Oliver Platt’s birthday: Why we love Chicago Med’s Daniel Charles
By Maria Smith
Today One Chicago Center celebrates the birthday of Chicago Med star Oliver Platt, as we look at why we love his memorable character Dr. Daniel Charles.
Friday is the birthday of Chicago Med‘s own Oliver Platt, so we’re paying tribute to the actor and taking a look back at why we love his character, Dr. Daniel Charles.
We almost lost Dr. Charles at the start of Chicago Med season 3, but we’re glad that we didn’t, as Oliver Platt is a treasure of an actor whom any show would be lucky to have.
Through two-plus seasons, his portrayal of Daniel Charles has been one of the cornerstones of our favorite medical drama.
Because although he could be described as fairly flawed, our chief psychiatrist always seems to be there for anyone in need, whether it’s his patients or his fellow doctors.
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The thing about Dr. Charles is that he’s not your usual psychiatrist character that you’d see on TV. He’s not holding a clipboard and droning on about everyone’s feelings. There’s a real warmth to him, that comes courtesy of Oliver Platt.
Whether he’s playing Daniel Charles, or the hard-driving White House Counsel (as in The West Wing), or a womanizing lawyer (as in Huff), he has this quality about him that makes an audience feel safe with him and want to trust him.
At the same time, while he’s trying to figure out other people, he’s also very aware that there’s a lot about himself he hasn’t figured out.
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We know that Dr. Charles sees a therapist himself, that he’s been married and divorced, that he was up until last season estranged from his daughter Robin (Mekia Cox), and that he’s found a surrogate daughter of sorts in his protege Dr. Sarah Reese (Rachel DiPillo).
He can save patients, but he struggled to save his daughter at the end of last season, and now we’re watching him try to save Reese this season. He means well, but he doesn’t always have it turn out that way, and it’s that dichotomy that makes him so interesting.
It’s been an absolute pleasure watching Oliver Platt bring Dr. Charles to life on Chicago Med. He is one of those actors who elevates an entire show, and he can play well off just about everyone.
Whether we’re watching the two veterans of the hospital confer with each other in the scenes between Charles and Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson), or Charles is trying to help someone younger like Reese, or there’s the unexpected pairing like Charles working with Dr. Isidore Latham (Ato Essandoh) last season, Platt can create something magical in any scene and under all kinds of circumstances.
It wouldn’t be the same show without him, and so we’re wishing him a happy birthday today, as well as saying we’re glad he’s back with us for another season!
Next: What happened on the last Chicago Med?
Join us in wishing Oliver Platt a happy birthday in the comments and on Twitter! Then check him out in the next new Chicago Med season 3 episode next Tuesday.
Chicago Med airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.