Jon Hamm: How a Hollywood A-lister defines success

How much do we really know about the people who are hugely successful on the silver screen? Because, as you’ll discover in this episode, all that glitters isn’t gold. In this episode, A-lister Jon Hamm, best known for playing Don Draper in Mad Men, shares the challenges he had to face from a young age.

Key takeaways:
How losing his Mom to cancer shaped his early life
How a therapist helped him get back on track
Finding success with We Were Soldiers
Why you can’t let your past define your future

Show Notes

What is it about A-listers that we find so appealing? They’re no more special than the rest of us. Yet their impossibly glamorous existence is a world away from what we know. But are their lives and experiences really in stark contrast to ours? 

In today’s episode of Into The Magic Shop, Jim lifts the curtain on A-List actor Jon Hamm, best known for playing Don Draper in Mad Men, revealing the monumental challenge he had to face of losing his Mom to cancer when he was just 10 years old:

“I recall from back in those days of thinking, what's tomorrow, what's the next day, what's the next month, what's the next year, what's the future? And feeling bereft in a lot of ways but not really having the capacity to understand it or put it into words.” 

Don’t miss Jon opening up about his childhood and early career. From how therapy helped him finish college, why he gave himself 5 years to make it in Hollywood, how he defines success, and why you can’t let your past define your future.

“I've got a lot of friends who've gone through a lot of things in their lives: success, unhappiness, and every place on the spectrum. And there's always something to be learned from it. And if you're going to let it define you, then that's a rough road. If you're going to use it to help move forward, that's the more therapeutic way to do it.”

So how much do you really know about the people who are hugely successful on the silver screen? Because, as you’ll discover in this episode, all that glitters isn’t gold. 

On today’s podcast:

• How losing his Mom to cancer shaped his early life
• How a therapist helped him get back on track
• Finding success with We Were Soldiers
• His first acting role as Winnie the Pooh
• Why you can’t let your past define your future

What is Into the Magic Shop?

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many were overwhelmed with stress, anxiety and depression. While this epidemic of stress has been growing over the past decade, it has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the divisive nature of political discourse. As a result, many people feel disconnected, inauthentic, and unhappy, while questioning the source of their unhappiness when they presumably have “everything”—an absence of compassion, for oneself and others, is often the source of the problem.

Many of us don’t understand the nature of self-compassion nor the power of compassion to improve our lives and alleviate our suffering. By entering the “Magic Shop”, Jim will share his wisdom and introduce a variety of techniques to change the course of one’s life and share his own lessons learned through the exchange of untold stories of his guests. He will interview authors and experts in the fields of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, spirituality and religion, as well as individuals with unique points of view. He will also engage his listeners by answering their questions and also at times interview listeners who are willing to share their own stories of challenge and hardship.