Tufts Alum Gets Golden Recognition

Actor and Tufts graduate Oliver Platt, who stars in Showtime’s new TV series “Huff” with fellow alumnus Hank Azaria, has earned a Golden Globe award nomination.

Medford/Somerville, Mass. [12.17.04] Fresh off a shower of critical accolades for his supporting role in the new Showtime series “Huff,” Tufts graduate Oliver Platt received a Golden Globe award nomination on Dec. 13 for best supporting actor in a television series.

Also: 'Huff' Just What The Doctor Ordered

Platt portrays Russell Tupper, a fast-living lawyer who is good friends with the title character, Craig “Huff” Huffstodt – played by real-life friend and fellow Tufts graduate Hank Azaria.

Platt’s work earned him an opportunity to compete with William Shatner from “Boston Legal,” Sean Hayes from “Will & Grace,” Michael Imperioli of “The Sopranos,” and Jeremy Piven from “Entourage” for honors in the best supporting TV actor category.

This isn’t the first time Platt has been in the running for Hollywood hardware. In 2001, he received an Emmy nomination for a guest starring role on NBC’s “The West Wing,” playing chief counsel Oliver Babish.

Unlike his West Wing role as the President’s careful attorney, Platt’s character on Huff is more compulsive than considerate.

On the show, the arrogant Tupper indulges in substance abuse and promiscuity, drawing the concern of the also-troubled Huff while at the same time helping his friend through his own problems. The Los Angeles Times called Platt’s character “the show’s anarchic life force,” adding that “he’s easily the best thing about the series’ initial episodes, repeatedly hoisting the show on his shoulders and taking it to truly risky places.”

“Russell is a very, very good lawyer, and like a lot of high-functioning professionals he is a victim of his own compulsive behavior,” Platt told the Times. “Professionals [like him] tend to lubricate their denial and think that they don’t have a problem.”

“What I love about this show, and about Russell’s stories, is that you see him getting into these extremely compromised and difficult positions, and not really having a clue and having to talk his way out of it,” Platt explained to The Toronto Star. “It’s not like he doesn’t pay for it. It makes his life incredibly difficult. But it’s not like he sees Jesus and goes to a 12-step meeting right away.”

The San Francisco Chronicle called Platt a “scene stealer,” and the show’s executive producer Bob Lowry apparently feels the same way.

“I have so many places to take him – he has so much work to do… he’s really been hurt,” Lowry told The Washington Post.

Platt and Azaria will continue to share the limelight at least through next year – Showtime ordered a second season of the show before the first episode even premiered.

The 62nd annual Golden Globe Awards will be presented live on NBC January 16, 2005.