It is 11:45 PM. You are halfway through a sleeve of thin mints, and suddenly, Don Draper is on your screen wearing a Spirit Halloween wig and screaming about saltine crackers. This is the magic of Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon. Most people know Jon Hamm as the brooding, cigarette-smoking ad man from Mad Men. But if you’ve watched The Tonight Show at any point in the last decade, you know the truth. Hamm isn’t just a "serious actor." He is a comedy chaos agent who seems to exist specifically to make Jimmy Fallon lose his mind.
Honestly, the chemistry between these two is weird. It’s not the polished, PR-managed banter you see with most A-list guests. It feels more like two guys who got kicked out of a high school theater department for being too loud in the hallway. From photobombing unsuspecting tourists at the Top of the Rock to their legendary "Face It" challenges, the Hamm-Fallon cinematic universe is one of the few things in late-night TV that still feels genuinely unpredictable.
The Night Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon Broke the Internet With Creed
If you haven’t seen the 2024 parody of Creed’s "With Arms Wide Open," stop everything. You need to see it. It is peak Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon. In a segment that feels like a fever dream, the two recreated the 1999 music video with startling accuracy. We’re talking long, greasy wigs. We’re talking dramatic, rain-slicked stares. We’re talking Scott Stapp’s signature "YARL" vocal fry.
The weirdest part?
Midway through the song, they started pulling random snacks out of each other's shirts while maintaining intense eye contact. It’s that specific brand of "how did this get cleared by legal?" humor that makes their segments go viral every single time.
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Hamm has appeared on the show at least 14 times as of early 2025. Each time, the stakes get higher. He isn't there to promote a movie for five minutes and leave. He’s there to play. He’s there to get messy. Literally.
Why the "Palisades Park Pet Patrol" Still Matters
Back in 2014, they did a sketch called Palisades Park Pet Patrol. The premise was simple: an 80s cop show parody where the characters talk while eating. It sounds dumb. It is dumb. But watching Jon Hamm scream-talk with a mouth full of dry saltine crackers is a masterclass in physical comedy.
Eventually, the crackers turned into pretzels. Then yogurt. Then milkshakes.
By the end, they were essentially just spitting dairy at each other. Most actors of Hamm's stature would protect their "leading man" image. Hamm? He’s the first one to volunteer for the splash zone. It’s a level of commitment that Jimmy Fallon clearly feeds off of. Jimmy is known for "breaking" (laughing during a sketch), but when he’s with Hamm, the breaking becomes part of the bit. They lean into the failure.
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The Art of the Celebrity Photobomb
One of the most humanizing moments in late-night history didn't happen on a soundstage. It happened on the 70th floor of 30 Rock. In a now-classic segment, Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon snuck up behind tourists taking photos at the Top of the Rock observation deck.
They did the usual stuff. Bunny ears. Making goofy faces. But the best part was the delayed reaction. Imagine looking at your vacation photos and realizing that Don Draper was standing three inches behind you eating a hoagie. It worked because it felt accessible. It stripped away the Hollywood gloss.
Notable Moments in the Hamm-Fallon Timeline
- The Face It Challenge: A game of chicken where they make increasingly hideous faces at each other. Hamm’s "surprised fish" is legendary.
- Password Premiere: Hamm helped Jimmy relaunch Password in 2022, paying tribute to Betty White while proving he’s actually surprisingly good at word games.
- The "In the Dusk of Night" Soap Parody: 1990s-style dramatic lighting, plenty of slapping, and Hamm leaning into his "serious" voice to say the most ridiculous things possible.
Beyond the Laughs: A Professional Bromance
There is a genuine respect here. Hamm has mentioned in interviews—most recently while discussing his role in the 2025 series Your Friends and Neighbors—that The Tonight Show is a playground for him. He’s been a seat-filler at SNL50. He’s appeared in 30 Rock. He is part of the NBC family DNA.
But why do we care?
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In an era of highly curated social media, there’s something refreshing about seeing two successful men in their 50s just being absolute idiots together. It’s an antidote to the "prestige TV" era. You can watch Hamm win an Emmy for Mad Men on Sunday and watch him get hit in the face with a wet noodle on Monday.
How to Get the Most Out of the Hamm-Fallon Rabbit Hole
If you're looking to dive deeper into why Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon are the gold standard for guest-host pairings, don't just stick to the clips on the NBC website.
- Watch the "Behind the Scenes" footage. There is a great clip from 2014 showing them getting ready for the Pet Patrol sketch. You can see the wardrobe team frantically trying to clean yogurt off their suits in 30 seconds. It shows the technical skill behind the chaos.
- Look for the "unscripted" breaks. In their 2022 interview for Confess, Fletch, the interview went "off the rails" almost immediately. Pay attention to how Jimmy stops trying to follow the cue cards. That’s where the real gold is.
- Check out the SNL connections. Hamm isn't just a guest; he's a frequent cameo-maker. Tracking his appearances alongside Jimmy during anniversary specials gives you a better sense of their shared history in the New York comedy scene.
The takeaway is simple. Jon Hamm is arguably the best "non-comedian" guest in the history of The Tonight Show. He doesn't just show up to be interviewed; he shows up to be a partner in crime.
To see the latest evolution of this duo, keep an eye on The Tonight Show YouTube channel during Hamm's press tours for Landman or Your Friends and Neighbors. They usually drop a "digital exclusive" that never makes it to air because it's too weird for broadcast television. Go find the "With Arms Wide Open" parody first. You won't regret it.
Next Steps:
Go to the official Tonight Show YouTube channel and search for the "Face It Challenge" with Jon Hamm. It’s the perfect entry point to their dynamic. After that, look for the "Celebrity Photobomb" segment to see how they interact with real people off-script. If you're a fan of Hamm's more serious work, watching these clips will completely change how you view his performance in Mad Men—in the best way possible.