Emmy Awards 2015: Jon Hamm finally wins first Emmy for ‘Mad Men’

Jimmy Kimmel, left, presents the award for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series to Jeffrey Tambor for "Transparent" at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Los Angeles - On Sunday, actor Jon Hamm — who has won raves for his portrayal of the seductive, mysterious Draper for eight years — finally got his perfect ending when he won his first Emmy, for best actor in a drama.

In the final episode of “Mad Men,” Don Draper appears to have come up with the perfect ad for Coca-Cola.
On Sunday, actor Jon Hamm — who has won raves for his portrayal of the seductive, mysterious Draper for eight years — finally got his perfect ending when he won his first Emmy, for best actor in a drama.

Actor Jon Hamm, winner of the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for 'Mad Men', poses in the press room at the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.-AFP
“It’s incredible and impossible for me personally to be standing here,” Hamm said after receiving a standing ovation from the audience at the 67^th Emmys.
He thanked his co-stars, the AMC cable network, and others before saying: “Thank you to everyone who watched the show.”
Hamm, 44, toiled in near-obscurity for years in bit parts on television shows — and as a waiter to make ends meet — before his lucky strike with “Mad Men.”
His work on the retro-cool hit show about the lives of a group of 1960s advertising men — and a few women — in New York.
With slicked-back dark hair, fitted suits and a deep voice, Hamm created an indelible character — an anti-hero who stole a man’s identity during the Korean War, and remade himself as a Madison Avenue big shot.
This was his eighth nomination for the role.
“Hamm’s interpretation of Don Draper was significant because his own unique look and style made Draper sympathetic and even likable, even though he was a despicable character,” said Deborah Jaramillo, an assistant professor of television studies at Boston University.
“Draper was so deeply flawed, but Hamm gave him humanity.”
The actor with the piercing green eyes is in real life more relaxed — and much more of a jokester — than his alter ego.
He has had four other Emmy acting nominations, all for guest roles in a comedy — three for appearances on “30 Rock,” and one this year for Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” starring Ellie Kemper, who was once his drama student at high school.
He also has made memorable guest appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” and done voice work on animated comedy series like “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons.”
But, like his alter ego, Hamm has experienced some darker times.
His parents separated when he was just two years old, and he lost his mother to cancer at age 10, followed by his father a decade later. He battled depression in his 20s after the death of his dad.
And this month, he split with his partner of 18 years, Jennifer Westfeldt, who directed him in the 2011 film “Friends with Kids.”
At the end of his acceptance speech on Sunday, he thanked “Jen” — a possible nod to his long-time girlfriend.
On the big screen, Hamm made a memorable cameo in 2011 comedy smash “Bridesmaids” and lent his voice to this summer’s animated hit “Minions.”
He is soon set to feature with “Gone Girl” star Rosamund Pike in the upcoming “High-Wire Act.”
But of all his roles, Don Draper is likely to remain Hamm’s towering legacy.
“’Mad Men’ as a whole made a sizable mark on pop culture, but Hamm’s work especially created a new version of ‘cool’ in the figure of Don Draper,” Jaramillo said.
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Amazon's 'Transparent' wins big as Emmys open
Amazon won big for its dark transgender comedy "Transparent" as the Emmy Awards opened Sunday - a breakthrough for the online retail giant in its bid to catch up with streaming pioneer Netflix.
Jeffrey Tambor took home the trophy for best actor in a comedy for his portrayal of a transgender woman on "Transparent," which also took honors for directing for series creator Jill Soloway.
The awards were some of the first handed out at the 67^th Emmys, at which "Mad Men" and "Game of Thrones" are battling for top drama honors, and pundits are expecting history to be made by a black actress.
Host Andy Samberg kicked off the ceremony in Los Angeles with a musical video skit about the wealth of quality television now on offer, featuring several stars like Jon Hamm of "Mad Men" and Kerry Washington, the star of "Scandal."
Samberg - the star of Fox's sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and a former cast member of US comedy show "Saturday Night Live" - then hailed this year's event for recognizing diversity.
"This is the most diverse group of nominees in Emmy history," he said, then quipping: "So congratulations Hollywood, you did it. Yeah, racism is over."
The start of the night went to "Transparent," which had already won three Emmys at an earlier ceremony for technical achievement, putting its total at five.
"I'd like to dedicate my performance and this award to the transgender community. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your courage," Tambor said.
"I have been given the opportunity to act because people's life depend on it."
Other early winners were Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale for their acting on HBO political satire "Veep," about a female vice president (Louis-Dreyfus) who surprisingly becomes head of state.
Allison Janney took the Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy for "Mom" - her seventh Emmy overall.
The top two questions at television's equivalent of the Oscars are: will Hamm finally win on his eighth try for "Mad Men" and can "Game of Thrones" finally win the coveted best drama series prize?
Industry watchers predict Hamm - whose portrayal of the dashing but troubled Don Draper has defined AMC's classic show about the advertising industry in 1960s New York - will take home the trophy for best actor in a drama.
"I think this is the year for Jon Hamm," Debra Birnbaum, executive editor of television at Variety, told AFP.
The influential series - which launched a 1960s fashion revival and made stars of its lead actors - ended earlier this year after seven seasons and eight years on the air. It could take home a fifth best drama series award.
But it is facing stiff competition from "Better Call Saul," "Downton Abbey," "Homeland," "House of Cards," "Orange Is the New Black" and especially "Game of Thrones," which earned an impressive 24 nominations.
Tom O'Neil, a showbiz journalist who founded Hollywood awards prediction site Gold Derby, said although most experts are betting on "Mad Men," he was placing his money on HBO's blood-spattered, sex-filled fantasy drama.
"I think it's going to be a 'Game of Thrones' year," he told AFP. The show, on its fifth nomination for best drama, has yet to win top honors. It has already won eight Emmys in technical categories, handed out before the main ceremony.
Sunday's star-studded ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles could see history made if an African-American woman wins the prize for best lead actress in a drama - which would be a first.
Two of the six nominees are black: Viola Davis for ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder" and Taraji P. Henson for Fox's music melodrama "Empire." They will compete against former winner Claire Danes from "Homeland," among others.
"We will see an overdue milestone happen in that category," O'Neil said.
This could also be the first year streaming companies win an Emmy for best series. "Transparent" is nominated for best comedy series alongside Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." In the drama category, "House of Cards" and "Orange Is the New Black" are in contention, but neither of them is heavily fancied to win.
Some are also tipping "Veep" to ride the buzz of the 2016 White House race and dethrone ABC's "Modern Family" as best comedy.
Louis-Dreyfus cracked a joke about Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in her acceptance speech, saying, "It's getting trickier and trickier to satirize this stuff."
"Modern Family" has won the prize for best comedy series five years in a row, and a sixth win would set a record.