Jon Hamm

A star who consciously shifted from dramatic prestige to comedy, including a standout turn in a celebrated Black Mirror special.

Jon Hamm is an American actor whose first appearance was in 1996 as a contestant on the dating show The Big Date, followed by his first acting role in 1997 as an extra on Ally McBeal. While he worked in television throughout the early 2000s, his breakthrough came with Don Draper in the 2007–2015 AMC drama series Mad Men. To avoid being typecast after this success, Hamm made a conscious decision to lean into comedic roles. In 2014, he starred in the Black Mirror Christmas special "White Christmas", which is often considered one of the best episodes of the series.

Quick Facts

Role: Guest Star
Character name: The President
Season: 3

Lore & Background

Jon Hamm's involvement with the anthology series Black Mirror was specific and limited. In 2014, he starred in the Christmas special titled "White Christmas". This episode holds a distinct place in the show's history, as it is often considered one of the best episodes of the series. Unlike his later comedic choices such as Saturday Night Live or 30 Rock, this role was part of his strategy to avoid being typecast following his long run on Mad Men.

Reader's Guide

Jon Hamm's only documented appearance in Black Mirror was the 2014 Christmas special "White Christmas". His broader career context is well-documented: he won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2015 after eight nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Mad Men. He also voiced Boba Fett in several Star Wars audiobooks and appeared in films like Top Gun: Maverick and Baby Driver.

Did You Know?

He received three Emmy nominations for his work on the comedy series 30 Rock.
Hamm chose to play a supporting role in The Town specifically because of the lack of similarity to his character Don Draper.