The Morning Show Season 3 is off to a juicy start and, between network drama and interpersonal dynamics, this is shaping up to be its best season yet. Much of this can be attributed to the incredible performances by the all-star cast of the Apple TV+ drama, including Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup and Jennifer Aniston. This latest season introduced Jon Hamm to the cast as tech billionaire Paul Marks, who plans to onboard Aniston’s character for a mission to space. Apparently, Hamm quickly came to the producers’ minds when it came time to cast the character, and Aniston had a lot to do with his hiring.
Executive producer Kristin Hahn spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the new season of The Morning Show, and what went into the casting process. While there were a number of names in contention for different characters being introduced in the third season, Hamm was the only actor seriously considered for Paul. Based on Hahn’s comments, it would seem that if they couldn’t get the Mad Men alum to sign on, they may have abandoned the character all together. But Hamm’s personal connection with Jennifer Aniston helped bring everything together. Hahn explained:
Who would play Paul was a list of one. Jen [Aniston] and Jon [Hamm] have been friendly for years and have wanted to work together I think for a while. So when Paul Marks became a part of the conversation, it was a list of one. And so it was a little scary because if he had said no, I don’t know what we would have done. It was this or bust. Thankfully, he said yes.
It’s hard to believe the two stars hadn’t worked with each other until now. They seem to have similar friends, and both appear to be attracted to the same kinds of projects. For instance, both actors made appearances on 30 Rock but never at the same time. They’ve both also contributed to some incredible small-screen productions. So, with that in mind, it’s been an absolute blast watching them play off each other throughout the season, and they have great chemistry. It’s still early, but I’m so here for this Jon Hamm TV comeback and hoping he becomes a more permanent fixture on the series for the upcoming Morning Show Season 4 as well.
The team behind this series has historically used current events to inform its storytelling but, this season, the writers have truly outdone themselves. The subplot surrounding tech mogul Paul’s desire to have a high profile television personality participate in a space launch feels eerily familiar to another real tech billionaire with a keen interest in space exploration. While Elon Musk hasn’t been specifically named as an influence, the similarities are hard to miss. I guess if anyone is going to play a supposed version of you on screen, you could do worse than a great actor like Jon Hamm.
Hopefully, this collaboration between Jennifer Aniston and Jon Hamm sparks a solid creative partnership that leads them to work together more. Aniston has posted plenty of behind-the scenes-photos from set, including some with Hamm, and they seemed to enjoy their time filming. While I want to see them do more together, I’m just thankful Hamm had that firm friendship with her that contributed to his casting. I’m also eager to see how the story plays out for their two characters during TMS Season 3.
See the two co-stars on The Morning Show, which drops new episodes on Wednesdays for Apple TV+ subscribers. If you need a refresher before starting Season 3, you can read up on the ending of Season 2.