Oliver Platt’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

The best Oliver Platt movies and TV shows include a mix of critically acclaimed shows and award-winning big screen feature films. Platt figured out from an early age that he wanted to be an actor and studied drama at Tufts University before starting to work in theater in Boston. His big break came when he met Bill Murray, who attended one of Platt’s plays and then recommended that Jonathan Demme cast him in the movie Married to the Mob in 1988. That was Platt’s big break and his career skyrocketed from there.

Since that big break, Platt took on a variety of roles in several genres, with appearances in Working Girl, Beethoven, The Three Musketeers, and Lake Placid. While his movie roles have been plentiful, and resulted in several award nominations, it was his entry to television that gave him a chance to become a bigger star. This started with a role in the Dick Wolf series Deadline, and has since seen him take on roles in everything from Nip/Tuck and The West Wing to Bear and Chicago Med.

10 A Time To Kill (1996)

Oliver Platt Plays Harry Rex Vonner

A Time to Kill

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A Time to Kill RCrimeDocumentaryDramaThriller

In Canton, Mississippi, a young lawyer and his assistant defend a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his ten-year-old daughter, inciting violent retaliation and revenge from the Ku Klux Klan.

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*Availability in US Director Joel Schumacher Release Date July 24, 1996 Cast Matthew McConaughey , Sandra Bullock , Samuel L. Jackson , Kevin Spacey , Oliver Platt , Charles S. Dutton , Kiefer Sutherland , Donald Sutherland Runtime 149 minutes

John Grisham is one of the popular courtroom fiction writers in the world and his career started with the novel about a trial in the Deep South in A Time To Kill. This was his debut and breakthrough novel, but it was the fourth movie to be based on one of Grisham’s novels. In the film, Samuel L. Jackson is on trial for the murder of the two men who raped his 10-year-old daughter when it looked like the courts would let them off of the charges.

Matthew McConaughey stars as Jake Brigance, the attorney who agrees to defend him, while Sandra Bullock is Ellen Roark, his assistant, who finds out the danger of defending a Black man in a society almost ruled by the Ku Klux Klan and other racist powers. Oliver Platt is Harry Red Vonner, an associate of Jake who helps out in the case. The story is a tough one that shows people overcoming prejudice to find justice. Jackson was nominated for a Golden Globe and the movie won the NAACP Award for Outstanding Motion Picture.

9 Chicago Med (2015-Present)

Oliver Platt Plays Dr. Daniel Charles

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9.5/10 Chicago Med Drama

Chicago Med is a medical drama television series that follows the lives of the doctors and nurses of the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, the show is the third series in Wolf Entertainment’s Chicago franchise. Chicago Med premiered on NBC in 2015, and occasionally has crossover events with Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.

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*Availability in US Cast Marlyne Barrett , S. Epatha Merkerson , Oliver Platt , Nick Gehlfuss , Brian Tee , Lorena Diaz , Yaya DaCosta , Torrey DeVitto Release Date November 17, 2015 Seasons 8 Showrunner Michael Brandt

Chicago Med is the Dick Wolf-created series that is a medical drama and part of the One Chicago franchise, along with Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. In the show, Oliver Platt plays Dr. Daniel Charles, the chief of the psychiatry department. This gives his character the important role of helping other doctors deal with their own psychological problems, whether it is difficult patients or struggles in their duties, which is always full of traumatic moments.

Philip Winchester as Peter Stone in Chicago Justice and S. Epatha Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin in Chicago Med. Related Every One Chicago Show, Ranked

NBC has manufactured a One Chicago TV franchise, starting with Chicago Fire and followed by three spinoffs (some better than the others).

Chicago Med follows the emergency department of the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, where doctors and nurses work to save lives while also dealing with the personal and professional struggles that come with a high-stress job. Platt has been part of the main cast since the show premiered and is one of the longest-tenured cast members, through over 10 seasons and closing in on 200 episodes. Only S. Epatyha Merkerson (Sharon) and Marlyne Barrett (Maggie) have been on the show as long as him.

8 Kinsey (2004)

Oliver Platt Plays Herman B. Wells

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Kinsey RBiographyDrama

Kinsey, directed by Bill Condon, is a biographical drama exploring the life and work of researcher Alfred Kinsey. It focuses on his groundbreaking studies into human sexuality, evolving from a scientific pursuit into a personal exploration, capturing the complexities of human behavior.

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*Availability in US Director Bill Condon Release Date September 4, 2004 Runtime 118 minutes

Released in 2004, Kinsey is a biopic about the real-life story of Alfred Charles Kinsey (Liam Neeson), a pioneer in the realm of sexology. In 1948, he published Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, the first paper to address sexual behavior scientifically. This movie shows how Kinsey went from a repressed child into a renowned professor and researcher, whose subject of his work caused him to become a target during Joseph McCarthy’s witch hunts in the 1950s.

As with several other characters in the movie, Oliver Platt’s Herman Wells was based on a real-life person. Wells was the president of Indiana University Bloomington, a man who backed Kinsey when he was researching human sexuality while teaching at the school. In the movie, as in the real-life story, Platt’s Wells was one of Kinsey’s staunchest supporters, even as others turned their backs on him. The film was highly praised and Laura Linney earned an Oscar nomination for her role as Kinsey’s wife, Clara “Mac” McMillen.

7 Lake Placid (1999)

Oliver Platt Played Hector Cyr

Lake Placid Movie Poster

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10/10 Lake Placid RActionComedyHorrorSci-FiThriller

After a series of disturbing incidents at Black Lake, local officials call in specialists to investigate. The team uncovers evidence of a massive predatory crocodile inhabiting the lake. Uncovering a link to a mysterious local man, the team is attacked repeatedly by the killer croc. A plan is devised to capture the crocodile alive, leading to a tense and hazardous showdown.

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*Availability in US Director Steve Miner Release Date July 15, 1999 Cast Bill Pullman , Bridget Fonda , Oliver Platt , Brendan Gleeson , Betty White , David Lewis , Meredith Salenger Runtime 82 Mins

While Lake Placid received terrible reviews when it was released, it’s a horror movie that has since gone on to achieve cult classic status. The monster in this creature feature is a giant crocodile in the fictional Lake Placid in Maine. When the crocodile begins to kill people, a United States Fish and Wildlife Service officer (Jack Wells), American Museum of Natural History paleontologist (Bridget Fonda), and a local sheriff (Brendan Gleeson) investigate the situation.

While an opposites-attract romance between Jack and Kelly emerges, and Sherif Hank Keough is there to look on in disbelief, Oliver Platt steals every scene he is in as Hector Cyr, a wealthy mythology professor and crocodile enthusiast whose arrogance makes him antagonistic but also strangely likable. Next to Betty White’s hilarious performance as Delores Bickerman, Platt remains one of the best parts of a very entertaining monster movie.

6 Chef (2014)

Oliver Platt Plays Ramsey Michel

Chef Movie Poster 2014

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8/10 Chef RComedyDramaAdventure

Chef is a road movie written, directed, and starring Jon Favreau, where his character Carl Casper quits his job at a prestigious restaurant and starts a food truck business with his son Percy (Emjay Anthony) and best friend Martin (John Leguizamo). He also receives help from his ex-wife Inez (Sofia Vergara) and her ex-husband Marvin (Robert Downey Jr.).

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*Availability in US Director Jon Favreau Release Date May 30, 2014 Distributor(s) Open Road Films Cast Jon Favreau , John Leguizamo , Bobby Cannavale , Emjay Anthony , Scarlett Johansson , Dustin Hoffman Runtime 114 minutes

As a director, Jon Favreau is best known for his big-budget movies like Iron Man, Cowboys & Aliens, and The Jungle Book. However, one of his best-directed films, and one of his most underrated, is the 2014 comedy-drama Chef. In this film, Favreau stars as a celebrity chef named Carl Casper, who has a public altercation with a critic and loses his job. As a result, he sets out in a food truck with his son and starts a road trip where the main topic of discussion is food.

Chef was a small success at the box office, making over $50 million on an $11 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), and was also praised by critics, with an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. Oliver Platt plays Ramsey Michel, the food blogger that Carl had the falling out with, which means he is the entire catalyst for driving the plot of this movie. Platt is also a perfect bookend to the story, as he was painted as an antagonistic presence who turned out to be much more sympathetic.

5 Frost/Nixon (2008)

Oliver Platt Plays Bob Zelnick

Frost_Nixon - Poster

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Frost/Nixon RBiographyDramaHistory

Frost/Nixon is a historical drama directed by Ron Howard, focusing on the infamous interviews between British television host David Frost and former U.S. President Richard Nixon. The film explores the intense behind-the-scenes negotiations and the eventual on-air confrontation that sought to address the Watergate scandal. Michael Sheen stars as Frost, with Frank Langella portraying Nixon in a gripping tale of political accountability and journalistic integrity.

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*Availability in US Director Ron Howard Release Date January 23, 2009 Cast Frank Langella , Michael Sheen , Kevin Bacon , Sam Rockwell , Matthew Macfadyen , Oliver Platt , Rebecca Hall , Toby Jones Character(s) Richard Nixon , David Frost , Jack Brennan , James Reston Jr. , John Birt , Bob Zelnick , Caroline Cushing , Swifty Lazar Runtime 122 Minutes

The Ron Howard movie Frost/Nixon is based on a real-life interview between British journalist David Frost and disgraced former American President Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal. Michael Sheen plays Frost while Frank Langella plays Nixon, and the movie follows the setup for the big interview and then the interview itself, in what plays out mostly like the Peter Morgan stage play it was based on. Oliver Platt plays Bob Zelnick in the film, the executive editor of the Frost-Nixon interviews.

This entire movie is an actor’s showcase, as the tension is built through the dialogue and discussions leading to the big interview, and all the cast delivers incredible performances. This was a nice showing for Platt, as well, as he delivered a great performance as someone who was brought in to help investigate the issues to prepare for the interview. Frost/Nixon was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Langella), and Best Director.

4 X-Men: First Class (2011)

Oliver Platt Plays Man In Black Suit

X-Men First Class UK Poster

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7.3/10 X-Men: First Class PG-13 Sci-FiActionAdventure

X-Men: First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga in the 1960s. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers. Before they were archenemies, they were close friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a rift between them opened, beginning the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

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*Availability in US Director Matthew Vaughn Release Date June 3, 2011 Distributor(s) 20th Century Cast Jennifer Lawrence , Caleb Landry Jones , Michael Fassbender , Nicholas Hoult , Oliver Platt , Rose Byrne , Michael Ironside , Jason Flemyng , January Jones , Kevin Bacon , Glenn Morshower , James McAvoy , Lucas Till , Edi Gathegi , Zoe Kravitz Runtime 131 minutes Expand

Although his character has no name, Oliver Platt plays a very important role in the prequel movie X-Men: First Class. This movie allows Platt to enter the world of superheroes, but he has the perfect role for himself as a secret government contact for the mutants. This film, directed by Matthew Vaughn, rebooted the X-Men franchise. It showed their first year together as a team, and also revealed the moment that Magneto and Professor X first began to go in their separate directions.

Platt’s character was known as Man in Black Suit, but he was more than a cameo, despite the descriptive name. He is a CIA bigwig and the Head of Division X, which was the agency working directly with the X-Men. He was the person that Xavier trusted, and vice-versa, although their relationship became complicated thanks to Magneto.

3 Nip/Tuck (2007-2008)

Oliver Platt Plays Freddy Prune

Tuck

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Nip/Tuck TV-MADrama

Nip/Tuck is a medical drama series created by Ryan Murphy, focusing on two plastic surgeons, Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon), as they navigate the complex world of cosmetic surgery in Miami, Florida. The show explores themes of identity, vanity, and the personal and professional challenges the surgeons face while pushing ethical boundaries.

Cast Dylan Walsh , Julian McMahon , Joely Richardson , John Hensley , Roma Maffia , Linda Klein , Kelly Carlson , Kelsey Batelaan Release Date July 22, 2003 Seasons 6 Creator(s) Ryan Murphy

Nip/Tuck ran for six critically acclaimed and award-winning seasons and 100 episodes on FX. Oliver Platt only appeared in four of those episodes in a guest role, but that does not eliminate the significance of his character. Platt played Freddie Prune in the fifth season of the show. He was involved in a storyline with Rosie O’Donnell, who stars as Dawn Budge, a producer on a show-within-the-show called Hearts ‘n Scalpels, and who is dating Freddie.

This storyline all led to Freddie finally realizing his sexuality and coming out of the closet to Dawn, someone who seemed homophobic on the show but was actually someone who was always attracted to gay men and never could find her own love. It was a nice side storyline in a brilliant series and it earned Oliver Platt an Emmy Award nomination in 2008 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

2 The Bear (2022-Present)

Oliver Platt Plays Uncle Jimmy

The Bear TV Poster

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8.8/10 The Bear ComedyDrama

Set in a Chicago sandwich shop, The Bear follows Carmy Berzatto, a young professionally trained chef who returns to take over his family business after the unexpected death of his brother. At odds with many of the shop’s employees due to his culinary training, Carmy struggles to maintain order and keep the shop from failing entirely. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri. 

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*Availability in US Cast Jeremy Allen White , Ebon Moss-Bachrach , Ayo Edebiri , Lionel Boyce , Liza Colón-Zayas , Abby Elliott , Oliver Platt Release Date June 23, 2022 Seasons 2 Showrunner Christopher Storer

The Bear has received massive critical acclaim since it debuted on Hulu in 2022, and with two seasons under its belt, it only seems to be getting better. The series follows an award-winning chef who returns home to Chicago after his brother’s death to manage the kitchen of the family sandwich shop. The drama comes with his new employees, and their struggles at working under a chef who is used to high-pressure kitchen situations.

A custom image of Sydney looking stunned and Carmy facing to the side in The Bear Related The Bear Season 3 Cast, Returning Character & Guest Star Guide

The Bear season 3 returns with his exceptional ensemble cast fresh off the Emmy wins of Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-BachRach.

Oliver Platt has a recurring role in The Bear as Uncle Jimmy, although he is of no relation to Carmy Berzatto or his family. Instead, he is the best friend of Berzatto’s father and the major investor in the restaurant. While he loaned $300,000 of his own money for the restaurant’s launch, he also has a soft spot for the family and is a close confidant. However, he is also the “ticking clock” of the series, as he gets the entire lot if Carmy can’t pay him back in 18 months.

1 The West Wing (2001-2005)

Oliver Platt Plays Oliver Babish

The West Wing TV Poster

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10/10 The West Wing Drama

In Aaron Sorkin’s classic political procedural, the senior staff of President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen) face the daily challenge of helping to run the country from the West Wing of the White House. The series features an ensemble cast that also includes Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, and John Spencer. 

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*Availability in US Cast Martin Sheen , Bradley Whitford , Allison Janney Release Date September 22, 1999 Seasons 7 Showrunner Aaron Sorkin

While the Dick Wolf series Deadline was Oliver Platt’s first major television role, his biggest break on TV came that same year when he picked up a big role in the political drama series The West Wing. Created by Aaron Sorkin, this series is about the men and women who work inside the White House and help keep the President’s cabinet and office running.

Oliver Platt plays Oliver Babish, the fifth and final White House Counsel of the Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen) administration (although he was only the second to appear on the show since Barlet was already President when the series began). His main storyline was dealing with Bartlet’s diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. and he then returned in season 8 during an internal investigation. Platt received his first Emmy nomination for this role and was one of the main West Wing characters to disappear without an explanation.