The Hasty Pudding Theatricals Honors 58th Man Of The Year: Jon Hamm's Unforgettable Night At Harvard

The Hasty Pudding Theatrical's 58th Man Of The Year award celebrations took place on January 31 in the heart of Cambridge. Honoree Jon Hamm visited Harvard and the historic Farkas Hall to place his plaque on the wall and receive the coveted Pudding Pot trophy.

The night began with a celebratory roast. Guests clearly received the cocktail attire memo as they spilled into the theatre dressed to the nines. The lights dimmed, and head sphinx Andrew Farkas introduced the crowd to the Man Of The Year tradition. He warmed up the audience, throwing in some jests about his and Hamm's last names, before inviting The Pudding's President Cathy Stanton '25 and Cast Vice President Bernardo de Moura Sequeira '26 to the stage. Hamm took each tease with pride, crafting clever retorts on the spot. They challenged his 6'2" height claims with a bogus measuring stick, asked him to sell ordinary objects like a pen and an insurance plan to a baby who drives, and had him carve a ham with pirate hooks for hands.

They brought out a shirtless Wes Lewin '26 in a paper Paul Rudd mask to compete for the title of most handsome, decided via applause-o-meter. The game ham or Hamm particularly tickled the crowd, with questions like "Who is Oscar-nominated?" being attributed to the ham, with Stanton joking that it was part of the La La Land dinner scene.

The roast concluded with the presentation of the Pudding Pot and decorated man-sserie by Ava Pallotta '25 and Jessica Zisk '25. The presenters sported a playful pirate cow costume and intricate feathered parrot outfit, dressing Hamm in his man-sserie before hitting the classic photo-op pose and kissing him on the cheek. The crowd released thunderous applause and cheers, affirming Hamm was the consummate choice for this year's award.

Hamm then traveled up to the third floor for a live-streamed press conference. Following Boston correspondent and photographer Samantha Davidson stumbled into the very elevator Hamm and his crew were taking. Still in roast mode, one guest welcomed him to Boston before Hamm joked, "Well, we're in Cambridge."

Hamm joined Chaelon Simpson '26 before taking questions from the press. While a roast of this caliber might give other stars heart palpitations, Hamm enjoyed his time in the hot seat. When asked if he had prepared for the roast proceedings, Hamm replied, "I thought it would be more fun if I just sort of entered it like most things with eyes wide open and knowing that it's all in good fun, and I'm glad I did." He continued, "I did notice that the four or five men of the year before me are all people that are in my phone, so I could've certainly hit them up, but I'm glad I didn't, and let it be a wonderfully pleasant surprise."

Following Boston asked one of the final questions, inquiring about Hamm's creative process and how he crafts these larger-than-life characters like Sheriff Roy Tillman on Fargo. "[Writer] Noah Hawley had a sense that he wanted to make this kind of larger than life character, as you said, this sort of Marlboro man come to life but with kind of an interior life that isn't as obvious as most...mostly it's putting yourself in the good hands of people that you trust, and maybe, you know, that is why I entered tonight without double checking. I just trusted them to have the good sense." Hamm shared.

The festivities were nothing short of exceptional, leaving guests with unforgettable and unique memories of the star. Hamm returned to the theatre to attend the first preview of The Pudding's 176th production 101 Damnations. See what all of the well-deserved fuss is about for yourself at the Woman Of The Year Celebrations on February 5 and at the 101 Damnations residency at Farkas Hall through March 9. 101 Damnations follows goody-two-shoes Claire Ickle-Eror, who has been condemned to Hell due to what she believes was a typo. Hijinks ensue as Lucy Fur plots to expand Hell and Claire seeks to escape.

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TO PURCHASE TICKETS to the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 176th production and Woman Of The Year celebrations, visit https://www.hastypudding.org/buy-tickets/, email tickets@hastypudding.org, or contact the HPT Box Office at (617)-495-5205. The show will be performed at Harvard University’s historic Farkas Hall at 12 Holyoke Street from February 7th to March 9th before traveling to New York City for showing on March 14 and 15. You won't want to miss this!