The Hasty Pudding Honors Jon Hamm as 2025’s Man of the Year

Harvard’s historic Hasty Pudding Theatricals honored Jon Hamm as its 58th Man of the Year on Friday, Jan. 31, in a rambunctious evening filled with playful jabs and iconic references to the Emmy-winning actor’s contributions to entertainment. Since its inception in 1967, the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award has recognized performers who have left a notable mark in entertainment. Past honorees have included Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, and last year’s recipient, Barry Keoghan. The annual celebratory roast and award ceremony took place at Farkas Hall, where Hamm gamely endured a barrage of comedic barbs before receiving the famous Pudding Pot.

Jon Hamm has boasted a three decades-long career and is most acclaimed for his Emmy and Golden Globe-winning role as Don Draper in “Mad Men.” He currently stars in the Paramount series “Landman” and will soon appear in Apple TV+’s “Your Friends and Neighbors” and the live-action adaptation of the podcast “American Hostage.”

Hamm strode onto the stage to thunderous applause, met by a group of student performers eager to put his quick wit to the test. The roast, presented by Cathy J. Stanton ’25 and Bernardo M. Sequeira ’26, poked fun at his height, lack of an Academy Award, and inferior looks compared to many previous winners. His comedic tendencies provided ample material for the Pudding’s signature theatrical antics. One skit saw Hamm reassume his “Mad Men” character, Don Draper, as a salesman. He was tasked with pitching commercial services and products like car insurance to a baby driver and a pen to a woman who had just lost her dream job. He also jokingly sold a lifetime voucher for bath time with Harry Potter — a reference to his 2012 series “A Young Doctor’s Notebook,” in which he starred alongside Daniel Radcliffe.

The roast culminated in a fabricated poll.

“When we announced you as Man of the Year, 65 percent of our company members were such big fans that they repeated your most iconic line from ‘Mad Men’: ‘I do not think about him at all.’ 34 percent said, ‘That guy’s still alive?’” Stanton said.

“Well, what about the last one percent?” Sequeira said.

“Oh, that vote doesn’t count,” Stanton said. “It was the real Paul Rudd who said, ‘We would make beautiful babies together.’”

During the roast’s conclusion, Hamm was rather witty when prompted for final remarks.

“Did you all seriously think I was dead? This is such a wonderful honor. You guys are so kind to have me. What kind? I don’t know,” Hamm said.

Following the roast, Hamm took the stage for a press conference, reflecting on his storied career and sharing insights into its trajectory. He acknowledged the profound impact of “Mad Men” on his journey, calling it “a mark in [his] life and career,” while also crediting “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels for giving him the opportunity to showcase his humorous side, despite his usual work in dramas.

“I figured, while I do that for my day job, there’s more fun stuff to do,” said Hamm, recalling how his SNL appearance led to roles in “30 Rock,” “Bridesmaids,” and beyond.

The St. Louis native noted his personal connection to Cambridge through his wife, actress Anna Osceola, who grew up in the area. He also recounted visiting the city over the years and reflected on his time filming “The Town” in Boston, noting the unique energy of the local community.

“There is a lot of hometown pride in the Hamm household for sure,” he said.

He also touched on his experience performing live, comparing the unpredictability and audience reception of theater and sketch comedy to the carefully curated nature of film and television.

“With film or television work, you’re hoping that this will resonate in the future, somewhere down the line after it’s gone through an edit, a sound pass, a VFX pass, and all of the other things you do to filmed work before it gets seen by people,” Hamm said. “So there’s something to the immediacy and the live aspect that’s really exciting and dangerous and scary.”

The evening concluded with a preview of Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 176th production, “101 Damnations,” a story about a comedic romp through the underworld.

When asked where he would keep his newest award, Hamm said, “I’ve not won an Academy Award — as some of you heard mentioned this evening — but I have won some other things, so this will have lovely friends on my shelf.”

—Staff writer Lydia H. Fraser can be reached at lydia.fraser@thecrimson.com.