John Slattery recently claimed that when co-star Jon Hamm would appear onset as “Don Draper,” the cast would be left more than a little speechless.
“When Hamm walked into a room in that get-up, people would just go catatonic. Guest stars would sometimes walk up to him and their lines would go right out of their heads. They just wouldn’t know what to do. It happened on more than one occasion,” Slattery told the Independent of his co-star on “Mad Men.”
It wasn’t just Hamm who elicited that kind of response, Slattery told the outlet. “Christina Hendricks would walk into the room and people would s*** themselves – it was amazing.”
‘Mad Men’ Alum John Slattery Says Jon Hamm’s Good Looks Distracted People on Set: They ‘Would Just Go Catatonic’ https://t.co/KJdgPPNUbn
— People (@people) November 18, 2022
Slattery was originally considered for the role of “Don Draper” – that is, until the producers found Hamm. Slattery claimed that when he was initially brought in to read for the lead role, the producers asked him to read for “Roger Sterling” instead, according to the outlet. “‘Here’s the thing – we have this guy’,” Slattery recalled the producers saying. Slattery added that when he eventually did see Hamm in the role he quipped, “Oh – they sure do have that guy.” (RELATED: Famous Director Reveals What He Thinks Is The Best Movie He’s Ever Made)
Touted by many as the “best show” ever, “Mad Men” was AMC’s first attempt at an original series, according to Business Insider. With a virtual unknown at the time in the lead, expectations for the series weren’t high and the show didn’t enjoy a popular first season. However, after gaining a broader audience after recognition at both the Emmy’s and Golden Globes it went on to become one of the “most iconic shows of all time,” Business Insider reported.
When asked whether he enjoyed his share of “breathlessness” from the cast, Slattery admitted, “well… we were all sort of curated. The look of it. I’m not being false humble, either. In that get-up, I certainly looked different to how I do walking around every day.”