Oliver Platt is an essential part of Chicago Med. The actor has been around since the pilot, and his performance as Dr. Daniel Charles has helped to anchor some of the more troubled (see: dramatic) storylines that have run throughout the show.
Charles is the model of consistency, and it’s something Platt excels at. He reflected on his near decade of Chicago Med during a recent interview with Associated Press News, and he confirmed what we all suspected: that he “loves” playing a TV doctor.
Oliver Platt likes bringing attention to medical issues
The biggest reason that Platt joined the Chicago Med cast, and why he has stuck around, is the good that the show does in terms of bringing different medical conditions to light. The more common they are made, the less people feel reluctant to get them treated:
“I 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’s a cool thing.”
It’s a noble cause, and one that the show balances out with the risk of life or death. Platt knows that entertainment trumps all, and part of the reason Med has been able to stay the course for so long is that the stakes could not be higher. “We know they’re either going to leave feet first or they’re going to walk out of there,” Platt noted. “What’s it going to be?”
The actor is most comfortable playing Dr. Charles
Platt has become the face of Chicago in some ways, between his work on Med and the Windy City drama The Bear. The actor admitted that it took some work to convincingly portray the mysterious Uncle Jimmy on the latter show, but the role of Dr. Charles is something he can inhabit instantly.
“It was very easy for me to drop into being Dr. Charles,” he told AP. “I’ve been doing it for eight years, but Uncle Jimmy is relatively new… It’s really fun.”
Platt’s passion should come as no surprise, given that he recently extended his Chicago Med contract for another season. We’re relieved. It wouldn’t be Gaffney Medical Center without Dr. Charles.
