Jon Hamm, the Emmy Award-winning actor most well-known for his work on the TV series Mad Men, nearly starred in one of the most iconic titles from Rockstar Games. Despite being one of the most renowned developers on the planet, many of Rockstar’s games often feature actors that the general public isn’t very familiar with. While there are often cameos from bigger-name actors in the Grand Theft Auto series, in particular, the most pivotal roles in Rockstar’s various titles tend to go to those who aren’t household names. However, this almost wasn’t the case with 2011’s Rockstar-published LA Noire, as Hamm was at one point discussed to play its biggest role.
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In a new interview with YouTuber Cade Onder, LA Noire writer Daniel McMahon revealed that Hamm was considered for the role of main protagonist Cole Phelps. Mad Men, which first started airing in 2007, was hugely popular at the time of LA Noire’s development and naturally led to McMahon believing that Hamm would be perfect for the game’s central role. Ultimately, the part ended up going to Hamm’s Mad Men co-star, Aaron Staton, as McMahon said he was able to better portray the depth of Phelps.
“A lot of the time, Cole’s flapping around having no idea what he’s doing. He’s very, very smart, but he’s also young, not very experienced, and he’s just trying his best,” McMahon said. “So, I think Jon Hamm would’ve been incredible, but expensive, and probably, in the end, not as good casting for that character as Aaron Staton was.”
McMahon went on to say that Hamm’s strength that he portrays on screen would have led to him playing the role of Jack Kelso in LA Noire much better than that of Phelps. Whether or not Hamm was considered to play Kelso wasn’t confirmed, but given that McMahon noted how expensive Hamm would have been to land for the project, it’s almost a certainty that he was never offered the part, given that it would have simply been for a side character.
Still, it’s interesting to think about how different LA Noire would have been with Hamm playing Cole Phelps. Despite being quite well-received critically and selling millions of copies, LA Noire never received a sequel. A successor, dubbed Whore of the Orient, was at one point in the works at developer Team Bondi, but work on the game eventually fell apart. Had Hamm appeared in LA Noire, perhaps his star power at the time would have resulted in even more copies of the game selling, which could have better secured funding for a follow-up entry.
As for Rockstar, the studio is gearing up to release its biggest game ever later this year with Grand Theft Auto 6. Despite its launch being so close, Rockstar has yet to confirm the official cast members for GTA 6. Given the franchise’s history, however, there’s a good possibility that some celebrities will end up appearing in minor roles throughout the game.
