John Slattery Reflects on His Encounter with Colin Hanks During Mad Men Before Starring Together in Nuremberg

John Slattery; Colin Hanks.
Credit :

Robin Marchant/Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Overview

In a recent interview, John Slattery reflected on his time with Mad Men and his brief interactions with co-star Colin Hanks, particularly in light of their upcoming film Nuremberg.

Slattery, 63, spoke with PEOPLE, sharing memories of working alongside Hanks, who portrayed Father Gill in three episodes of the critically acclaimed Jon Hamm-led series. Despite not sharing any scenes together, Slattery noted their paths crossed on set.

John Slattery at the Cinema Society screening of Sony Pictures Classics’ ‘Nuremberg’ at MoMA.

David Benthal/BFA.com

Slattery played Roger Sterling in Mad Men for its entirety from 2007 to 2015, including directing three episodes. He described Hanks as a "great guy" and shared that they had significant interaction while filming Nuremberg.

• Nuremberg, directed by James Vanderbilt, is a historical drama exploring the aftermath of the Holocaust from the lens of U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley, played by Rami Malek, as he assesses the mental states of key Nazi officials, including Hermann Göring, portrayed by Russell Crowe.

Slattery takes on the role of U.S. Colonel Andrus, who consults Hanks’ character, Gustave Gilbert, a psychologist, for a second opinion on Kelley’s assessments.

The film is based on the nonfiction book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai and features a star-studded cast that includes Michael Shannon, Leo Woodall, and Richard E. Grant.

Slattery expressed enthusiasm for joining the project, drawn initially by the impressive cast. After reviewing Vanderbilt’s script and the book, he noted, "It’s a great story to be involved with and had great people to work with. [Vanderbilt] had the money to produce it with some size and some scale, which doesn’t happen a lot."

Rami Malek, Colin Hanks and John Slattery in a ‘Nuremberg’ scene.

Scott Garfield/Sony Pictures Classics

Reflecting on the camaraderie among the cast, Slattery shared, "It was a great group of people. We all got along well. Michael Shannon is a very funny guy. I’ve known Rami for a while. We had a good time." He emphasized the importance of bonding during the intense filming process, mentioning, "We all lived in the same hotel and would hang out after shooting."

Overall, Slattery’s nostalgic reflections illustrate the enduring connections formed during their work on Mad Men and the collaborative spirit that continues in new endeavors.