While I typically avoid hometown shout-outs here on Drunken Astrology, I can't pass up the chance to boast about growing up in the same city as Jon Hamm, who plays the starring role of Don Draper on AMC's Mad Men. Though a prolific actor in a variety of roles, Don Draper is certainly Hamm's most iconic role. His distinctly aloof but profound acting style, charismatic presence, and the fact that the scotch never runs dry all match up quite well with Hamm's Pisces Sun. The Sun, as our ideal self-image, our vitality, our ego, always factors into an actor's career quite dramatically (couldn't resist that one). But, as is often the case, it's the moon sign that offers insight into what actors are really feeling, and what personal experiences have shaped their acting career. For Jon Hamm, we can look to his moon in Virgo to learn more.
Hamm was born March 10th, 1971, in St. Louis, Missouri. In astrological interpretation, the moon sign is often a strong indicator of tendencies in childhood (sometimes stronger than the sun sign!). Though dabbling in some of the Piscean-approved creativity of acting roles in school, Hamm participated more in sports (a practical and healthy pursuit more befitting his moon in Virgo). Hamm went on to pursue a degree in English, teaching drama briefly before relocating to Los Angeles.
Moving to Los Angeles brought Hamm's Sun-Moon combo truly to the fore: the idealism of his Pisces sun encouraged him to pursue a career as an actor, while his Virgo moon forced him to maintain his practical side (which consequently meant waiting tables). As the frustration of spending years seeking a career in acting mounted, his Virgo moon intervened, as can be summed up well in the following quote:
"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."
You couldn't engineer a better statement that addressed both the Piscean pitfalls of frustrated ideals and Virgo's clear-cut demands on practicality and deadlines. The balance of these energies paid off quickly for Hamm, who was cast in a variety of roles from 2000 to 2007, when he obtained the breakthrough role of Don Draper.
Much like Morgan Freeman's stabilizing Mercury in Taurus (read the post about him here!), Hamm's moon in Virgo (another earth sign) provides a solid foundation for his creative Pisces Sun. Even the character of Don Draper seems to exemplify Hamm's sun-moon combination: flashes of brilliance and creativity between libations, with a detail-oriented and critical approach to others bringing everything back down to earth. It's no wonder that Don Draper is Hamm's most successful role and has garnered him multiple awards.
Hints of Virgoan concerns appear in other parts of Hamm's life, as well. Virgo, as well as the sixth house (which it rules) are associated with health, service, and animals or pets. Hamm and his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt both advocate animal rescue, and their pet dog Cora was adopted from an animal shelter. Small personal details like this can demonstrate the ongoing role that one's moon sign plays in their lives, even while the associations of their sun sign "steal the spotlight".
While Jon Hamm's charismatic screen presence is undoubtedly a product of his Pisces sun, we may just have his moon in Virgo to thank for the practicality and determination that got him there. Practical determination is a skill we could all work on- but it's also important to relax as well. So pour yourself a scotch and go watch Mad Men.
Readers: Do your sun and moon signs help each other out? How do your sun and moon signs manifest in your life? Leave a comment!
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