"The Big Nothing"

18 March 2024

2 mins

Hamm it down.

This Minute Maid commercial should be the easiest gig of Jon Hamm's career. All the juice brand want him to do is turn up and… that's it. No stunts, no character development, no hair and make-up. Confused? Hamm sure as hell is.

His agent asks: "Are you looking for meaning?" Hamm replies: "Well, not in an existential way, but I think something to do would be nice." It's a reasonable request from the man who played Don Draper, Roy Tillman, etc., but it's just not what the client are going for on this occasion.

That's why the on-screen director tells him to dial it down until he starts to cramp and a crew member insists there's no need for wardrobe. His time is appreciated though (a woman can't wait to tell her book club that she hugged Jon Hamm).

After some soul-searching, Hamm realises that it's OK not to be the star here ("They say there are no small roles, only small actors"). Everybody wins as a result: the audience learns about Minute Maid's sugar-free range, and Hamm learns something about himself.

USA

Fruit Juice