LONDON (AP) 鈥 Timing is everything.
After nine years as Dr. Daniel Charles on NBC's 鈥淐hicago Med,鈥 Oliver Platt decided to flex his acting muscles, asking his agent if there was someone else he could play for a bit.
The first offer that came in? Uncle Jimmy in 鈥淭he Bear.鈥
This was before FX鈥檚 hot kitchen comedy-drama had been on air and no one knew that Christopher Storer鈥檚 show would go on to be an award-winning, star-making smash hit.
鈥淚 felt like a guest for about five minutes on 鈥楾he Bear,鈥樷 says Platt.
鈥淢aybe that just makes me lucky or just makes me good at insinuating myself into a situation, I don鈥檛 know.鈥
And if anyone knows how to be a scene-stealing guest star, it鈥檚 Platt.
Three times he鈥檚 been in the running for an Emmy Award after making a special appearance on a TV series, notably 鈥淭he West Wing鈥 and 鈥淣ip/Tuck.鈥
Platt鈥檚 most recent guest star nomination was for playing the mysterious Uncle on 鈥淭he Bear鈥 鈥 and he returned for seasons two and three as a fan.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get to work in the kitchen the first season, I was so excited to meet them all,鈥 he says, noting that in 2022 his only scenes were with Jeremy White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Carmy and Cousin, respectively.)
鈥淢y first day back on the set in season two, it was actually in the restaurant in the kitchen. And I literally was starstruck. And that鈥檚 a wonderful scenario.鈥
Uncle Jimmy is back once again, on June 27, for the third season of 鈥淭he Bear.鈥
On set Platt is called 鈥淯nc鈥 and in New York, where he lives, the actor gets the occasional 鈥淵es Chef,鈥 as he walks past.
He says spending more time with the money man, also known as Cicero, in new episodes might reveal a bit more about who he is.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so fun about the character in the way it鈥檚 written. It鈥檚 like you kind of never know what you鈥檙e going to get like, the kindly, but mildly twisted father figure or the frickin鈥 neighborhood dude who wants his money back?
鈥淲hat you see is not necessarily what you get,鈥 he says.
Both 鈥淭he Bear鈥 and 鈥淐hicago Med鈥 are set and shot in Chicago so Platt was able to work on them in the same day 鈥 by walking the 200 yards between his two trailers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really fun,鈥 he says of pulling double duty. 鈥淚t spices up the day,鈥 calling both shows 鈥済ifts鈥 in his life.
There was only one near-miss when Platt was rehearsing an argument as Dr. Charles, but accidentally channeled the confrontational Chicago accent of Uncle Jimmy.
鈥淭he director was like, 鈥極liver, what鈥檚 that? What鈥檚 that accent?鈥樷
鈥淚t was very easy for me to drop into being Doctor Charles. I鈥檝e been doing it for eight years, but Uncle Jimmy is relatively new and I think I was unconsciously preparing for the afternoon.鈥
Another nominated guest star appearance for Platt was as White House Counsel Oliver Babish on 鈥淭he West Wing,鈥 where his character dishes out legal advice over seasons two, three and seven.
Speaking to writer/showrunner Aaron Sorkin before he got to set, he was told to make the role his own and interpreted it as permission to be a bit loose and spontaneous with the script 鈥 only to quickly find out that was not the case.
鈥淚鈥檓 not always so good at word for word, even when that鈥檚 the rules. So ... there was a bit of hazing on 鈥楾he West Wing.鈥 I knew a lot of the cast members, and they would come by and tease me like, 鈥楧on鈥檛 worry, buddy, we all went through it.鈥欌
In July, Platt is excited to start filming season 10 of 鈥淐hicago Med鈥 as psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Charles, a fan favorite, who he says he 鈥渓oves鈥 to play.
His mother was a psychiatric nurse and he remembers being told to wake her up if certain patients called after hours.
鈥淪o many mental health issues, they鈥檙e treatable. The main thing is to get people to ask for help,鈥 says Platt.
鈥淚 just love the fact that we tell stories that destigmatize mental health issues that, on a good week, 10 million people will watch those stories and so that鈥檚 a cool thing.鈥
Starring on a medical drama means working with a lot of visiting actors, although they are less likely to be recurring roles.
鈥淭he dirty little secret of a procedural, right, is that it鈥檚 the guest stars that come in and have, like, the big emotions,鈥 he says.
鈥淲e know they鈥檙e either going to leave feet first or they鈥檙e going to walk out of there. What鈥檚 it going to be?鈥
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This story was first published on June 21, 2024, and was updated on June 25, 2024, to correct the first name of actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
