During the eleventh season of Chicago Med, the popular medical drama series has managed to reach an incredible milestone. While many factors have led to the show's impressive longevity, there is no doubt that Oliver Platt's beloved performance as Dr. Daniel Charles has been a cornerstone of the series. As a result, many fans really want to make sure that even characters who are related to Dr. Charles return soon.
Since Platt is a widely respected actor who is extremely talented, there is a possibility that he could have left Chicago Med if he hadn't been able to branch out into other roles. Thankfully for Platt and his fans, however, he also managed to star in The Bear while remaining a Chicago Med stalwart. With that in mind, it is fascinating to learn the stunning truth of how Platt managed to star in both shows simultaneously.
Oliver Platt worked on The Bear and Chicago Med because they filmed near each other
Since 2022, Platt has starred in Chicago Med and The Bear. While that kind of schedule is far from unheard of, there is a long history of actors having to pass on fantastic roles because they were busy. With that in mind, that begs an obvious question. How has Oliver managed to star in two high-caliber TV shows at the same time?
In June 2024, The Associated Press published an article about Platt's busy filming schedule on both shows. As part of that article, The AP pointed out that Platt can star in Chicago Med and The Bear in the same time period because both shows are filmed in Chicago. In fact, the outlet reported on a truly stunning fact that allowed Platt to do something that most actors on two TV shows could never do.
According to The AP, there was a time when Platt acted on Chicago Med and The Bear on the same day. The way this was possible for the actor is because the two shows were filming so close to each other that Platt's trailer for The Bear and his trailer for Chicago Med stood only 200 yards away from each other. It is mind-boggling to imagine Chicago Med and The Bear filming so close that Platt's two trailers were situated only two football fields apart from each other.
At the time, Platt told The Associated Press how much he enjoyed working on the two shows on the same day. "It’s really fun. It spices up the day," Platt told The AP. However, Platt also told the outlet that switching back and forth got him mixed up enough that he once began speaking like Dr. Charles while filming The Bear, having forgotten to use his Uncle Jimmy accent.
"The director was like, ‘Oliver, what’s that? What’s that accent?‘ It was very easy for me to drop into being Dr. Charles. I’ve been doing it for eight years, but Uncle Jimmy is relatively new and I think I was unconsciously preparing for the afternoon."
New episodes of Chicago Med season 11 air on NBC on Wednesdays at 8/7c.