Everything about Edward Platt totally explained
Edward C. Platt (
February 14,
1916 –
March 19,
1974) was an American character
actor best known for his portrayal of "
The Chief" in the 1965-70
NBC/
CBS television series
Get Smart. With his deep voice and mature countenance, he played an eclectic mix of characters over the span of his career.
Early life
Platt was born in
Staten Island,
New York. He studied at
Princeton University, majoring in
romance languages, but switched to study music at
Juilliard with the intention of having a career as an opera singer. Before the
US joined
World War II, he sang in a band with
Paul Whiteman's Orchestra performing in such musicals as
The Pirates of Penzance and
The Mikado. During his time in the
US Army, he served as a radio operator. After the war, he continued to appear on radio.
Stage, film and television career
He debuted on
Broadway in the
Rodgers and Hammerstein musical
Allegro. He landed his first film due with help from
José Ferrer who performed with him in the Broadway play
The Shrike. Ferrer and Platt played the same parts in the film version in
1955. Also in 1955 he appeared in
Rebel Without a Cause starring
James Dean,
Natalie Wood and
Sal Mineo. Platt returned to Broadway in
1958 with the musical
Oh, Captain! playing a romantic role. In
1959, he played
Cary Grant's attorney in
North by Northwest.
His most famous role came in the 1960s when he accepted the role of "Chief" in the spy comedy television show
Get Smart. He played various cameos after the series ended.
Death
Platt was believed to have died of a
heart attack in
1974 at the age of 58, though in 2007, his son Jeff revealed a long-held secret. In August
2007, a
Get Smart fan website published an interview with Jeff Platt in which he stated that his father had died as a result of a suicide, caused by
depression and financial difficulties. He left four children from two marriages and a brother living in
Santa Barbara, California.
Partial filmography
Further Information
Get more info on 'Edward Platt'.
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