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Jon Hamm goes wholesome as a sports agent in ‘Arm’

By WTOP Staff

JESSICA HERNDON
AP Film Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) — To portray J.B. Bernstein, the sports agent behind the signing of the first two Indian Major Leaguers, Jon Hamm had to act like a noble guy in Disney’s based-on-a-true-story “Million Dollar Arm,” instead of the cutthroat ad exec he embodies on TV’s “Mad Men.”

“I’ve played Don Draper enough,” said Hamm during an interview earlier this spring in Las Vegas while promoting the film. “I get a lot of scripts that are a version of Don Draper. But I wanted to play something that had heart.”

That’s not to say he isn’t going to miss playing the notorious TV character. The Matthew Weiner-created series is now in its final season.

“It’s going to be difficult to say goodbye,” says Hamm. “It’s going to be emotional. For most of us it’s been career-defining.”

After playing Don Draper for seven seasons, Hamm says he still doesn’t know how he’d like to see his character’s story conclude. “I think there’s two answers: one for Don and one for the show,” he says. “I think I’m too close to it to really say what would satisfy me.”

When “Mad Men” wraps next year, Hamm says he’d be open to signing on to another series. For now, though, he’s focusing on film — mostly of the family-focused variety. Next he’ll voice a character in 2015’s animated “The Minions,” a spin-off to Universal Pictures’ “Despicable Me” franchise.

“I’m happy to be involved in something that my friends can take their kids to,” says Hamm, who admits he’s not sure what a film like “Million Dollar Arm” will do for his career. “Well, I hope it doesn’t kill it,” jokes the 43-year-old actor.

“When you find out that someone like him is going to play you in a movie, it blows you away because everyone in Hollywood is trying to get him into a part,” said Bernstein in a phone interview. “The fact that he related to the journey that I went through was a big honor.”

In “Million Dollar Arm,” sports agent Bernstein’s career is slipping, so he cooks up a plan to travel to India to find a pair of cricket players and turn them into Major League pitchers. After finding his throwers, Bernstein moves them to the United States to train. It takes a little push from the agent’s neighbor — and eventual love interest — Brenda (Lake Bell) for Bernstein to learn to strategize with his heart rather than his wallet.

Indian actors Suraj Sharma (“Life of Pi”) and Madhur Mittal (“Slumdog Millionaire”) portray ball players Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, respectively. Both signed contracts with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Patel was hired as a production assistant on “Million Dollar Arm” to teach Sharma and Mittal how to pitch.

Disney pursued Hamm for the role of Bernstein, but when the actor first arrived in Los Angeles from St. Louis in 1995, no studio was pursuing him and he struggled to find work. He took a couple of small parts on shows like “Ally McBeal” and “CSI: Miami” before he landed the role in “Mad Men” after auditioning for the part seven times.

“The knock on me was that I wasn’t sexy enough to play this character,” says Hamm. “But Matt (Weiner) fought very hard for me and I will always owe him for that.”

Now a bona fide sex symbol, Hamm has tough competition when it comes to leading roles. “I have to compete against Christian Bale, Brad Cooper . fill in the blank,” he says. “Whenever you move up into a different echelon, it comes with a lot of benefits, but then you have to compete against these guys.”

But Hamm acknowledges he’s been fortunate to have a “side career” consisting of comedic roles in films like “Bridesmaids” and comedy series like “Parks and Recreation.”

“I’ve been accepted into the group of weirdos,” he adds. “Part of being Don Draper is that you have a lot of currency in that dramatic side of things, but I hope to be able to bounce back and forth.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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