The Chicago Med Star You Might Have Missed On The West Wing
For fans of NBC's "Chicago Med," the hospital drama's colorful ensemble cast is a huge part of its appeal. Compelling long-term portrayals like Nick Gehlfuss's Dr. Will Halstead and Brian Tee's Dr. Ethan Choi have turned viewers into fans not just of the characters, but also of the actors themselves. As such, some have taken up the task of familiarizing themselves with the filmography of the show's cast members and watching their credits before, after, or adjacent to their time on "Chicago Med."
However, what even some devoted fans of the series may not know is that one of the show's biggest cast members has an acting credit for arguably one of the best TV series of all time. Indeed, one "Chicago Med" actor starred on "The West Wing," Aaron Sorkin's critically acclaimed political drama that ran from 1999 to 2006 and chronicled the term of the fictional U.S. President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen). But which actor was it?
Oliver Platt featured on The West Wing as Oliver Babish
Sometime before the actor joined the "Chicago Med" team as the loveable psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Charles, Oliver Platt recurred on "The West Wing" as Oliver Babish. A quick-witted, intelligent, and passionate lawyer, Babish served as Bartlet's fifth White House Counsel and successfully navigated the President through some difficult controversies in the final leg of his term. The conclusion of the series, which saw Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) finally succeed Bartlet as President, also saw Babish become the next U.S. Attorney General.
While Platt's portrayals of Babish and Charles are pretty distinct from one another, there's a few common threads in their characterization that "Chicago Med" fans may appreciate — just one of which being their shared quality of having a ridiculously messy love life.
Platt's performance as Babish garnered plenty of fans and even served as a surprising source of inspiration for another popular piece of modern media. YouTube star Andrew Rea's massively popular cooking web series "Binging with Babish," in which he recreates food dishes from across different popular culture properties, actually derives its name from Oliver Platt's "West Wing" character. A strange connection, but a fun one nonetheless.
Though Platt may be much more recognizable to modern audiences as Dr. Daniel Charles, the actor certainly made his mark on the TV landscape as Oliver Babish. And if "Chicago Med" fans haven't yet seen his performance in "The West Wing," it's definitely worth checking out.