Jon Hamm doesn’t find it “fun to play” Don Draper at times.
The 44-year-old has played the advertising director in the hit AMC series since 2007. Don is a complex character with many issues and Jon admits he can struggle to switch off at the end of the day.
“I've certainly had a lot of awkward moments as Don Draper," he revealed to People magazine. "There's a lot of bad behaviour. It's not fun to play, and it's probably not fun to watch."
Don is always sharply dressed to fit in with the retro feel of the show. And Jon finds that one of the ways to get back to reality is to go for a deep clean.
“It's taking the suit off and taking the 5 lbs. of glop out of my hair and scrubbing my face – that kind of stuff is very therapeutic," he continued. "You put a sweatshirt on, and you're like, 'Ahh.' You're genuinely pretty tired. You want to go back to your life, sit on the couch and eat Pringles and watch The Daily Show.”
The character has had a growing battle with alcohol throughout the show’s run. Jon has also had his own issues with drink and while he has never directly commented on any possible links between playing the role and his own problems, he did admit to People that switching off at the end of a day’s filming isn’t easy.
“[It] is not automatic, that's for sure,” he said.
Mad Men’s final seven episodes begin on Sunday April 5 in America and Jon recently revealed what he hopes will happen for his alter ego as the series comes to an end.
“I think that making questionable choices in life doesn't necessarily negate you from the pursuit of happiness," he told E! News. "I hope Don finds peace. I hope he does, honestly, I think he deserves it. He's had a pretty rough go, for a pretty long time. And you know, the process of working on oneself is never easy but hopefully it's beneficial in the long-term for not only you, but the people you love."
