Over a decade after it scored rave reviews, Jon Hamm opens up about why he accepted his Bridesmaids role without hesitation. The Emmy-winning actor rose to fame playing advertising executive Don Draper in the hit AMC series Mad Men from 2007 to 2015, while Kristen Wiig is a celebrated Saturday Night Live alum who has since transitioned to film, having starred in Paul, The Martian and Wonder Woman 1984, amongst other things. Hamm first met Wiig while the two starred in various sketches together while he was hosting an episode of SNL.
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Wiig also co-wrote and starred in Bridesmaids, the 2011 hit comedy directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow. Along with the praise it received at the time, Bridesmaids inspired a conversation about the role of women in comedy, with some criticizing the vulgarity for portraying women engaging in typical male humor. Despite the controversy, it became and remains the highest grossing Apatow film of all time. It even garnered Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for co-star Melissa McCarthy, an honor rarely bestowed on comedy films, and now one star is recalling why they were eager to take on the hit comedy.
During a recent appearance on SiriusXM's Pop Culture Spotlight with Jessica Shaw, Jon Hamm reflected on his celebrated Bridesmaids role. Hamm recalled appearing on Saturday Night Live with Kristen Wiig and how she approached him with her idea for the film, happily accepting the offer without a script as he enjoyed his time working with the writer/star. See what Hamm shared below:
I did that movie before there was a part, before there was a script, I said ‘yes’ to it. And [my] agents went, ‘Oh, well, shit. How do we, you know, ask for money?’ And I was like, ‘Don’t worry about it. It just, let me let go have fun with friends.' We were in a couple sketches together and got along like a house on fire, and she said, ‘Will you please be in my movie? Please be in my movie.’ You know, nobody knew it was gonna be the global success that it was. But uh, but I knew it would be funny. And especially with that cast, you know, I was like, ‘Sure, of course. Are you kidding me? Thank you for asking. Of course I’ll do that.' Mostly I drive [my agents] crazy because I say yes to everything, you know? I’m always showing up for people’s podcasts or what have you. But that’s what I like doing. I like engaging with the people that I work with and I’ve had some tremendous, fun experiences doing that. And things like that turn into other things. And, you know, those are the kinds of things you can’t measure.
Jon Hamm Is An Actor Of The People
Hamm's selfless move to take his Bridesmaids role is a stark contrast to the brooding, straight-faced characters he's typically known for. It's a particularly far cry from the rude and self-absorbed role he ended up playing in Bridesmaids as Wiig's booty call lover, Ted. Interestingly, despite having considerable screen time, Hamm was not even credited in Bridesmaids at his own request, as he didn't want audiences to associate his reputation as a dramatic actor with the film. This ultimately paid off for all involved, as Bridesmaids not only received high praise and a huge box office return, but also helped introduce Hamm to the world of comedies.
Following his surprise cameo in Bridesmaids, audiences got further glimpses of the Hamm's range in the comedic genre with roles in such sitcoms such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Parks and Recreation, as well as the 2018 hit comedy Tag. More recently, Hamm has returned to the genre with Confess, Fletch, a reboot of the Chevy Chase-led movie franchise, which has already scored generally favorable reviews, further cementing his potential in the field. Audiences can revisit Hamm's hilarious turn in Bridesmaids with the film streaming on Tubi now.