"RE-RELEASE: Jon Hamm"

Summary

SmartLess: "RE-RELEASE: Jon Hamm"

Release Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guest: Jon Hamm

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Episode Overview

This episode of SmartLess revisits one of its most loved conversations with actor Jon Hamm. The discussion is an energetic blend of laughter, personal stories, and insights into Jon’s journey through acting, teaching, and navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood. The SmartLess hosts and Jon Hamm riff on everything from high school memories and showbiz setbacks to the mindsets that bring longevity and resilience in the entertainment industry.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Musical Nostalgia & Early Memories

• The episode opens with a nostalgic exchange about the band Yaz and the music of the hosts’ youth, sparking personal stories. Jason recounts a teen romance soundtracked by Yaz songs during a Chicago telethon trip (03:00).
• The conversation segues through playful trivia about music legends, and sets a candid, humorous tone.

2. Childhood Discipline and Growing Up

• Sean brings up stories of childhood punishment, leading the group into confessional tales about mouth-washing with soap and broken wooden spoons (05:00).
  • Will Arnett: “I put the broom up to block it and it broke the wooden spoon in half… and then we both burst into laughter.” (06:05)
• This flows organically to a lighthearted take on family dynamics and generational changes in discipline.

3. Introduction of Jon Hamm

• Sean formally introduces Jon Hamm, highlighting his “16 Emmy nominations for one television show” and his versatility in drama and comedy (08:00).
• It’s revealed that Jon once taught eighth-grade acting in his St. Louis high school with Ellie Kemper as a student.

4. Jon Hamm’s High School & Teaching Roots

• Jon reminisces about his formative years at a progressive high school in St. Louis and why he thrived there (12:03).
  • Jon Hamm: “We were encouraged to try everything… it was arts, academics, and sports—all of it.” (12:10)
• He describes returning after college to teach, collaborating with mentors who had once taught him (15:19).

5. The Start-and-Stop Early Career

• Jon describes a tumultuous period before Mad Men, including getting fired from a pilot, testing for seven others without success, and finally landing Don Draper as his eighth test (24:11).
  • Jon Hamm: “Mad Men was my eighth test that season… I had tested seven times and biffed them all.” (24:11)
• The hosts reflect with Jon on fate, perseverance, and hurting at the time—only to see later how doors open unexpectedly (26:16).

6. Life After Mad Men, Typecasting, and “The Wait”

• Jon discusses his post-Mad Men decisions—specifically, resisting the urge to take similar “60s guy” roles.
  • Jon Hamm: “That’s my day job… I’d rather do something radically different.” (27:26)
• He shares the internal struggle between wanting to work and being strategic (27:40), recounting being offered the chance to host SNL and the surrealism of such moments.

7. The “Mad Men” Effect and Modern Fame

• The group explores how Mad Men improved television and Jon’s own life—especially becoming famous in the social media age (30:30).
  • Jon Hamm: “Being okay with… appreciating it… there’s something healthy about saying, like, you know what? Yeah, good for me.” (32:38)
• The discussion touches on the pressures and perks of fame arriving later in life versus child stardom.

8. Lessons for Young Actors

• Jon and the hosts discuss the realities of the “business” of acting—the grind, preparation, and adapting to the pace of TV/film production, not just artistic technique (39:18).
  • Jon Hamm: “Most actors engage in [the business] part far more than scene study… If you’re not ready to go, it’s not gonna go well.” (39:34)
• Will emphasizes the necessity for young actors to be prepared and “ready when they call action” (41:07).

9. Career Highlights and Personal Favorites

• Jon shares his best movie set experience: Bad Times at the El Royale with Jeff Bridges (45:44). He tells the backstory of how he landed the role after Russell Crowe dropped out.
• They discuss Jon’s long-running Mercedes voiceover gig (13 years), highlighting the variety in his career beyond acting—like Apple commercials and promo voice work (48:03).

10. Upcoming Projects & Personal Milestones

• Jon is most excited about an upcoming birthday trip to Europe, following years of delayed travel plans due to the pandemic (49:19).
• He reveals participation in the then-forthcoming Top Gun sequel: “It’s exactly what you want out of this. It’s a pinch-me moment… they’re asking me to be in the Top Gun sequel.” (51:13)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Banter

• Jon Hamm (on Mad Men disappointments):
  “My last job was a pilot… they released my option on the last day and fired me. So that was my last gig before Mad Men.” (25:39)
• Will Arnett (on TV business):
  “They don’t give a fuck about what your process is… you deliver when they call action, be ready.” (41:07)
• Jon Hamm (on high school):
  “It wasn’t… the jocks and the nerds. Both groups were feathered together quite well.” (14:05)
• Will Arnett (on Jon’s range):
  “You forget that you know the guy… which is a higher bar to have to hire.” (54:15)

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Key Segments & Timestamps

| Timestamp (MM:SS) | Segment/Topic | |-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:00–04:50 | Childhood memories and music nostalgia (Yaz, Chicago, teen romance) | | 05:00–06:50 | Discipline memories: mouth-washing with soap, broken wooden spoon story | | 08:00–09:10 | Jon Hamm’s introduction: Emmy nominations, teaching Ellie Kemper, comedy and drama versatility | | 12:03–15:54 | Jon’s high school experience, returning to teach, mentorship | | 24:11–26:21 | Seven failed pilots, landing Mad Men, “everything happens for a reason” | | 27:26–28:30 | Typecasting after Mad Men, saying no, hosting SNL | | 30:30–33:46 | Mad Men’s cultural impact, social media era of fame, handling success at a later age | | 39:18–43:16 | Lessons for new actors: preparation, business side of acting, expectations | | 45:44–47:47 | Best film experience: Bad Times at the El Royale, working with Jeff Bridges, Drew Goddard | | 48:03–49:12 | Voiceover work: Mercedes, Apple ads, the role of the “voice” in Jon’s career | | 49:19–50:47 | Upcoming plans: birthday Europe trip, Alps, travel anticipation | | 51:04–51:58 | Top Gun: Maverick—Jon’s excitement about the long-awaited sequel release, pinch-me Hollywood moments | | 52:53–53:13 | Curveball ending: Jon reveals he went on a blind date with Jason Bateman’s now-wife Amanda |

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Not-to-Miss Moments

• Jon’s spontaneous humor and humility throughout, especially discussing failures and life lessons.
• The camaraderie and in-jokes—Jason’s “Marty Byrd” impression (44:02), playful digs about Jon’s luxurious “salad” (hair) in high school (14:48), and recurring references to memorable puns from their road tour together.
• The candid behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood: from failed pilots to the anxiety of auditioning, and the reality of being let go at the last minute.

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Closing Tone

The chemistry between the hosts and Jon Hamm keeps the conversation lively, heartfelt, and hilarious. The episode is rich with industry wisdom, reflective moments, and classic SmartLess banter, making it a must-listen for fans of great conversation and anyone curious about the realities behind a lauded acting career.

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For listeners: If you want an episode that mixes laughter, vulnerability, and practical advice on both life and the business of acting—all delivered in a uniquely SmartLess style—this Jon Hamm conversation is a standout.

Transcript

[Jason Bateman]

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[Sean Hayes]

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[Jon Hamm]

Hey, it's Jon Hamm. I got here early and set my tech up very quickly, so of course I'm waiting for three idiots. Welcome to Smartless.

[Will Arnett]

Smart, Smart,

[Jason Bateman]

Smart. Oh, my God. That gives me. Is that Yaz?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Yes, it is.

[Jason Bateman]

That brings me back to. I met. I. I went to Chicago once to work the phones at a charity or a telethon.

[Sean Hayes]

Jason, what have you done with my Jason?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, and I met a girl there and she was also working the phones and we fell in love. And I was 15 and I went back home. I talked to my mom about this love. I fell with this girl in Chicago for a whole full week. She said, why don't you go back and see her? I'll take you. I'll go with you. I was like, great. My mom and I got back on a plane the following weekend, went back to Chicago, and. And I had the most.

[Sean Hayes]

Did you tell her you fell in love with a girl?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. Working the phone banks with me at this telethon, and we had a magical weekend, and that was that. All we listened to was Yaz the whole weekend?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Only youy. It's one of the best songs ever. Now, Jason, did you know that the lead. That the guy who wrote all those Yazz songs, wrote all those Erager songs and wrote Depeche Mode songs.

[Jason Bateman]

Really?

[Sean Hayes]

Vince Clark?

[Will Arnett]

Not all of them, but a lot of them.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Well, Vince Clark was the writer of Yaz, and then he went to Depeche Mode and wrote, you know, just Can't Get Enough and all those kind of songs. Then he went. Then he left the peshmode and went to Eurasia and wrote all.

[Will Arnett]

So now, let me ask you this. Here's a little. Here's a. Sean, you might know that. You probably do the name of the lead singer of Yaz. What was her name?

[Sean Hayes]

Alison Moyer.

[Jason Bateman]

Wow.

[Will Arnett]

Again, I said, you may know this, but. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, do you guys.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you guys know what the music festival was where Queen.

[Sean Hayes]

New game show.

[Jason Bateman]

We have Queen. Queen was the headliner, and Yaz led in for them. It was called Yaz Queen. And it was.

[Jon Hamm]

It was pre.

[Jason Bateman]

It predated Lollapalooza.

[Sean Hayes]

I can't believe I'm laughing at that.

[Jon Hamm]

So stupid.

[Jason Bateman]

Look at that.

[Will Arnett]

Yes.

[Sean Hayes]

Queen.

[Will Arnett]

Even a stopped clock.

[Sean Hayes]

All right, I want to ask you guys what the worst trouble in Uganda as a kid? Because here's why. Because whenever I'm like, five minutes late to rehearsal, whatever, however late I am in rehearsal here in Chicago, you know, I feel like you get in trouble. Like I was a kid. So I was talking to Scotty about that, and Scotty's like. I asked Scotty what's the worst trouble you gotten as a kid? Scotty got his mouth washed out with soap from the nuns in Catholic school. He was about 6 or 7 years old. And he got in trouble because he was making fart noises on his arm in the bathroom.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, boy.

[Sean Hayes]

And they literally took soap and they really, literally scrubbed his mouth.

[Will Arnett]

Why? They should have scrubbed his armpit.

[Jon Hamm]

Right.

[Sean Hayes]

But you know what he did? He breathed in to make his mouth all dry so that it wouldn't suds up. You got under our guest or.

[Will Arnett]

I mean.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

Wow.

[Will Arnett]

What are you. Are you trying to.

[Jason Bateman]

Will, Will, can you. Can you top Scotty's. Scotty's dry wash.

[Will Arnett]

I mean, there have been a lot of stories of heroes over the years, and that is really people really, when their backs against the wall, are forced to come up with.

[Jon Hamm]

Right.

[Jason Bateman]

Outsmarted them.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

You know, there no fluid in my mouth, so you will not get suds, ma'. Am.

[Sean Hayes]

But I always thought that was like a not real thing that you got your mouth washed out with soap. But he got his mouth.

[Jason Bateman]

That once happened to me.

[Will Arnett]

Right.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

I one time my mom went to hit me with a wooden spoon. True story. And I was in the kitchen and I was being mouthy, I guess I can't imagine how probably. And I was sweeping, I was holding a broom and I was sweeping and she went and I said something and she went to swat me with the wooden spoon and I put the broom up to block it and it broke the wooden spoon in half. My timing was perfect. And it snapped it in half. And there was a moment of like, what just happened? And then we both burst into laughter.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, that's nice.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Because you said you better step off.

[Will Arnett]

Well, just because I was able to block her so easily.

[Sean Hayes]

And just the whole topic of. The whole topic of abuse and families is.

[Will Arnett]

Well, she went to hit me on the butt with the wooden spoon and

[Jason Bateman]

I don't know, next time does she come at you with a metal spatula? Cause that's what I would have done. I would have learned my lesson.

[Will Arnett]

You know, I know it. I guess these days I don't even want to get into the broader conversation because.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, well, no, hang on a second. Let's talk about how you discipline your children and what you advocate for.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, I want to open that up and I'd like to open it up to the world. And not only that, I want to hear their opinions on it.

[Sean Hayes]

You would never do anything.

[Will Arnett]

No, of course.

[Jason Bateman]

Guys, here we go.

[Sean Hayes]

Ready? Mind if I. I got a burp. I'm not going to burp right now.

[Jason Bateman]

Would this guest appreciate something like that?

[Sean Hayes]

He wouldn't care. He wouldn't care.

[Will Arnett]

You didn't even wait for our answer. You said, do you mind if I burp? And then you just were going to do it. You didn't.

[Sean Hayes]

I was going to.

[Will Arnett]

Why bother saying it? It's just.

[Jason Bateman]

Was it a false alarm? Cuz I didn't see you burp.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, no, it came up. It was right on the. Whatever this part of your throat is, but it didn't.

[Jon Hamm]

You are. You are.

[Will Arnett]

I will say after having been on the road with you for 10 days, almost two weeks I'm a burper. You're quite a burper.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, yeah, you are a loud burper. Like me. You like to. You like to. Yeah, no, you like to kind of yell your burps.

[Will Arnett]

Well, Jason, you like to do the burp. That's almost like you pretend as if you're about to throw up. Throw up.

[Sean Hayes]

And you go, but I do the same thing. I do the same thing.

[Jason Bateman]

I will say that to both your credits. You, neither one of you have bubble problems from the other end.

[Sean Hayes]

No, I don't have too many bubble problems. Bubble problems.

[Will Arnett]

All problems from the other.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, this guy's amazing. Let's get he. I don't want to waste his time. He's received, guys, 16 Emmy nominations for one television show.

[Will Arnett]

Huh?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, I'm gonna say. Well, wait, so that's 16 years.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, no, it could be further.

[Will Arnett]

It could be multiple.

[Jason Bateman]

Multiple.

[Will Arnett]

Be writing, producing and.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, sure. He's one of the. He's one of the rares that's known for both comedy and drama, and his films are some of the best ever made. This. I didn't know about him. He returned to his high school in St. Louis, Missouri, to teach eighth grade acting, and one of his students was Ellie Kemper. I didn't know that, really. You guys will love this, and I hope we talk about it for the entire episode. He's an avid golfer. It's none other than the dashingly handsome, the talented, very relatable Jon Hamm.

[Jon Hamm]

What?

[Sean Hayes]

Did I get any of that right, John?

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah, you got it. All right. I did. Really?

[Will Arnett]

Him?

[Jason Bateman]

You have to say, I don't think I've ever been immediately put in a good mood from any of our previous guests.

[Jon Hamm]

It was a pretty low bar given the fart burp conversation that I stumbled

[Sean Hayes]

onto, but do you want to join in?

[Jason Bateman]

You just perked me up.

[Will Arnett]

Hi, boys. John, what's happening?

[Jon Hamm]

Ham, it's been a minute.

[Will Arnett]

How you doing? Oh, John, the best or nothing. Yes, we want to get. We got three car guys on here.

[Jon Hamm]

Sean.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, come on, get a fucking car contract for cars.

[Jason Bateman]

Or how about a motorcycle? Sean, let me hear. Let me hear. You sell a Yamaha right now.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay, ready? Hey, guys, are you in a hurry? Get it. Yamaha.

[Will Arnett]

Wait, you're advocating. They're gonna be like, no, no. We don't want to advocate for people to speed if you're in a hurry.

[Jason Bateman]

Hey, guys. Pissed off at those dudes cutting line by going right in between your cars. Get a Yamaha.

[Will Arnett]

Hey, guys, want to weave in and out of Traffic.

[Jon Hamm]

Hey, we make musical instruments and motorcycles. That's not weird.

[Sean Hayes]

Hey, you can, you can play our car.

[Will Arnett]

Do you want to ride up to your baby grand in style? Hey, I wonder how many products Yamaha makes. They make. They make musical instruments. They make pianos, obviously. They make, they make guitars.

[Jon Hamm]

They make. I know they make violins because I had one in third grade.

[Sean Hayes]

A Yamaha violin. I never heard.

[Will Arnett]

I did.

[Jason Bateman]

Whoa.

[Sean Hayes]

How long did you play violin?

[Jon Hamm]

I think until about sixth grade.

[Jason Bateman]

And then, and then it just got to.

[Jon Hamm]

I could never really read music. Yeah, it got too complicated. I just, I could, I could, I can still kind of do it from memory. Like that weird long, long term memory where you remember lyrics of songs but, like, you know your mom's birthday, somehow you forget. I, I, it's the, it's the weirdest thing how your brain.

[Jason Bateman]

What's your mom's birthday?

[Jon Hamm]

February 1st.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, who would forget that?

[Will Arnett]

Very easy day.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you move on to a different instrument or did you just say screw it?

[Jon Hamm]

No, I think that's when, like, sports became kind of paramount and I just did that.

[Jason Bateman]

What'd you jump into in sports?

[Jon Hamm]

Football, Baseball, swimming, soccer, basketball, what have you.

[Jason Bateman]

It was, Were you, were you kind, were you kind of good at all of them?

[Jon Hamm]

I was better at football, baseball, but I was kind of good at a lot of stuff. This is the high school I went to, says Burroughs baseball. This is my baseball shirt from 10th grade.

[Will Arnett]

Is that your actual 10th grade T shirt?

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah, yeah. From.

[Jason Bateman]

Congratulations.

[Will Arnett]

What brand is that? It's really holding up.

[Jon Hamm]

I think it's a champion.

[Jason Bateman]

Will's high school T shirts now a beautiful midriff that he wears every once in a while.

[Jon Hamm]

It's turned into an homage to 90s Britney Spears.

[Will Arnett]

Jason's high school T shirt is a Warner Brothers lot.

[Jason Bateman]

Tour shirt. It's a tank. Okay.

[Sean Hayes]

It's got a cap to match it.

[Jon Hamm]

It's from Upfronts.

[Will Arnett]

They came in after Al.

[Jason Bateman]

1988.

[Sean Hayes]

Up front, Johnny. I didn't know that about high school, where you graduated with an English degree and then went back to your high school to teach it. Because that's kind of like a. I'm one of the few people that loved high school, and clearly you do too.

[Jon Hamm]

I went to a really excellent high school, the aforementioned John Burroughs high school in St. Louis, Missouri. And we had like, crazy, you know, we were encouraged to try everything. So it was like arts and sports and academics, and everybody was sort of encouraged to achieve and do well. And, and that sort of was the ethos of the whole joint so, you know, you didn't have to be good at it, but you had to try. And that was the fun of it all. And exposing. Getting exposed to, like, all of these different disciplines was really. Was really cool. And. And it wasn't, you know, there weren't, like, the jocks and the nerds and the sportos or whatever. The Edie McClurg thing from Ferris Bueller is of all of the gradations, they

[Jason Bateman]

were all kind of all on Edie McClure.

[Jon Hamm]

Come on, you got to know McClure. You got to have McClurg at the top of that.

[Jason Bateman]

I did. I did a show with her for five years.

[Jon Hamm]

Did you really?

[Jason Bateman]

That woman? Yeah. Hey, so. But now, John, don't. Don't be falsely modest here, but I've got you between the jocks and the nerds. I've got you heavier over on the jock side.

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah, the dials twisted a little to that side.

[Jason Bateman]

You did very well in high school. Is that. Is it. Was that a fair statement?

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah, I graduated with honors, and.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, that's not what I'm talking about.

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah. Yeah, it is.

[Jason Bateman]

You did okay. Did you do all right? Okay.

[Will Arnett]

Why do you keep winking at him?

[Jon Hamm]

It's not winking.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you. No, we're talking about sports. Did you score? Did you score a lot?

[Jon Hamm]

Scored a lot of points, yeah. Scored a lot of points.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you put a lot in the bucket?

[Will Arnett]

How good he was? He had to play a lot of defense.

[Jason Bateman]

Put a lot of balls in the basket.

[Jon Hamm]

I don't know where this metaphor is going, Jason.

[Will Arnett]

Is Amanda got you, like, on a no fly list? What's going on right now? Are you not. What's going on?

[Jason Bateman]

Well, then how did. All right, so then. So then you start to feather in.

[Sean Hayes]

Jason, fix your hand.

[Jason Bateman]

I'm sorry. You start to feather in some theater. Right? Did that. Did that feather and some breed.

[Will Arnett]

And then did you braid any braid?

[Jason Bateman]

I don't have a lot of terms, Will. So tired of my shit. It's new to John, so be. Hush, hush.

[Jon Hamm]

There was a. There's some theater feathering, for sure.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. The jocks ostracize you for that. That's a new one. Well, I'm gonna. I'm gonna feather that one in. Did they ostracize you? And then did the nerds embrace and receive you like I said?

[Will Arnett]

No, not really.

[Jon Hamm]

Because there was a real blend of talk about feathering. We were. Both groups were feathered together quite well.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

And the jocks were all over. We did the senior production. Senior Year production was Godspell. So as in most high school productions, they were, you know, 35 roles, and they split up roles. And you would. You would do half a song. And with the exception of me, who played Judas and the. The kid who played Jesus. So, yeah, you know, it was. It was fun and exciting, and it was. You know, it was something to do, and it just. It was encouraged. So we all did it. It was fun.

[Jason Bateman]

If I looked at your high school picture, did you have luxurious hair?

[Jon Hamm]

I had a good flow in 89, sure. Real good flow.

[Jason Bateman]

Real salad, huh?

[Jon Hamm]

Bateman esque, I would say.

[Will Arnett]

Jason, this is. I think Ham's giving you a run for your money. He's got a great flow.

[Jason Bateman]

He can have it. John wins every category with any man on the planet. You know, you can't. You're foolish. You just chase the silver with.

[Jon Hamm]

Listen, it's just nice to be nominated in any category.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait, Johnny, when you went back to teach at your high school, was there anybody still there that you knew?

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah, tons. Tons of teachers that I knew and loved.

[Sean Hayes]

So it was kind of now teaching beside them.

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah, yeah. They were now colleagues, which is really cool.

[Sean Hayes]

That's crazy.

[Jon Hamm]

And, in fact, the guy who was. Who was pretty much responsible for me becoming a professional actor, giving me the encouragement and hiring me and got me my equity card eventually.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow.

[Jon Hamm]

I kind of taught under him as his. That was. My pitch was like, look, you're so such a good teacher that you. You made this department, like, a fun thing to do. So you have way too many students, so you need. You need a helper. And basically, I'll be the, like, junior theater teacher, if you'll have me. And they did.

[Jason Bateman]

And when was that?

[Jon Hamm]

I graduated college in 93. So this would have been 94. 94, 95. And then I moved to LA in 95.

[Jason Bateman]

Wow.

[Sean Hayes]

I did, too.

[Will Arnett]

Okay.

[Jason Bateman]

Wow. Geez, what a coincidence. Okay, lower your eyebrows. Sean. A lot of people hit the airport in 95 out here. Like a million a day.

[Jon Hamm]

I remember we auditioned up against each other all the time, Sean.

[Jason Bateman]

So it was all the time.

[Jon Hamm]

Wait a minute.

[Jason Bateman]

Another one down.

[Will Arnett]

And then I went on the 405. I was on the 405, too. What car, what exit did you get?

[Jon Hamm]

Because I was on the 405.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay,

[Will Arnett]

okay, wait.

[Jon Hamm]

I came here so long ago. It was the 404. Thank you,

[Jason Bateman]

sashibi.

[Jon Hamm]

Okay, wait a minute.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait,

[Jason Bateman]

wait.

[Sean Hayes]

Sorry, John. When we were on tour, Will or Jason, one of them came up.

[Jon Hamm]

It was Will.

[Sean Hayes]

The best pun in the history of puns.

[Jason Bateman]

It was the dumbest. Eating Japanese food.

[Will Arnett]

I kept going. I was too lazy to make dinner so I ordered some Japanese food sashimi. It's so stupid. And we were so punch drunk and tired we couldn't stop laughing.

[Sean Hayes]

God, was that funny. I was crying real tears.

[Jason Bateman]

And we will be right back. My home, like your home, it's a retreat, right? It's your nest, right? And you want to be able to just lay out in that nest, you know, after a long day. So, you know, like my couch, like your couch is probably deep. It's soft, highly crashable, right? The home should show off who you are. And Ashley has styles that balance timeless appeal and modern trends. To bring your personal look home, Ashley offers well crafted affordable pieces built to stand up to real life with great looks that are made to last more than just eye catching design. Get features like stain resistant performance fabric options that are incredibly durable, stain resistant with machine washable cushion covers. Plus Ashley provides fast reliable white glove delivery right to your door. Now my buns are very familiar with the Jerson Low Swivel chair. I sat in this chair at our show in Los Angeles that we did in front of a live audience and let me tell you something, I would have sat there for another three, four, five hours. But then we would have had to have charged everybody four or five times the amount they spent on the one hour show. So it didn't make any sense. But the Jerson Low swivel chair made that a temptation for me. Visit your local Ashley store or head to Ashley.com to find your style. Can we talk about art for a second? Because a lot of people feel like it's not for them. Sean, why?

[Sean Hayes]

Like you need to be some kind of collector, have a lot of money and know the right people to buy original art.

[Jason Bateman]

Uh huh. But guess what? It's not true at all.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh thank gosh.

[Jason Bateman]

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[Sean Hayes]

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[Jason Bateman]

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[Sean Hayes]

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[Jason Bateman]

That's 10% [e-mail] that's S A A T C H I art.com.

[Jon Hamm]

When you want your spring break to

[Jason Bateman]

feel like

[Sean Hayes]

and your kids pool day

[Jon Hamm]

to feel like and your Hotel bed to feel like. Ooh. And room service to feel like.

[Sean Hayes]

Because at Hilton hospitality feels like your cabana's ready.

[Jon Hamm]

Would you like fresh towels? It matters where you stay.

[Sean Hayes]

Book [e-mail] Hilton for this day.

[Will Arnett]

And now back to the show.

[Jason Bateman]

John, would you ever consider doing something so generous and loving and give back ish. As going as teaching your the 8th grade class again now that you're. That you're. You got the 16 Emmys, this incredible career.

[Jon Hamm]

Nominations.

[Jason Bateman]

Nominations.

[Sean Hayes]

That's crazy. Is that the most nominations anybody's ever received for one show? It's got to be a record.

[Jon Hamm]

I don't think so. It's crazy. I think there's been. Because they were kind of. They were for. Eventually I became a producer on the show. So I got nominated for best show and things like that, but.

[Will Arnett]

But you won three as an actor.

[Jon Hamm]

I won one. Oh. I went on for the final season of Mad Men, but I was nominated, I think as a guest star on SNL and on 30 Rock and a couple of things like that. So I think those have been lumped in there.

[Jason Bateman]

What'd you do with all the speeches? Would you do with the 15 speeches you didn't. That you didn't use?

[Jon Hamm]

I still got them.

[Jason Bateman]

I bet you do, right?

[Jon Hamm]

I got them right up here.

[Jason Bateman]

No, no.

[Sean Hayes]

Did you.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you memorize them or did you write them down?

[Jon Hamm]

I didn't write anything. I never wrote anything down. Ever.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you didn't have any sort of thoughts prepared? If I get up there, I want to make sure I don't forget to thank.

[Jon Hamm]

Honestly, no, I really didn't.

[Will Arnett]

Did you, Jason, did you write a few of the times that you lost?

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, yeah. No, I've got a book.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, you did write him down.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

I was an early adopter for when Bateman won. I. I was right there on probably number four on the text chain. Congrats, buddy.

[Jason Bateman]

John is incredibly supportive.

[Jon Hamm]

Love you.

[Jason Bateman]

Consistent.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, you know what? That's a good point. Congrats, Jason.

[Jason Bateman]

What happened?

[Will Arnett]

I know it's been a couple years. No, you winning the Emmy. Sorry. I don't think I ever said anything.

[Jon Hamm]

Hey, better late than never. Wait, Sashimi Tashimi.

[Sean Hayes]

You know what? Will can use the same joke again. Another one from the tour, which was when I said to Jason I got him golf balls for Christmas. Like two sets of 18 golf balls each or something. And I said, did you ever get that? And he goes, yeah, I already had those. And Will goes, that's a twist on. Thank you.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, what did I Say, I already had those.

[Will Arnett]

No, Sean, you said that you dropped them. Shaun, you go, I get you like a couple boxes of golf balls. You came over to my house and I gave them to you and go, and Jason, you said, oh yeah, yeah, I did get those. I said, well, that's a fun twist on thank you.

[Jon Hamm]

Pronounced thank you.

[Sean Hayes]

I love pronounced thank you.

[Jason Bateman]

I don't think that happened. I don't, I think you're both way

[Sean Hayes]

back to Jason's question. Would you ever go back and teach now, John? Would you ever do that? Desire still there?

[Jon Hamm]

I sure would. I, I, I, I was offered a, a, a chance to extend my contract by another year and I would have loved to have done it, but I was 24, turning 25 at the time, and I thought, well, maybe I'm at least going to try to do la, see what happens. And, and you know, I did and I, I really would though. I, I found it tremendously fulfilling. I don't know what teaching is like now with phones and Internet. This was pre Internet, pre phone.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, that's what I was going to kind of ask, like what teaching would be like now for you though. Like you as an acting teacher then versus how you would teach acting now. Not to get into acting weeds because we'll lose, we'll lose our one listener. But like as your, as your, your whole theory about acting, like how would you teach the kids now? Would it be different?

[Jon Hamm]

It would probably be similar if not identical. I would just have much more credibility as a 50 year old rather than a 24 year old guy trying to wear a tie.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

What was the gig that you had? What was the job you had? Right before Mad Men,

[Jon Hamm]

I was kind of unemployed for like I, I got a pilot which I got fired off of. And then I tested for seven other pilots the following pilot season and got none. Like I went all, you know, all the way up to the top and then seven times.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh my God.

[Jon Hamm]

So Madman was my eighth test that season and it was crazy late in the, in what used to be called pilot season because it was on amc, which didn't really know how to do pilot season, so they just had a different schedule than everybody else. But I had tested seven times and biffed them all. So yeah, so my last job was a pilot that was called something that then went on to be called a show called Related with Lizzy Kaplan, Jennifer Esposito, and oh yeah, someone else. And I played the love interest of God, why am I spacing on her name? She was in Pretty Woman With Julia Roberts.

[Sean Hayes]

San Giacomo?

[Jon Hamm]

Yes. Loris Angiacomo. So Laura San Giacomo was the eldest of three siblings, and I was her love interest. And she killed herself on this pilot, and she was wonderful in it. And they forced her call every day, and she had a kid at home. It was like they treated her terribly. And then they fired her. And the powers that be said, you're out. When they told me, they were like, but we like you and you're gonna stay. I was like, there's no part like that was my love interest. I don't have a person, and I'm not in the family, so it doesn't make sense. No, no, no, no, no. And they kept me, kept me, kept me. And I had to turn down another couple jobs that now I was available for. And then they released my option on the last day and fired me. So that was my last gig before Mad Men.

[Will Arnett]

That's so crazy. And what a change of perspective you have now on the other end of it, and we all know, we've been there, of just hearing you describe it brings almost, like, ptsd.

[Jon Hamm]

Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah. Like you said, we've all had a version of that, of just like, oh, this is gonna go. Oh, it didn't. And then it's gonna go in the far worse way than it ever possibly could have.

[Jason Bateman]

Right. And a good example of while it probably felt like hell at the time, had that show kept going, had they not fired you, you would have been unavailable to do Mad Men. So it was a great.

[Sean Hayes]

Everything happens.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, everything happens for a reason.

[Jon Hamm]

So you're saying look at the bright side of things, which I, you know, I'm gonna say I agree with.

[Jason Bateman]

There's plenty of fluid in that glass, Johnny.

[Sean Hayes]

I read somewhere that you, after Mad Men, you got offered, like, 800 parts where it took place in the 60s or some kind of same thing over and over and over and over again. But you were smart enough to wait out, wait for that one good thing. And what was that one good thing thing?

[Jon Hamm]

Well, there's. There's obviously, like, as soon as one thing hits, then there's five versions of that thing that come down the pike. And so for us, it was. NBC came out with something like. Called, like, Pan Am, something that was about, like, sexy stewardesses in the 60s. And then, like, there was some other version of, like, Woodstock, and. And it was just all this stuff. And. And, you know, then the, like, the movie Revolution Road came out. Like, there were all of these kind of things that the 60s became kind of a Hot commodity, or at least the late 60s. And. And it was. And not only that, it was just. Yeah, it was like, so if there was a brooding, dark character that smoke and drank a lot, then I got that script and I was kind of like, that's my day job. Like, I don't.

[Jason Bateman]

Right.

[Jon Hamm]

And I. And I love it, and I get to do it at a very high level. And I very much appreciate it, but it's my day job. Like, yeah, I would rather do something radically different.

[Sean Hayes]

Was any part of you like, oh, God, you know, I know what it's like to not work so much that

[Jon Hamm]

maybe I should, like, like the immediate instinct when you have that is to just grab everything with both hands and hold on for dear life. But I don't know, there was something. I guess I was older. I was 36 at the time, 37. Like, I was kind of like, all right, I got this. This seems to be going really well. But then, like, you know, Lorne Michaels came calling and said, like, why don't you host the show? And I was literally like, this has to be a prank. I don't understand. And I. Yes, yes. And in fact, I had to turn it down the first time he asked because my then girlfriend at the time and I were. Had planned this huge trip. Like, I'd never been to Greece. We had, like, had planned this whole, like, two week long getaway. And it was like we couldn't. We couldn't move it. I was like, well, I get to say no to Lorne Michaels.

[Jason Bateman]

Shawn will never go to Mykonos again.

[Will Arnett]

Tell him what happened, Sean.

[Jon Hamm]

What happened, Sean?

[Sean Hayes]

Jesus didn't know me too well.

[Will Arnett]

I love the highlights, John. You know, it's funny. Mad Men was and remains such an incredibly. Like. It's one of those shows that really changed. I feel like, in a lot of ways changed tv, changed the way that people look at TV was one of the incredible, incredible writing. And you were so incredible in it. And I'll tell you, here's a testament to how great you are. You were in that part, and you are. Cause it still lives on. When I actually started watching it in earnest, I had already known you a few years and then started watching it and was completely immersed in it and could not get enough of it and watched absolutely every episode all the way through to the end and was really profoundly moved by your performance as Don Draper, honestly. And really, really, really, truly.

[Sean Hayes]

And it's historical now.

[Will Arnett]

Absolutely.

[Jason Bateman]

Did it change the way you acted around John when you. When you. When you'd Hang out with him afterwards?

[Will Arnett]

No, no, no. But. Yes, of course. But. But.

[Jon Hamm]

But I think way more deferential.

[Jason Bateman]

Right?

[Will Arnett]

Let's see what John has to say. I don't know.

[Jon Hamm]

He's my friend. My friend John.

[Will Arnett]

My friend John is John. Do you want anything?

[Jon Hamm]

I mean, I wasn't going out, but I will. I will totally go out.

[Will Arnett]

The kids are in bed and the doors are locked. But I'll get up. No, I'll get dressed.

[Jon Hamm]

I'll get dressed.

[Will Arnett]

But. So you do something like that that changes your life in so many ways.

[Jon Hamm]

Absolutely.

[Will Arnett]

And it's at first scary, probably, and weird, like you say Lorne Michaels is calling you and, like.

[Sean Hayes]

And it didn't happen at 18 years

[Jon Hamm]

old to this day, you know, Jason, gotta be your life. And growing up the way you grew up being famous since you were six. I remember you on Silver Spoons. I'll say it.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

And I was a fan. I was a fan early on. I was like, this kid's good. I get it. But, yeah, it changes everything, you know, and it really does provide an incredible amount of opportunity, but it comes with an incredible amount of, like, you know, caveat, you know, like, just be careful what you wish for in a lot of ways. So, you know, we also. We also came around. You know, the show really kind of got famous. And I then got famous around 2007, which seems like not that long ago, but was a long time ago. Not only it was 15 years ago, but it was. That was the year they came out with the iPhone. And I think it was maybe around the time that Twitter started. And then, like, 2010 was Instagram, and, like, all of these things were starting to kind of, like, people's access to the Internet became in their pocket and 24 7. And so that was kind of. The blogging recap culture was just starting. So this idea of kind of actively engaged fans that could, in real time, kind of talk about the shows really came around right when we happened to get famous. So there was a lot of, like, serendipity and luck involved in our show's success. And it was, you know, it was crazy. And it was a whirlwind, and it was impossible to kind of not enjoy because it was enjoyable. And it so rarely happens that you. And we've all been a part of at least one, in some cases, several hits like that, where you just. It's out of your control and you just have to hold on for the ride. And that's kind of what I did.

[Jason Bateman]

But getting that level of fame and respect and success in a profession at the age you were at is fortuitous, I would think, in that you've got the coping mechanisms to deal with something like that. Were you able to take some really beneficial parts from fame and incorporate it into your life in a healthy way?

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah, I mean, I think part of it is being okay with. With appreciating it, if that makes any sense. There's a lot of us, I think, that are want to like, poo poo it and play it down and be modest with it, which is, which is also very healthy and good. But there's, there's something very, I think, healthy about saying, like, you know what? Yeah, good for me. Hooray, yay me. I. I didn't for nothing, like, work for 10 years with very little recognition or accolades or money or jobs or anything. Like, you know, when I landed in 95, when Sean and I landed in 1995, it took me three years to even get a job. So, you know, and it wasn't for lack of trying. I auditioned for everything. You know, my. My weird audition story was auditioning for Mimi leader for Deep Impact, the part that eventually went to Jon Favreau.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

And you know who to this day, I still say I'm still a little angry at. I'm a little angry at him. Sure beat me up for that. He had swingers. He had swingers. He's a writer. He straight. He had so much.

[Jason Bateman]

And he couldn't need Deep Impact.

[Jon Hamm]

Couldn't back off and just give me that I needed it.

[Jason Bateman]

No, but he could pay you back now. Give you some nice, sweet arc on Mandalorian.

[Jon Hamm]

Some Mandalorian love.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. Nice little, tight little three up, three up arc.

[Will Arnett]

Well, he's also. He's the guy in all that stuff too, and all the Marvel stuff, isn't he?

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah, it's Johnny Marvel. Come on.

[Will Arnett]

Isn't he the guy? Isn't he in those movies, too? He's down. He's driver.

[Jon Hamm]

Right.

[Will Arnett]

Getting his SAG benefits. You know what I mean?

[Jon Hamm]

Listen, he's been. He's driven Robert Downey.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

In the Iron man trilogy, Quadruple E. Yep. He's driven Jack Nicholson.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

I think truly in as Good as it Gets. Really? Am I making this up?

[Sean Hayes]

I don't remember.

[Will Arnett]

Was he a driver in that?

[Jason Bateman]

Was he in as Good as it Gets?

[Jon Hamm]

I don't know. I'll be honest. I might be conflating a lot of things.

[Sean Hayes]

I think you made that happen.

[Jason Bateman]

John is a fun guy to act with. Have you guys Done that?

[Will Arnett]

No, but obviously. No. He's a fun guy in general.

[Jason Bateman]

He is fun in a scene. Very fast, very quick. And him and Vince together, that must have been fun to watch on the scene.

[Jon Hamm]

Oh, man. Yeah, I've met those guys. I live on the east side of la and they're kind of credited with kind of bringing Los Feliz into the hipster world, for sure. The Dresden, that whole kind of swing, you know, swingers scene was their scene for sure. Right. And when those guys walked into a bar in 1996, like you knew it, it was. Oh, yeah, they were. They were very good hangs and they were very funny even then. And, you know, the proof's in the pudding. They both have very nice careers.

[Will Arnett]

We were talking the other day about Jason and I were talking about Vince, about how fucking and funny he is.

[Jason Bateman]

There's just no one better at what he does.

[Will Arnett]

He's unreal.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

And nobody does what he does, which is a nice place to be.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

And now a word from our sponsor.

[Sean Hayes]

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[Jason Bateman]

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[Sean Hayes]

I am.

[Jason Bateman]

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[Jason Bateman]

all right, back to the show.

[Sean Hayes]

John. When you, you know now that you worked your butt off to get to where you are and in hindsight it probably took longer than you wanted and longer than what you explained before. Is there anything that you tell younger actors going through it now or any kind of business businessy advice rather than acting, you know, technique advice that you know, that you would probably pass on to anybody looking to make it now.

[Jon Hamm]

You know, I've talked to actually Jenna Fisher about this, who's also from St. Louis, who I've known for some time. I didn't know her in St. Louis, but we were talking about something for some reason and it's funny. Like you can go to all of the acting schools in the world and nobody really teaches you about the business of acting, right? And what it really is like of course, like managing your day and managing your time and, and your expectations, your expectations for sure. Like, thinking about, you know, here's what it is to, like, drive in the Valley in August and then have another audition in Fox in an hour, you know, and it's. You know, it's. It's a lot and it's. And it's real. And it's actually the part of acting that most actors engage with from a professional standpoint far more than they do, you know, scene study or whatever. And so there's that part. And there's also just the fact that everything at this level moves so quickly, especially in television, that if you're not ready to go, if you haven't done the work before you get to work, then you're. It's not gonna go well for one reason or another. And I've seen it happen. I've been a victim of it, of just like, oh, I'll just wing it. And then you're like, oh, right. But it's. It's a real lesson to learn of just, you know, it's. The first one I learned in class is just like, be prepared.

[Will Arnett]

I had it. I had an acting teacher too, years ago. He would. He kind of would. Would profess this. And he was kind of a working actor. He was a character actor guy. And he'd lived in LA a long time. He had moved back to New York.

[Sean Hayes]

It's like early Charles Nelson Riley or

[Will Arnett]

early 90s Charles Bronson. It was Charles Bronson.

[Jason Bateman]

It was the Chris Valanche.

[Will Arnett]

And we'd only do scenes from Fort Apache, the Bronx. But. But he would.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, what?

[Will Arnett]

But he.

[Jason Bateman]

Great movie. He wasn't in that.

[Will Arnett]

Charles Bronson was. Sure he was. So anyway, we had a lot to

[Jon Hamm]

pick from, but I'm glad you picked that one.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, me too. He would say the same thing, which. Which was like, if. As a young actor, if you get on. If you get to set and you start going like, I'm gonna work through my stuff, you're fired. There's no time to work through your shit. They gotta get this shot and they gotta move on. And they don't give a fuck about what your process is and how you get there. You deliver. When they fucking call action, be ready. And I think that that was like the. I had that at an early age, and I felt lucky because I feel a lot of actors feel like I'm just gonna go and I'm gonna work it out.

[Jason Bateman]

I can feel it.

[Jon Hamm]

Once they see how amazing I am, they'll give me all the time in the world.

[Jason Bateman]

Right.

[Sean Hayes]

But it depends on what you want, right? If you want to be like, take Tom Cruise, for example. People, like, they didn't just hand it to him, like, he worked his butt off to be Tom Cruise, you know what I mean?

[Jon Hamm]

And having worked with him, he is the first guy on set. He's in the gym at 5 in the morning, call times at 6, he's there, he's ready to go, and he's the last guy that leaves. And that guy deserves it, he wants it, he got it, he works hard at it. And that's, you know, Jason, I know you've directed. Have you guys both directed Television? Sean and Will, like, yeah, it's the same thing. When you sit through those auditions and you think like, all right, the guy that comes, who's going to come in and take this part, who's going to

[Jason Bateman]

come in so I can worry about something else.

[Jon Hamm]

So I can worry about something else. And by the way, so I can go back to the set, I got to shoot. Yeah, and, and you walk and you watch the guys that do it, that walk in and just say like, I don't have any questions or I don't have any ridiculous questions.

[Will Arnett]

Not how.

[Jon Hamm]

Hey, this is not ten minutes of bullshit. No, it's like, let's do this and I'm going to prove to you how, how I can crush this. And then it's like, great, that's the guy I want on the day when I'm 10 hours behind.

[Will Arnett]

Sean, you do that, but you're, you're, you haven't directed, but you also, you go to the, when it goes to, going to the gym, you're the last guy there and the first guy out, right?

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah,

[Will Arnett]

very similar. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, look at me.

[Jason Bateman]

So, John, growing up in St. Louis, did you, did you, did you spend any summers at the Lake of the Ozarks down there?

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah. In fact, a good portion of my family has retired down there. My dad's sister, my Aunt Betty lives, lives down there full time now. And my cousin.

[Jason Bateman]

Is it true that there, that there's a bar down there that does real well called Big Dicks Halfway in.

[Will Arnett]

Whoa.

[Jason Bateman]

No way is that a true story.

[Jon Hamm]

It's entirely possible if I'm, if I'm judging by the amount of, and the quality of puns that I've seen and heard throughout the years in the, in the Lake of the Ozarks, the redneck.

[Sean Hayes]

Is that true, Jason? Is that a real bar?

[Jason Bateman]

That's a real bar from what I understand. And it very high level pun that is that they deserve to do a lot of business in that.

[Will Arnett]

J. Jason, can we get, can we get a little something out of Marty Bird?

[Jason Bateman]

I, I, I, I don't, I don't, I don't change at all. This is a full Marty right now. We.

[Will Arnett]

A little something out of Marty interview

[Jon Hamm]

has been conducted by Marty Bird, I think.

[Will Arnett]

Would love to have a conversation with

[Jason Bateman]

Marty Bird real quick.

[Jon Hamm]

It might go a little something like this.

[Jason Bateman]

Now, did you ever see any, any, any money, Money laundering or.

[Jon Hamm]

No.

[Jason Bateman]

No killings or anything down there?

[Jon Hamm]

Very little, if any.

[Jason Bateman]

We're painting a pretty bleak picture of the lake down there.

[Jon Hamm]

There was a lot of bass fishing, a lot of water skiing.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

And some pretty heavy, heavy drinking.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

But, you know, a lot of, lot of very poor water safety.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, but you're not getting a murder a week down.

[Jon Hamm]

No.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, we're taking a little license, you

[Jon Hamm]

know, fall out of the boat, hit your head.

[Jason Bateman]

Son of a bitch. Yeah, I had my phone in my pocket. God damn it. A lot of that for sure. A lot of anger, but not a

[Will Arnett]

lot of cartel guys walking down dirt roads with shotguns in the middle of the night. Right.

[Jon Hamm]

You just didn't see it, and that doesn't mean it didn't exist.

[Jason Bateman]

Now, are they upset at us for painting that type of a picture?

[Jon Hamm]

I think any, any publicity for the Ozarks is good publicity at this point.

[Jason Bateman]

You know, they do need to lengthen the Runway there so they could get some commercial flights in there and really open up tourism. Darn it.

[Jon Hamm]

Speaking of, you're preaching to the choir at this point.

[Jason Bateman]

Once you get down there and kind of Ramrod, something like that.

[Jon Hamm]

Is that one of the other bars, the Ramrod? Something like that.

[Jason Bateman]

The Ramrod does great business, but it's mostly on weekends.

[Sean Hayes]

And it's gay.

[Jon Hamm]

Mostly on weekends. Thank you.

[Sean Hayes]

Johnny, what's your favorite best movie experience on a set or part that you played?

[Jon Hamm]

I've got it right here.

[Jason Bateman]

He's loaded with that one.

[Jon Hamm]

I worked on a movie called Bad Times at the El Royale a couple years ago.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes.

[Jon Hamm]

Directed by a guy who, who I've known for a long time. He used to write promos for the wb. I auditioned to be the, the guy that reads the pro next on the wb. That guy that will probably got.

[Will Arnett]

No, I did CBS at that time.

[Jon Hamm]

Fair enough. Fair enough. And so, and, and I. I got the offer for it during Sundance.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

Came through. They said, you got 48 hours to read this. It's yours if you want it. You got to be on a plane from Sundance to Vancouver. Let me Know, and I read it, and I loved it, and I was like, cool, cool, cool. This is amazing. Who fell out, basically, because clearly somebody did.

[Jason Bateman]

No, John, no, somebody did.

[Jon Hamm]

It was fine. It was Russell Crowe. Whatever. Good. Good replacement, I think.

[Jason Bateman]

Sure.

[Jon Hamm]

And it was to work with. With Jeff Bridges, who I've wanted to work with my entire life, and I've always thought was maybe the coolest, coolest guy. You know, even pre Big Lebowski, I was just. I was on board.

[Jason Bateman]

I just thought, that's no let down. Right? He's a real. That's a high level professional.

[Jon Hamm]

And so I got to work with that guy for. I shot the whole thing chronologically. Spoiler alert. I die in the first act. But I shot all, you know, whatever, two and a half weeks of my part, and it was mostly with Jeff. And, man, that was a. That was. And it was a beautiful set. It was super cool. Everybody on. It was nice. It was. That was. That was one of the good ones. That was really one of the good ones.

[Will Arnett]

John. How weird. So you actually, you. You did this movie with the guy who was writing promos at the cw. What a trip for you guys, right? Did you guys acknowledge that?

[Jon Hamm]

And I knew him through, like, a little poker league that we played in. Like, He. He was just.

[Jason Bateman]

He.

[Jon Hamm]

He hit the big time. Drew Goddard, and he's still making movies.

[Jason Bateman]

He's doing very well.

[Will Arnett]

I know Drew because Caroline Williams. He's married to Caroline Williams, who's a tremendous comedy writer. She's one of the funniest writers I've ever worked with. She wrote on BoJack.

[Jon Hamm]

Good things happen to good people sometimes.

[Jason Bateman]

Now, you mentioned auditioning to be the voice of cw. So the Voice has been something that you've been using for a while than it sounds like, but you've really hit the top of the mountain there with Mercedes for how many years now?

[Jon Hamm]

I think going on 13 now.

[Jason Bateman]

John Ham.

[Sean Hayes]

That's so cool.

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah. Yeah. I've outlasted several CEOs and CMOs and 13 years.

[Will Arnett]

That's pretty good.

[Jason Bateman]

Here he comes. Here it comes. Here it comes. It's not professional grade, though. I mean, 13 years is good, but it's not professional grade.

[Jon Hamm]

It's not professional.

[Jason Bateman]

It's not professional grade.

[Will Arnett]

It doesn't matter.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, no. I think people want to know.

[Jon Hamm]

I will say for the listeners out there, every now and again, I will get texts from both. Both Jason and Will about some voiceover something or other, which is. It's. It's a nice. It's a compliment, but It's a left handed compliment. No, no, it's always a. Oh, they see you doing that too.

[Will Arnett]

Good for you.

[Jon Hamm]

Good for you. Good for you. Real, real happy for you.

[Jason Bateman]

And let me tell you what else is a good. That Apple commercial that you do is killer. That's. Well, come on.

[Will Arnett]

That's beautiful.

[Jason Bateman]

Who shot that, by the way? I want DP on director.

[Jon Hamm]

Another guy I've known for a long, long time through our mutual friend Tall John Schrader. A guy named Wayne McClammy, who now is another guy that came out of the trenches of the wb.

[Jason Bateman]

Do you know who shot it? Do you know who the DP was?

[Jon Hamm]

I don't remember the name of the dp. I'm sorry.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay, wait, Johnny, before we let you go, because I know you got to go, I want to know what you're excited about coming up that's really getting you going.

[Jon Hamm]

I'll tell you exactly what I'm excited about because I've said it about four times today. I get to go to Europe for my birthday. Like I turned 50 last year and it was during a pandemic and my big celebration was having some people over and standing 10ft away from them.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jon Hamm]

And I get to go my gal and I get to go to the Alps for two weeks for my birthday. I've never been, I've never been to Switzerland. Oh, that part of France. And I've never been to that part of Italy. So we're gonna to, we're going to do it right.

[Jason Bateman]

And you're going to like that a

[Jon Hamm]

lot leaving in a week. And I'm very, very excited about that.

[Sean Hayes]

That's so exciting.

[Jason Bateman]

George can toss you the keys for the, the house in Como.

[Jon Hamm]

Baby, you got Como handy. Let me, let me rock it out. I promise I'll mop up.

[Will Arnett]

Why not? And listen, you can pop down to Zermatt and you know. Where are you going in Switzerland?

[Jon Hamm]

Switzerland Stad.

[Will Arnett]

Yes.

[Jon Hamm]

I just want to be like, I want to do like one thing James Bond did, right? Like I want to eat dinner in a like UFO shaped thing that you have to take a gondola to and then you ski out dessert.

[Jason Bateman]

Hey, what are you gonna get, Are you gonna get into Germany at all? You should get to Germany and have Mercedes give you one of their cars and drive on the autobahn where there's no speed limit.

[Jon Hamm]

Yeah, I think that's a, that's a different trip. But yes, that's gonna happen at some point.

[Jason Bateman]

I'll go on that one with you. Okay, let's Go.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Come on.

[Will Arnett]

God, that sounds like.

[Jon Hamm]

Let's take, let's take this podcast on the road and do it German style.

[Sean Hayes]

But one more thing. And I know the personal life is way more important than anything we do for a living, but I'm just excited about you and your talent and is there anything that you're excited that's coming up that you can share with us that you're working on or gonna work on?

[Jon Hamm]

The most exciting thing that I have coming out, which will finally come out in May, is The long awaited 30 years on sequel to Top Gun.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, nice.

[Sean Hayes]

You're in that?

[Jon Hamm]

Yes, I am.

[Will Arnett]

Holy shit.

[Jon Hamm]

That's coming out. I think Memorial Day weekend around there and it's. I've seen it. It's really, really good. It's exactly what you want out of this. And it's. I cannot wait for people to see it. It was one of those things where another kind of pinch me moment, like, just like, wait, they're asking me to be in the Top Gun sequel. Like tell my, tell my 15 year old self that and Right, yeah, I would punch my 15 year old self in the face.

[Sean Hayes]

Like, yeah, that's healthy.

[Jason Bateman]

So Tom Cruise was not a disappointment either, I'll bet, right?

[Jon Hamm]

Just incredible biz, man. He's the best in the biz. Yeah, as advertised. He is intense and hard working, but that's exactly who you want. Yeah, that's who you. That's what you want in a Tom Cruise.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, yeah, that's great.

[Jason Bateman]

Do a whole hour on that. That's awesome.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, I'm excited about that. Johnny, thank you for being here. I know you gotta run. It means the world to us. And thank you for saying yes to coming on. I'm such a big fan.

[Jon Hamm]

Thank you very much, much for having me. It's rare that I know all three podcast hosts at the same time and it's.

[Jason Bateman]

Hopefully if Major League baseball gets her act together, we can go out there.

[Jon Hamm]

What are we gonna do? You know, Jason and I have a lovely, friendly Cardinals Dodgers rivalry that the Dodgers have had the better of the

[Jason Bateman]

last few years, but not really barely. You still have Flaherty though, you know,

[Jon Hamm]

Listen, we got the ring.

[Jason Bateman]

You give me him and. And all's forgiven.

[Jon Hamm]

Okay. I'll trade you for Walker Beal.

[Jason Bateman]

No, no, no. He needs to be with Walker. Well, anyway, we'll talk, we'll negotiate something.

[Will Arnett]

No, no, please continue on with baseball, man.

[Sean Hayes]

All the. Let's end on baseball.

[Jon Hamm]

We can end on the fact that I went on a blind date with Jason's now wife. We can all. But that's. We. That's. Wait, you did.

[Will Arnett]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[Jon Hamm]

I gotta go. That's the next.

[Will Arnett]

Shut.

[Sean Hayes]

Listen, did you really go on a blind date with Amanda?

[Will Arnett]

Ham, just wink at me. One wink means yes. Two means okay.

[Jason Bateman]

Yes, John.

[Will Arnett]

All right, John Ham. Thank you so much, John.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you, Johnny.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, great to have you, Ham. You're the best.

[Jason Bateman]

You're the best.

[Jon Hamm]

Go Burs. Land on the next time.

[Will Arnett]

All right, I love you guys.

[Jason Bateman]

Thanks.

[Will Arnett]

Love you, buddy.

[Jason Bateman]

Thank.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you.

[Jason Bateman]

Jon Ham is no Ham. John is a. Is a very humble, classy, solid individual.

[Will Arnett]

Solid individual. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. I was super excited that he was coming on. I mean, he's like one of those guys that's, you know, I say it all the time, but about other people. But whenever he's in something, you're like, oh, this is gonna be great.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Yep.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

He's got a real solid presence.

[Will Arnett]

And I really meant it about Mad Men. Watching that and truthfully, like, thinking, like, kind of know him and, like, this. How's this gonna be, watching him in this? It's kind of like Jason watching you in Ozark, which testament to how good you are. It's like, you get into it and you're like. You forget that you know the guy, which is. It's a hard. It's a higher bar to have to hire.

[Sean Hayes]

I love that. Yeah, that's so true.

[Jason Bateman]

Like.

[Will Arnett]

And that shows how good it is.

[Sean Hayes]

Jay, whenever I. Yeah. Whenever I watch, I can't. It's like, I don't. It's transformative, as they say. So congratulations on that. Congratulations to John Hammond.

[Will Arnett]

So, Sean, also, what a great guest. It's so great having John on.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, he's got a new podcast.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, I was gonna say that. Does he have a new podcast?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, he's got a new podcast. It's called American Hostage, and it's on Amazon wondering. It's fantastic. You gotta listen to the trailer. The trailer sounds like an actual movie. It's really, really cool.

[Will Arnett]

Ah, he's perfect for that.

[Sean Hayes]

It's really great.

[Will Arnett]

He's perfect for that because he's so good. I meant it when I said, like, I watch Mad Men and to.

[Jason Bateman]

I mean, how many. You would never think that a series about a pot store would last for how many seasons?

[Will Arnett]

Oh, no, no, you're thinking of. Sorry, you're thinking of Medmen, which is a pot store out here in California. No, it's a different.

[Jon Hamm]

Different.

[Will Arnett]

It's a totally different. Yeah, I mean, it's a very.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, this is. Oh, sorry. Mad. So it's an anger management, like a help group again.

[Will Arnett]

It's just, I honestly, I wish you could. It's just kind of a play on Madison Avenue, guys of advertising executives. But it's like where they, you know, those ad executives, they come up with all the different slogans like, you know, do this, do this.

[Sean Hayes]

Or like you're thinking of like.

[Will Arnett]

Smart. Smart.

[Jason Bateman]

Less.

[Will Arnett]

Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Michael Grant, Terry, Rob Armjarv and Bennett Barbico. Smart Less.

[Sean Hayes]

The Emmy winning comedy Scrubs is back. The beloved original cast, including Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalk, Judy Reyes and John C. McGinley, scrub back in at Sacred Heart Hospital for all new hilarious and heartfelt stories. And there's a healthy injection of colorful new characters, including a fresh group of newbie interns and coworkers, nemeses Vanessa Bayer and Joel Kim. Booster the new season of scrubs Wednesdays at 8, 7 Central on ABC and stream on Hulu. This podcast is brought to you by Kleenex Lotion Tissues Cold season is like the ultimate plot twist. Sudden, unwelcome and unpredictable. Luckily, you can be prepared with Kleenex lotion tissues that protect, soothe and moisturize your skin. Keep a box in the car or close by, especially on those cold mornings. They're not just soft, they're made with coconut oil and aloe for added comfort. Whether it's binge watching season or cold and flu season, Kleenex lotion tissues are always a smart move. For whatever happens next, grab Kleenex.