CAMBRIDGE, MA (January 14, 2025) – The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest theatrical organization in the United States, announces JON HAMM as the recipient of its 2025 Man of the Year Award. From his iconic performances in Fargo, Landman, Grimsburg, Top Gun: Maverick, Baby Driver, and Your Friends and Neighbors, to his Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Awarded role in Mad Men, the Pudding is proud to celebrate a truly unique and impactful presence in the world of entertainment.
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ Man and Woman of the Year Awards are presented annually to performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment. The Man of the Year award was established in 1967, with past recipients including Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson, Ryan Reynolds, and last year’s recipient Barry Keoghan, the 57th Man of the Year.
The Man of the Year festivities will take place on Friday, January 31st, 2025. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals will host a celebratory roast for Mr. Hamm at 6:00pm and present him with his Pudding Pot at Farkas Hall, the Pudding’s historic home in the heart of Harvard Square since 1888. A press conference will follow the roast at 6:20pm. Afterward, Mr. Hamm will attend a preview of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 176th production 101 Damnations.
“Let’s hope our roast doesn’t give him any heart palpitations—he’s had enough drama with that,” said Producer Willow Woodward. “But with his work ethic, we’re confident he’ll take on our stage with as much grit as Texas oil fields. He’s the perfect man to strike gold and earn his Pudding Pot this January.”
“We are beyond excited to honor Jon Hamm as our 2025 Man of the Year,” said President Cathy Stanton. “Of course, to claim his Pudding Pot, he’ll have to prove he’s the real Jon Hamm—we’ve seen how good he is at keeping an identity under wraps!”
Jon Hamm’s nuanced portrayal of the high-powered, advertising executive Don Draper on AMC’s award-winning drama series “Mad Men” firmly established him as one of Hollywood’s most talented and versatile actors. He earned numerous accolades for his performance, including an Emmy Award in 2015 for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, Golden Globe Awards in 2016 and 2008, Television Critics Association Awards in 2011 and 2015, a Critics’ Choice Television Award in 2011, as well as multiple Screen Actors Guild nominations.
Currently, Hamm can be seen in the Paramount drama series, “Landman,” created by Taylor Sheridan and based on the Boomtown podcast by Christian Wallace. Hamm appears opposite Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore in the modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of West Texas oil rigs. The series broke records when it debuted as the most-watched original show in Paramount+ history during its first four weeks.
Next, Hamm will star in the upcoming Apple TV+ series, “Your Friends and Neighbors.” Hamm will executive produce the drama series alongside acclaimed screenwriter, novelist, and creator of the series, Jonathan Topper, who will serve as showrunner and co-executive producer. Hamm will star alongside Olivia Munn and Amanda Peet. The series will premiere on Apple TV+ in April 2025. Additionally, Hamm will lead the live-action television series adaptation of the psychological thriller podcast, “American Hostage,” in which he also starred. Hamm will reprise his role from the audio series that tells the true story of a radio reporter who is thrust into a life-or-death situation when a hostage taker demands to be interviewed on his show. Hamm will serve as an executive producer alongside Shawn Ryan, Eileen Myers, Connie Tavel, and Marney Hochman.
On television, Hamm starred in the fifth season of FX’s critically acclaimed anthology series, “Fargo”, alongside Juno Temple, Joe Keery, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, which premiered in November 2023. Hamm received an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his outstanding performance as the villainous ‘Sheriff Roy Tillman’ and the show received a 2024 Critic’s Choice Award nomination in the category of Best Limited Series. Hamm could also be seen in season three of Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show,” where he shined among the star-studded ensemble including Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Greta Lee, and Julianna Margulies. Hamm received an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance. The show received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Ensemble Performance and a Critics Choice Award nomination in the category of Best Drama Series. Hamm also reprised his role as ‘Gabriel’ in the second season of Neil Gaiman’s “Good Omens” for Amazon Prime Video.
In animation, Hamm can be heard lending his voice to the detective comedy series “Grimsburg” for FOX. Hamm executive produced alongside the Jackal Group’s Gail Berman and Hend Baghdady, Connie Tavel, and showrunner Chadd Gindin. The series premiered in February 2024 and was renewed for a second season before the first episode premiered.
On the big screen, Hamm appeared in the highly successful film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical MEAN GIRLS. Hamm portrayed the iconic ‘Coach Carr’ in the Fey produced film, alongside Renee Rapp, Auli’i Cravalho, and Angourie Rice. Last year, Hamm starred opposite Tina Fey in the John Slattery directed film, MAGGIE MOORE(S). The murder mystery premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023.
In 2022, Hamm starred and executive produced CONFESS, FLETCH, directed by John Slattery. This same year, Hamm also co-starred in the highly anticipated TOP GUN sequel, TOP GUN: MAVERICK. He played ‘Vice Admiral Cyclone’ in an all-star ensemble including Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and Miles Teller. The film was released theatrically on May 27, 2022, and holds the box office record for the biggest opening over a Memorial Day weekend. The film went on to gross a total of $1.5 billion globally and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
In 2020, Hamm appeared as a guest star in seasons ten and eleven of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” with critics calling his impersonation of Larry David “inspired” and a “highlight of the season.” He also starred opposite Emily Blunt in John Patrick Shanley’s WILD MOUNTAIN THYME. In 2019, he appeared in Noah Hawley’s directorial debut film, LUCY IN THE SKY, opposite Natalie Portman. Additionally, Hamm starred in Scott Z. Burns’ THE REPORT opposite Annette Bening and Adam Driver and THE BATTLE OF RICHARD JEWELL, directed by Clint Eastwood.
In 2018, he starred in Drew Goddard’s BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE for Twentieth Century Fox as well as in Warner Bros. comedy TAG opposite Ed Helms and Jeremy Renner. He also starred in Tony Gilroy’s BEIRUT alongside Rosamund Pike. Hamm starred as a former U.S. diplomat who returns to service to save a former colleague. Critics called Hamm’s performance his “best work yet.”
In 2017, Hamm starred in Edgar Wright’s hugely successful heist thriller BABY DRIVER opposite Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx. Hamm also appeared in the independent film MARJORIE PRIME.
In 2016, Hamm starred in 20th Century Fox’s KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES, opposite Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher. In 2015, Hamm lent his voice to the wildly successful Universal Pictures animated feature, THE MINIONS, alongside Sandra Bullock and Steve Coogan. Hamm’s previous film credits include Disney’s MILLION DOLLAR ARM, based on a script by Thomas McCarthy and directed by Craig Gillespie, FRIENDS WITH KIDS, written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt; BRIDESMAIDS with Kristen Wiig; Ben Affleck’s THE TOWN, Zack Snyder’s fantasy thriller SUCKER PUNCH, HOWL with James Franco, SHREK FOREVER AFTER, in which he voiced the character ‘Brogan,’ THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL with Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Westfeldt’s IRA & ABBY and KISSING JESSICA STEIN, and WE WERE SOLDIERS.
Hamm’s appearances on the Emmy-winning comedy, “30 Rock,” from 2009-2012 earned him three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He has also hosted “Saturday Night Live” three times, once in 2008 and twice in 2010 to critical acclaim. In addition to “Mad Men”, Hamm also appears in the second season of Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. Hamm played Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, the senior prophet who fools four women into being held captive for fifteen years while they are believed to have survived the apocalypse. The role earned him an Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. His additional television credits include, “A Young Doctor’s Notebook,” a BBC miniseries in which he stars opposite Daniel Radcliffe and also executive produced the Larry David film CLEAR HISTORY for HBO. Hamm first came to the audience’s attention in the NBC series “Providence.” Signed for a cameo role, he impressed the producers so much that he ended up with an 18-episode run on the series.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Hamm received his Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Missouri-Columbia and currently resides in Los Angeles.
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our corporate sponsor, The Harvard Cooperative Society (https://store.thecoop.com/).