Hasty Pudding: Man of the Year 2025

 THE HASTY PUDDING THEATRICALS ANNOUNCES

 

JON HAMM

 

AS 2025 MAN OF THE YEAR

 

CAMBRIDGE, MA (January 14, 2025) – The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest theatrical

organization in the United States, announces JON HAMM as the recipient of its 2025 Man of

the Year Award. From his iconic performances in Fargo, Landman, Grimsburg, Top Gun:

Maverick, Baby Driver, and Your Friends and Neighbors, to his Primetime Emmy and Golden

Globe Awarded role in Mad Men, the Pudding is proud to celebrate a truly unique and impactful

presence in the world of entertainment.

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ Man and Woman of the Year Awards are presented annually to

performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.

The Man of the Year award was established in 1967, with past recipients including Clint

Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson, Ryan Reynolds, and

last year’s recipient Barry Keoghan, the 57th Man of the Year.

The Man of the Year festivities will take place on Friday, January 31st, 2025. The Hasty Pudding

Theatricals will host a celebratory roast for Mr. Hamm at 6:00pm and present him with his

Pudding Pot at Farkas Hall, the Pudding’s historic home in the heart of Harvard Square since

1888. A press conference will follow the roast at 6:20pm. Afterwards, Mr. Hamm will attend a

preview of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 176th production 101 Damnations.

“Let’s hope our roast doesn’t give him any heart palpitations—he’s had enough drama with that,”

said Producer Willow Woodward. “But with his work ethic, we’re confident he’ll take on our

stage with as much grit as Texas oil fields. He’s the perfect man to strike gold and earn his

Pudding Pot this January.”

 

“We are beyond excited to honor Jon Hamm as our 2025 Man of the Year,” said President Cathy

Stanton. “Of course, to claim his Pudding Pot, he’ll have to prove he’s the real Jon

Hamm—we’ve seen how good he is at keeping an identity under wraps!”

Hasty Pudding: Woman of the Year 2024

The Red Balloon's favorite line from The Hasty Pudding's announcement of Annette Bening as Woman of the Year: “That said, I can promise earning her Pudding Pot won’t be as difficult as swimming from Cuba to Florida.”

 THE HASTY PUDDING THEATRICALS ANNOUNCES

ANNETTE BENING

AS 2024 WOMAN OF THE YEAR

 

Annette Bening is a Tony Award and five-time Academy Award nominee, and two-time

Golden Globe, and Screen 

Actors Guild Award winner. Most recently, she starred in 

NYAD, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy 

Chin, and JERRY AND MARGE GO LARGE on 

Paramount+, opposite Bryan Cranston. 

Upcoming, she will be seen in POOLMAN, alongside Danny 

DeVito and directed by/co-starring Chris Pine. 

Additional film credits include DEATH ON THE NILE, 

HOPE GAP, THE REPORT, GEORGETOWN, LIFE ITSELF, 

THE SEAGULL, CAPTAIN MARVEL, FILM STARS 

DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL, 20 TH CENTURY WOMEN, 

RULES DON’T APPLY, DANNY COLLINS, THE 

SEARCH, THE FACE OF LOVE, RUBY SPARKS, GIRL 

MOST LIKELY, GINGER & ROSA, THE KIDS ARE 

ALRIGHT, MOTHER AND CHILD, BEING JULIA, 

AMERICAN BEAUTY, IN DREAMS, THE SIEGE, THE 

AMERICAN PRESIDENT, MARS ATTACKS!, RICHARD III, LOVE AFFAIR,

BUGSY, REGARDING HENRY, THE GRIFTERS, GUILTY BY SUSPICION,

VALMONT, POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE, and THE GREAT OUTDOORS. 

On stage, Bening was last seen in Jack O’Brian’s Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s classic

ALL MY SONS alongside Tracy Letts, for which she earned a Tony Award nomination.

Previous stage credits include: Public Theater’s 2014 Shakespeare in the Park production

of KING LEAR; RUTH DRAPER MONOLOGUES at Geffen Playhouse; Anton Chekhov’s

THE CHERRY ORCHARD at Mark Taper Forum; Alan Bennett’s TALKING HEADS at

Tiffany Theater; Henrik Ibsen’s HEDDA GABLER at Geffen Playhouse; and MEDEA at

UCLA. 

Bening also received a Tony Award nomination and won the Clarence Derwent Award for

Outstanding Debut Performance of the Season for her role in COASTAL DISTURBANCES. 

Bening graduated from San Francisco State University and trained at the

American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco until she joined the acting company.

Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 175th production, Heist Heist Baby, visit

https://www.hastypudding.org/buy-tickets/, email tickets@hastypudding.org, or

contact the HPT Box Office at (617)-495-5205. The show will be performed at

Harvard University’s historic Farkas Hall at 12 Holyoke Street from February 2ndto March 3rd.

The company then travels to NYC for a performance on March 9th. They will then travel

to Hamilton City Hall in Bermuda for performances from March 13thto 15th. 

Hasty Pudding 2024: Man of the Year

“With experience as both superhero and supervillain, Barry Keoghan is the perfect choice to fight to earn his Pudding pot.”

THE HASTY PUDDING THEATRICALS ANNOUNCES

BARRY KEOGHAN

AS 2024 MAN OF THE YEAR

CAMBRIDGE, MA (January 26, 2024) –

Barry Keoghan is an Academy Award®, Golden Globe®,

SAG Award nominated performer as well as a BAFTA Award

winning film and television actor, working with the industry’s

leading auteurs.

Currently, Keoghan can be seen co-starring in the AppleTV+

series, Master of The Air, executive produced by Steven

Spielberg and Tom Hanks. From the creators of Band of

Brothers, the series follows American airmen in the 100th

Bomb Group, a brotherhood forged by courage, loss and

triumph. Keoghan portrays pilot ‘Lt. Curtis Biddick,’

alongside Austin Butler and Callum Tuner. He can also be

seen starring in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, co-starring Jacob

Elordi, Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant, for Amazon

Prime. The film follows Oxford University student Oliver

Quick (Keoghan), who is struggling to find his place, and finds himself drawn into the world of

the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric

family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten. For his role, Keoghan received a

2024 Golden Globe® Award nomination and is nominated for a BAFTA Award in the category

of Best Leading Actor.

Most recently, Keoghan completed production on Andrea Arnold‘s Bird, starring opposite of

Franz Rogowski; as well as Trey Edward Schults’ and The Weeknd’s untitled project starring

opposite of Jenna Ortega as well. Prior to this, he completed production on Chris Andrews’

Bring Them Down opposite of Christopher Abbott and Colm Meaney.

Most notably, in 2023, Keoghan received the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor as

Dominic in Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, opposite Colin Farrell and Brendan

Gleeson. The same year he was also nominated for the 2023 Academy Award® in the category

of Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role; Golden Globe® for Best Supporting

Actor in a Motion Picture; Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor as well as

Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture; Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor and Best

Acting Ensemble; Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor; as well as The

London Film Critic’s Circle Award for Supporting Actor of the Year among many other

accolades.

Additional film credits include Matt Reeves’ DC Universe The Batman, opposite Robert

Pattinson; Chloe Zhao’s Marvels’ Eternals, with a cast that includes Angelina Jolie, Salma

Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry & Kumail Nanjiani; David Lowery’s The Green Knight; Nick

Rowland’s Calm with Horses (BAFTA, BIFA and IFTA nominations); as well as Bart Layton’s

American Animals (BIFA nomination); Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Killing of a Sacred Deer opposite

Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman (Independent Spirit Award nominations and Irish Film &

Television Award win); Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Dunkirk, with Mark Rylance, Tom

Hardy, Kenneth Branagh and Cillian Murphy; Lance Daly’s Black ’47; Konstantin Bojanov’s

Light Thereafter; Rebecca Daly’s Mammal; Adam Smith’s Trespass Against Us; Rachael

Moriarty and Peter Murphy’s Traders; as well as Yann Demanges’ ’71.

Additional television credits include Craig Mazin’s Emmy® and Golden Globe® Nominated

Chernobyl and the third and final season of Top Boy.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS to the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 175th production, Heist Heist

Baby, visit https://www.hastypudding.org/buy-tickets/, email tickets@hastypudding.org, or

contact the HPT Box Office at (617)-495-5205. The show will be performed at Harvard

University’s historic Farkas Hall at 12 Holyoke Street from February 4th to March 3rd.

HPT 175: This year we are celebrating the Hasty Pudding’s 175th anniversary. We are the oldest

theatrical organization in the United States, and the third oldest organization in the world. The

Hasty Pudding Theatricals have presented their unique brand of student-written theater every

year since 1844, the only exceptions being for World Wars I and II and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hasty Pudding: Woman of the Year

   Hasty Pudding Theatricals proudly honored this year's Woman of the Year: Bryce Dallas Howard. Bryce braved the New England cold to be feted outside in the traditional parade. Bryce described the parade in an endearing manner calling it a "bonding" experience.

   Bryce reflected on receiving the pudding pot and all that it embodies, saying that she hopes that she will be "worthy" of the honor. She believes that the distinction comes with a responsibility to "give back" and spoke about her intention to do just that.

   Bryce will soon be back on the big screen, playing Elton John's mother in the film Rocket Man though she reports that she has not yet met the actual Elton John in person just yet.
   Despite the lavish festivities, Bryce was extremely humble and truly honored throughout the ceremonies. She noted that she "comes from privilege" and she appears to be future driven and desires to make a difference in Hollywood.

Hasty Pudding 2018

The Red Balloon brings you behind the scenes in the press room for this year's Hasty Pudding: Man of the Year. This year's honoree, Paul Rudd, graciously accepted the honor in the Hasty Pudding playhouse otherwise known as Farkas Hall. Before Paul entered the press room, a reporter from People Magazine called a restaurant asking what Paul ate for lunch. When Paul entered and he was asked the question of who he would be rooting for during the Patriot's game you can only imagine the grimaces and shock and horror when he announced that he would not be cheering on the Patriots!

Needless to say, Paul made quite an impression in Boston!

Feast your eyes on some photos:

To purchase for the Hasty Pudding's current theatrical: Intermission Impossible go here:
https://hastypudding.org/buy-tickets

Hasty Pudding's Man & Woman of the Year

Woman of the Year: Octavia Spencer

The Hasty Pudding Institute honored Octavia Spencer as the 2017 Woman of the Year. The distinction of Woman of the Year began in 1951 and has been bestowed upon such notable actresses as Meryl Streep, Bette Midler, Shirley MacLaine, Cher, Lucille Ball, Sally Field, Debbie Reyolds, and Dame Helen Mirren.

Octavia Spencer is one of the stars of the film Hidden Figures and has received a SAG, Golden Globe, NCAAP Image, and Oscar nominations for her role. Octavia has acted in a number of films including Zootopia, The Help, Get on Up, and most recently Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water. Octavia Spencer was all smiles upon receiving her very own Pudding Pot.

Man of the Year: Ryan Reynolds

The Hasty Pudding Theatrical's recently named Ryan Reynolds as the 2017 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year. Reynolds has starred in countless films including Deadpool, Woman in Gold, Definitely Maybe, The Croods, Safe House, The Proposal, Turbo, Paperman, and The Change Up.

As part of the Hasty Pudding roast, Ryan Reynolds had to endure tormenting a number of notables including a Meryl Streep impersonator. He appeared not at all at ease with the daunting task. However, he had to complete this task in order to earn his Pudding Pot. At last, Reynolds told Meryl that she was "overrated." Sounds of laughter could be heard throughout the evening from the sold-out crowd in the Hasty Pudding's Farkas Hall.    

TO PURCHASE TICKETS to the Hasty Pudding's production, Casino Evil, contact the HPT Box Office at 617-495-5205 or order online at www.hastypudding.org/buy- tickets.

Man of the Year 2016

The Red Balloon is posting a favorite photo from this past Friday night's Hasty Pudding 50th Man of the Year Celebration: seriously, women everyone are asking, "Who wouldn't want to be that Pudding Pot?"

It was an honor to be part of a tradition with the utmost artistic integrity, including that one part when Joseph Gordon-Levitt took his pants off.

This year Joseph Gordon-Levitt became the 50th Hasty Pudding Man of the Year joining the ranks of Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Walken, Steven Spielberg, Sean Connery, Robert Downey Jr. and Billy Crystal, all of whom have their very own Hasty Pudding Pot. The story of how the Man of the Year title started comes from the very first man of the year, Bob Hope, who contacted the Hasty Pudding Theatre as he knew they had only a Woman of the Year distinction at the time. He told them he had the perfect candidate for Man of the Year: Himself! And so the rest is history. Today the tradition continues as Joseph Gordon-Levitt received his latest title with honor! Here's to the Man of the Year!

Sights & Sounds: Part Seven

Love Letters

Tonight is opening night of Love Letters in Boston. 

A.R. Gurney's play Love Letters was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw are reunited on stage tonight. The pair originally starred in Love Story 45 years ago! The Red Balloon will be present for opening night of Love Letters, which runs through February 7th at Boston's Shubert Theatre.



The Boston Harbor Hotel 

The Boston Harbor Hotel's ice skating rink is now open. So, be sure to lace up those skates and take a spin on the ice under the arch (that has a ring to it)!

Hasty Pudding's Man of the Year 

Hasty Pudding, part of Harvard University, has the distinction of being the oldest theater company in the nation. Hasty Pudding's Man of the Year is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The Red Balloon will in attendance for the roast and press conference. Bobby Fitzpatrick, President of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals stated, "No emoji can express how how excited we are about having Joseph Gordon-Levitt as our 50th Man of the Year...We anxiously await Mr. Gordon-Levitt's arrival, as he begins his slow journey to the Hasty Pudding Theatricals on a small rope from LA to Cambridge." So, there you have it, the Sights & Sounds are small in quantity but large in quality! 

Stay tuned to The Red Balloon for all things Boston!