Hamm: Tragedy doesn't have to define you

Jon Hamm doesn't think tragedy has to define you.

The Mad Men actor sadly lost his mother when he was ten, and his father at 20. While he agrees that childhood events, both good and bad, can have an impact on life, he doesn't think they have to dictate your adult years.

"It's not something I exploit. What you experience in your childhood inevitably shapes you, but it's up to you to deal with the hard moments in life and move forward," he told the American edition of OK! magazine. "I've struggled at times, especially after my father's death, when I was very depressed for a time. I think what does happen is that it teaches you how to pull your life back together and maybe makes you a bit wary of indulging too much in your happiness - you worry that things might fall apart. It's not something that ever leaves you, although you can move past it."

Jon, 44, found fame later in life after he was cast as slick ad exec Don Draper in Mad Men.

The show has been on the air since 2007 but comes to a close later this year after seven successful seasons. With an awards cabinet boasting four Golden Globes and 15 Emmys and fans the world over, the cast were all devastated to say goodbye to the series. Jon lent on his partner Jennifer Westfeldt for support.

"Well, Jen and I have been together for 17 years now, and everything that happens in our lives gets run by one or the other. So while there was no specific advice on how to deal with it, of course having a partner who is incredibly supportive of you is helpful," he revealed.