

Unfortunately, he doesn’t go into further detail – wishing to leave that area of his past behind him (just like his alter ego Don Draper, you might say).

Instead he went onto discuss his career now – namely his role in Mad Men. The show is currently airing its seventh and final series.

“This is the best job I’ve ever had and maybe ever will have in my life - it’s so fun to play all of this,” he told Vanity Fair.

“It can be relentlessly dark. It can be terribly sexually inappropriate, is a way to say it. But who else gets a chance to do any of that stuff? There’s so much there.”

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