Jon Hamm Isn't as Stylish as His 'Mad Men' Character

By PopEater Staff Posted Jul 23rd 2010 02:19PM

TIME's 10 Questions series took on Jon Hamm, in the lead-up to the fourth season premiere of the star's AMC series 'Mad Men' this Sunday night.

Asked about his style versus that of iconic '60s ad-man doppelganger Don Draper, Hamm said, "My personal style is not quite up to snuff with 'Mad Men.'" Although he did admit he puts more thought into dressing up. "The difference between a nice suit and a suit that isn't tailored to fit you is significant. It's very much a statement about a person who's ready to look like he's in control of a situation."

And what about those cigarettes Draper and the others at Sterling Cooper are constantly puffing away on? "They are a blend of some kind of herbs and spices that burn and look like real cigarettes," Hamm clarified. "But there's no nicotine or tar."

The 39-year-old actor also weighed in on the brand of sexism depicted on 'Mad Men' versus the plight in modern times: "There's a cordialness that men had when dealing with the opposite sex [in the 1960s], even when they were being blatantly sexist. It's a weird conundrum. But that's been replaced with men treating women like absolute garbage and not even being polite about it, which is too bad."

Hamm questioned criticism of the show's depiction -- or lack thereof -- of minorities. "I've read reviews that take us to task for not having more African Americans or dealing with gay issues or women's issues. And I think that criticism is fundamentally flawed because the show is not a travelogue through the '60s. It's about very specific people in a very specific place at a very specific time. That comes with warts and all."

Asked if he favors the dramatic acting style he employs on 'Mad Men' or the comedic acting he did while hosting 'Saturday Night Live' and guesting on '30 Rock,' Hamm said both are a blast. "Believe it or not, it is actually fun to do the hard, emotional, dramatic stuff too. It's part of why I like being an actor."

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