A real estate developer has taken his mortgage banker hostage, parading him through city streets before holing up with him in his apartment, which the kidnapper claims he has rigged with explosives. The tension only increases when the developer feels the media isn’t covering the story accurately, so he reaches out to the most trusted news director in town. Can this radio journalist defuse the situation and get everyone out alive? Or, rather, did he?
American Hostage, a new scripted podcast from Amazon Music and Criminal Content, tells this true story — which took place in Indianapolis in 1977 — in eight episodes (all of which are available now on Amazon Music, and will roll out weekly on other podcast platforms starting March 8). The series features the voice talents of Dylan Baker, Becky Ann Baker, Carla Gugino, Joe Perrino, and — as veteran journalist Fred Heckman — Jon Hamm.
GQ spoke to Hamm over Zoom about his voice acting both in and out of scripted podcasts; about the highly anticipated, much-pandemic-delayed Top Gun: Maverick; about his work in a revival of another ’80s franchise, Fletch; and about his dog’s unexpected connection to one of the most acclaimed shows on TV. (No, not Mad Men.)
GQ: Last year, you acted in another scripted true crime podcast, Love Is A Crime. Were you specifically looking to do another one?
Jon Hamm: No is the short answer. But the opportunity to get to be a part of these interesting stories is what attracts me to this particular medium. There’s a lower bar of entry when you’re not putting together a film shoot or trying to do period storytelling. You’re just doing it from an audio standpoint. You have the capacity to tell these stories at a much more approachable level. And they’re really compelling stories.
When [producers] Karina [Longworth] and Vanessa [Hope] came to me with Love Is A Crime, I was like, “Wow, this is a great story. How has this never been told?” American Hostage was very much in the same vein. “I’m from the Midwest. I’m from this era. How have I never heard of this? Or if I have heard of it, how did it not stick?” It’s pretty cool to be able to be a part of it.
You’re not seeing it visually, but it just feels like a ’70s story, in this kind of burgeoning new world that was busting out after the counterculture and civil rights and all of this stuff that was happening in the ’60s. And even in 2022, we’re dealing with a lot of those similar things that are happening. If you look at, obviously, the events of January 6th last year, there’s a lot of that kind of dissatisfaction with life and with what’s happening. And I think we’re still kind of processing that.
A lot of the folks who were involved in this are no longer with us, including the two main folks. But the wonderful part of this story, given the fact that it happened on the air live, is that there’s a recording of it. And it’s pretty compelling to listen to.
Fred Heckman was a real person, but American Hostage is somewhat fictionalized; were there other journalist performances that you had in mind while you were preparing to play him?
I certainly enjoyed a little film called Good Night And Good Luck. I loved watching Broadcast News. I love watching Network. I love watching anything from Aaron Sorkin. There’s a lot of exciting narrative and storytelling capacity for those in our world who deliver the news. And yeah, it was exciting to be a part of that.
Prior to your recent podcast voice acting, you’ve done a lot of voice performances for animation. Take us behind the scenes of your work on Bob’s Burgers, for example.
Playing a toilet? One of my best friends writes on Bob’s Burgers, tall Jon Schroeder — he’s tall Jon, I’m medium Jon. I came in and recorded the voice of a toilet. And to this day, in my bathroom, there is a picture of Gene hugging a toilet. Very excited about that.
After almost two years of delay, Top Gun: Maverick is finally scheduled to come out in May. Are you permitted to talk about it?
Yeah. I play the boss, the guy who’s shaking his finger and telling Tom Cruise that he’s writing checks his body can’t cash. It’s exciting. The movie is tremendous. Talk about excited. I cannot wait for people to see this film. It’s everything you want the sequel to Top Gun to be. It’s super-great. I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s awesome.
Did you get to do any cool stunts?
No, but I looked good. And it’s super-fun and I get to wear a uniform. It’s all very exciting.
Plus, if you’re named Vice Admiral Cyclone, we know you’ve done some cool shit in the past.
Exactly. Come on. Cyclone. That’s amazing. I get a call sign.
Now that the ads are running, have you determined whether you did do something to offend Apple TV+?
Honestly, no, but we’ll see. I thought it was really funny. You never know how those things are going to come off. Like, “Oh, is it going to seem like I’m like some weird bitter cranky old man? Or is it going to seem like it’s funny in the way that I thought it was going to be funny?” I was very, very happy that it was received in the way it was. I’m very excited to see my friend Adam Scott’s new show, Severance. I think it looks really good.
I talked to him recently and we touched on The Greatest Event In Television History. I was sad to hear there probably aren’t going to be more; did you have a favorite among the ones that you did?
That was one of those weird things that came up. We were just bullshitting with each other, literally in a barroom conversation, and then it came to be. I literally remember being on set like, “Are we really doing this? This is so stupid.” I would do only that for the rest of my life, if I was given the opportunity. So hopefully, we can do more of those. But yes, sadly, both of us have actual work to do, so we can’t just make ridiculous things for our own amusement anymore.
Mad Men is one of the shows viewers discovered or re-watched during early pandemic lockdown. I know you’re not on social media, but how has the fan response that reaches you changed over the years?
I found over the course of lockdown that a lot of people started watching it, that I actually thought had watched it.
Like friends?
Yeah. “Hey, I finally watched your show.” “Really? It’s been ten years since it’s been off the air.” But yeah. I’m very happy when people actually see it because it’s a good show. I’m proud of it.
Last year the world got to enjoy photos of you meeting a woman’s dog in Boston. I don’t assume you and the dog are still in touch, but do you remember this happening?
I do remember that. We were in Boston, shooting [Confess, Fletch] down the street. I love dogs. I’ll say it. I have an amazing one. But yeah, I got to bring my dog to Boston. I lived there for two months, and we shot a pretty significant portion of the film at this one location that was very dog-friendly. Five o’clock, everyone comes home from work and walks their dogs. So it was very cool. I got to say hi to a lot of dogs. And my dog got to say hi to a lot of dogs too.
Fletch and Top Gun are both beloved film franchises. What are your considerations before deciding whether to step into those worlds?
Well, with Top Gun, obviously, that’s Tom’s bailiwick, and it was a tremendous honor to be asked to be in that world. I jumped at the chance. I was literally having a conversation with my 15-year-old self and kvelling in every way, shape, and form. But with Fletch, it was more about, can we reboot this story, this franchise? Obviously I, like every white male my age, has a kind of trophy shelf of Fletch quotes and love, love, love Chevy’s version, but we wanted to make a different version for the 21st century. I’m not doing a Chevy Chase impression and we’re not trying to make that movie, but there are ten novels that Gregory McDonald wrote with this character, and I just thought, “Well, I think we can make a different version of it.”
I hope that it resonates to a new generation, because obviously kids today don’t know Fletch. They were not born in the ’80s. They don’t get it. There’s a whole generation and a half that really hasn’t seen that film. So hopefully we can tell another fun, quirky, funny whodunnit starring Fletch.
You already mentioned your dog, who you adopted about a year and a half ago. How is he doing?
He’s good. He’s going to be two. We gave him my birthday. We’re guessing, clearly, but we think he’s about to be two. He’s amazing. He gets a lot of treats and a lot of love. God, he’s the best. He’s just a big sweet, dope. I love him so much.
Since you are a noted voice actor, when you talk to your dog, and your dog answers you back, is there a specific voice you do for him?
I feel like his inner voice is Greg from Succession. He kind of is like, “[in a Greg voice] Wow. So wait.” He’s kind of confused and amused at the same. “But wait, so I get a treat, but are we going to go for a walk? But wait, I’m kind of sleepy. What?” Anyway, that’s how I feel my dog talks to me.