Mad Men is one of the most innovative and attention-grabbing shows currently playing on television. Two of the series’ most valuable assets are the talented cast and well-written scripts. The majority of the cast of Mad Men are relative newcomers or unknowns, who perform their parts with the ease and confidence of seasoned professionals.
Jon Hamm and John Slattery are two of the acting leads of the Emmy winning show and are a large part of its’ huge success. Both were shoe-ins for outstanding leading and supporting actors for a drama series, but were unfortunately overlooked. Coincidentally, in the newest episode of Mad Men, Waldorf Stories, which screened on the same night as the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm, was nominated for an award involving television commercials in advertising. Don Draper told another character “Just because you are nominated doesn’t mean you will win the award.†In the show, however, Don Draper did win the award, unlike the actor who plays him in real-life. Despite the disappointment of not having any of the Mad Men cast, nominated in any of the acting categories, actually win, the show did receive the outstanding drama series award for the third consecutive year.
Across the board, Mad Men scored four Emmys, as aforementioned for outstanding drama series, outstanding writing for a drama series, and from the week before at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, for outstanding hairstyling and outstanding casting. Having won more Emmys than any of the other drama series on television, Mad Men had proven itself to be a formidable foe. All the awards were richly deserved, and watching just one episode of this show would prove to the viewer that he/she would want to tune in to the next one the following week.
Jon Hamm, leading actor of Mad Men struggled to get bit parts in Hollywood for over fifteen years before he finally landed the part of Don Draper, a role he didn’t think at first he would even be considered for. His story is that of an actor, who after several years of perseverance and hardship, finally attained the gold at the end of the rainbow. Hamm has been quoted in Parade Magazine, as saying that he “stopped believing in a storybook existence a long time ago. All you can do is push in a direction and see what comes of it.†This amazing, versatile performer has proven that with determination and a little faith one can achieve their dreams. He pushed in a direction and found success. The role of Donald Draper enabled Hamm the opportunity to finally show evidence of his acting talent which had led to other opportunities for him, such as a recurring part on another popular television series 30 Rock. He was also able to land roles in major motion pictures such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, Howl and the Town, working opposite the likes of Keanu Reeves, James Franco and Ben Affleck. Interestingly, Kyle Chandler star of Friday Night Lights, another Emmy nominee for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, worked with him on the Day the Earth Stood Still. His fans can expect to see much more out of Jon Hamm as he keeps pushing forward in his work even outside of Mad Men.
Other members of the cast such as John Slattery, Elizabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser and Joan Harris, among others, add their own style and exceptional performances to make Mad Men the hit that it is. Along with Jon Hamm, they finally have a vehicle in Mad Men, which helps show off their abilities as actors.
The writers responsible for the quality of the scripts written for Mad Men are a major part of the series of being such an overnight sensation. The superior style of the plot lines and complexity of the characters keep the viewer coming back for more. In the middle of its’ fourth season, fans of Mad Men find the show more compelling than ever, and expect it to be around for a long time. If you haven’t already had the good fortune of watching this priceless gem, tune into AMC (American Movie Classics) and be ready to submit yourself to an hour of sheer enjoyment.
Marianne Meyers works in the California Public Education System and is also a freelance writer.
