Jon Hamm got a "handsome wage" when he worked as a teacher.

The actor grew up in Missouri and ended up working at the high school he had attended after university. He is always astounded when people praise him for teaching, as the wage was the driving force behind his decision.

"I was paid, it wasn't free. It was a lovely school and I got a handsome wage," he laughed.

Jon decided to try and make it as an actor when he was in his 20s. He travelled to Los Angeles where the only person he knew was his old friend Paul Rudd.

He feels extremely lucky that things worked out so well for him.

"They're long odds to say the least, I figured I wasn't getting any younger and I'd better do it now or regret it. When you're 24 you're pretty much able to put up with a lot more than [when you're older]," he laughed on a UK TV show.