I’ve heard, over the years, that Mad Men creator/writer Matthew Weiner is a difficult man. If he was a woman, there would probably be stories about him involving the words: temperamental, emotional, difficult, shrill, high-strung and bossy. Through it all, Weiner’s cast has stuck by him, probably because Mad Men is a career highlight for many. Jon Hamm in particular always stuck by Weiner, and it’s been said that they have a very close friendship/working partnership. So when Hamm got an approach about playing Nick Dunne in Gone Girl, he hoped his friend would let him pursue it. Not so much. Apparently, Weiner wouldn’t give that to Hamm.

Jon Hamm was up for a starring role in the smash hit movie “Gone Girl,” but wasn’t allowed to do the film because “Mad Men” creator Matt Weiner wouldn’t let him out of his contractual obligations to his series. Hamm is still smarting from the career-hampering move to stop him from taking the role played by Ben Affleck, sources say.

“Matt would not let Jon out of his contract to do ‘Gone Girl.’ Jon was really upset about it at the time — and is still upset, because he’s thinking about the future of his career as ‘Mad Men’ comes to a close.” Another source said Hamm couldn’t do the film due to “the ‘Mad Men’ shooting schedule.”

A source said if Hamm had been allowed to do “Gone Girl,” which made $368 million, “he’d be leaving the show with a hit movie and a gritty film role under his belt.”

Before rehab, Hamm was known in showbiz circles as a fun-loving but heavy drinker. “He was well-known in Hollywood for being a heavy drinker,” said a source, “which is why he needed to go to rehab. But the timing has a lot to do with his concerns for his career.”

Immediately after word of Hamm’s rehab stay, the actor’s admirably faced all his press obligations, looking healthy and addressing the show’s ending as well as his news with grace and charm.

[From Page Six]

God, Hamm would have been great as Nick Dunne. I’m not like CB – I have no warmth (residual or otherwise) for Ben Affleck in any role. I think Affleck is a decent director and a lukewarm actor and I still think he was terribly miscast as Nick Dunne in Gone Girl. Would Hamm have been the “right” choice? Eh. Hamm would have been BETTER than Affleck, but that’s setting the bar pretty low.

There’s some question as to how serious the approach was, though. From what I remember, Affleck had the Nick Dunne role locked up pretty early and David Fincher didn’t spend a lot of time with a big casting call for Nick (like Fincher did with hiring Rosamund Pike for Amy). I believe Hamm probably did get approached, and maybe had a meeting about the role very early in the process. But chances are, even if Hamm had a free schedule, Fincher probably still would have gone with Affleck.

Oh, and Page Six also says that Hamm’s partner Jennifer Westfeldt wasn’t around last week because she had some family issues. Hmmm.

Photos courtesy of WENN.