Jon Hamm's Early Struggles with Landing Roles

CF Blog | May 14

For any actor who thinks that the dream will never happen, consider Jon Hamm. The ridiculously handsome leading man who shot to fame as the boozing, womanizing, free-wheeling ad executive Don Draper on AMC's Mad Men certainly had his share of struggles along the way.

After moving to Los Angeles from St. Louis in a 1986 Toyota Corolla and 150 dollars in his pocket, Jon ended up on his aunt and uncle's doorstep. But unfortunately, it was thanksgiving and nobody was home. Legend has it the aspiring actor went to an orphan's dinner for a much-needed Thanksgiving meal.

Hamm spent years waiting tables, teaching, trying his hand at set design, and auditioning.

And even though he had very few credits to his name--certainly not any legitimate credits--Jon came to be repped by none other than the William Morris Talent Agency. He said, "They took me on because they saw a guy a guy who could work." Such prestigious representation would be a coup for any up-and-coming thespian, but after three years of not winning a single acting job, the poor guy was summarily dropped.

At that point, Jon gave himself a deadline of sorts. If he didn't make it by the age of thirty, he resolved to quit the business and move on with his life.

"You either suck that up and find another agent or you go home and say you gave it a shot. But that's the end of that. The last thing I wanted to be out here was one of those actors who's 45 years old with a tenuous grasp of their own reality and not really working much. So I gave myself five years. I said if I can't get it going by the time I'm 30, I'm in the wrong place. And as soon as I said that, it's like I started working right away."

Bollywood's Biggest Star: Shah Rukh Khan

CF Blog | May 13

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan recently gave a charming Ted Talk in Vancouver addressing a host of topics including fame, the scrutiny of social media, and the importance of prioritizing love in all we do. As he spoke he showcased his witty sense of humor and wowed his multitude of fans. If you are among those who don't recognize Shah Rukh Khan, keep in mind that a popularity survey once stated that 3.2 billion people across the globe know Kahn more than they know Tom Cruise. The 51-year-old romantic star and singer, also known as SRK, told the Ted audience, "I sell dreams and I peddle love to millions of people back home in India who assume that I'm the best lover in the world."

The star recollected a lesson she learned from her father the day before she auditioned for what would come to be her film debut. Driving to get the script of Heavenly Creatures, a 17-year-old Kate excitedly said, "'Oh my God, Dad! It's an audition for a film! Wow! Do you think like I might get it?' And he just looked at me and said, 'Yeah, you will.'" This assurance struck the aspiring actress. She continued, "I remember thinking, 'That's it, isn't it? I've got to absolutely believe that I'm going to get this part...And I do remember thinking, 'Okay, I'm going to go in there and I'm going to somehow give them no option but to give me this part.' And of course a part of that is remaining incredibly calm." So she consciously tried to appear "not too desperate." Indeed, Winslet landed the part of the obsessive, fantasy-gripped Juliet Hulme. Kate insists she was lucky to land such a good part so early in her career especially because critics took note of her performance and her name became immediately known in the industry.

SRK fondly recalls the relative simplicity of his upbringing in New Delhi, saying, "The framework of life was very very simple then to be honest. I thought you just ate what you got, and did whatever you were told to do...Most importantly, you were who you were, and you said what you thought." In his twenties, he moved to the most populous city in India, Mumbai where his acting career quickly flourished. In fact, the movie roles poured in so consistently, he says:

"By the time I was forty, I was really flying. I was all over the place. You know I'd done fifty films by then and 200 songs. And I'd been knighted by the Malaysians. I'd been given the highest civilian honor by the French government...Humanity was soaring with me. We were both flying off the handle actually."Also, to feel like she's part of a team, she goes out of her way to learn the names of all the crew members and makes a point to "really join in."

Eventually, when the internet became popular, SRK became active on social media. Indeed, he currently has 24 million Twitter followers! However, Khan soon became sobered by the online outlet. He says: "Everything I said took a new meaning. Everything I did--good, bad, ugly--was there for the world to comment upon and judge. As a matter of fact, everything I didn't say or do also, met with the same fate." He tells of a disturbing false story that was reported about his children that was hurtful to his family. "And I started to feel that I could not be who I wanted, or say what I actually thought," he admits. Overall, Khan says of the internet and humanity, "We had expected an expansion of ideas and dreams. We had not bargained for the enclosure of judgement."