In a few short months, we will come to the end of Mad Men, a show that has earned a bevy of awards and critical plaudits throughout its eight-year run. One thing it hadn’t yet earned, however, is Bryan Cranston offering advice to star Jon Hamm about what it will be like when it ends. Thankfully, that time is now upon us, as in the latest issue of GQ Hamm shares the advice that the Breaking Bad actor had for him regarding the conclusion of his star-making role. Despite all evidence to the contrary, it didn’t involve shilling for Esurance in the guise of your beloved character.
Presumably during a break from swimming in his pool filled with liquified Emmys, Cranston took Hamm aside to offer a few tips on what it will be like when he says goodbye to playing Don Draper. “‘[It’s] hard, man. It’s hard to let it go. It’ll hit you a couple of different ways at different times’,” Hamm says the actor told him recently. And while Hamm sounds like he’s somewhat relieved to be done with the role (“To consistently come in and be the bummer was always like, ‘Oh, that’s not fun’”), he also shares his distinct lack of a game plan for the future:
The one constant thing I’ve had in my career is now removed. And that’s an eye-opener: Are people still going to take me seriously? Am I just going to do romantic comedies for the rest of my life? What’s next? And I don’t know, you know? I wish I was smug enough to have had a grand plan.
While it’s unclear what exactly Hamm means by the “romantic comedies” line, given that he hasn’t exactly been the Meg Ryan of the past decade, he clearly has no plans to stop being impossibly handsome and charming. Which is fine, since it means there’s still an equal chance of his agreeing to do the spec script we wrote about a sexy actor who becomes a sexy whiskey distiller. Interested parties can contact us for the Hamm On Rye screenplay.