Forever and fondly remembered as Don Adams' foil on the popular Mel Brooks/Buck Henry spy series Get Smart (1965), character actor Ed Platt (also billed as Edward C. Platt) had been around for two decades prior to copping that rare comedy role. Born in Staten Island, New York, on Valentine's Day, 1916, he inherited an appreciation of music on his mother's side. He spent a part of his childhood in Kentucky and in upstate New York where he attended Northwood, a private school in Lake Placid, and was a member of the ski jump team. He majored in romantic languages at Princeton University but left a year later to study at the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati after his thoughts turned to a possible operatic career. He later was accepted into Juilliard.
Instead of opera, however, Ed first became a band vocalist with Paul Whiteman and Orchestra. He then sang bass as part of the Mozart Opera Company in New York. With the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company in 1942, he appeared in the operettas "The Mikado," "The Gondoliers" and "The Pirates of Penzance".
WWII interrupted his early career. Ed served as a radio operator with the army and would find himself on radio again in the post-war years where his deep, resonant voice proved ideal. A number of musical comedy roles also came his way again. In 1947, he made it to Broadway with the musical "Allegro." Star José Ferrer took an interest in Ed while they both were appearing in "The Shrike" on Broadway in 1952.
Around 1953, Edward moved to Texas to be near his brother and began anchoring the local news and kiddie birthday party show called "Uncle Eddie's Kiddie Party." Ferrer remembered Platt and invited him to Hollywood where Ferrer was starring in the film version of The Shrike (1955). Ed recreated his stage role. He also earned fine notices as James Dean's understanding juvenile officer in the classic film Rebel Without a Cause (1955).
This led to a plethora of film and TV support offers where the balding actor made fine use of his dark, rich voice, stern intensity and pragmatic air, portraying a slew of professional and shady types in crime yarns, soap dramas and war pictures -- everything from principals and prosecutors to mobsters and murderers.
After years of playing it serious, which included stints on the daytime drama General Hospital (1963), Ed finally was able to focus on comedy as "The Chief" to Don Adams klutzy secret agent on Get Smart (1965), a show that inevitably found a cult audience. Picking up a few occasional guest spots in its aftermath, he later tried producing.
Twice married and the father of four, Platt died on March 19, 1974. Death was attributed to a massive heart attack at the time. Years later his son revealed that his father, suffering from acute depression and undergoing severe financial pressures, committed suicide at his Santa Monica, California apartment.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.ne
as Julius Nero
as Senator Bradley(1 ep)
as Caldwell(1 ep)
as Bill Donnelly(1 ep)
as Self (uncredited)(1 ep)
as Chief
as Judge(1 ep)
as Gen. Thomas
as The Judge
as Thaddeus(138 eps)
as Morgan(1 ep)
as Tucker
as General Patterson(1 ep)
as Capt. Frank Metcalfe(1 ep)
as Dean Radcliffe(1 ep)
as Mr. Terrence(1 ep)
as David Hunt(1 ep)
as Judge Kenneth W. Browne(1 ep)
as Judge Phillips(1 ep)
as Judge(3 eps)
as Superior Court Judge(1 ep)
as Captain Haven Hitchcock
as Chief Rivers
as Stuart Brynmar(1 ep)
as Dr. Gates(1 ep)
as Judge
as Mr. Morton
as Lou Gregory(1 ep)
as Dr. Tom Paulson(1 ep)
as Joe Nolan
as Azor the High Priest
as Madrigo
as James Weeks(1 ep)
as Ben Tarbell
as Harrison Glenn
as Henry Praiswater(1 ep)
as Dr. Wallace Oliver(1 ep)
as Doctor(1 ep)
as Harvey Buford(1 ep)
as Wade Colly(1 ep)
as Noah Harper(1 ep)
as Will Flanders(1 ep)
as Dan Regent
as Victor Larrabee
as Mr. Tucker / Mr. T
as Col. DeRose
as Will Denning(1 ep)
as Jason Clark(1 ep)
as Dr. Easton
as Mr. Jacobin(1 ep)
as Roy Evens(1 ep)
as Ben Lockwood(1 ep)
as Purcell Avery
as Sam Grypton
as Eli Cave
as Dr. Thomas Daley
as Joseph Kosta
as Dr. Jim Miller
as Roland Dane
as Adam Madson(1 ep)
as George Mason(1 ep)
as Johnny Haggerty
as Lieutenant(1 ep)
as Cmdr. Driscoll(1 ep)
as Tom Stratton(1 ep)
as Spinoza de Costa(1 ep)
as Cyrus Bolton(1 ep)
as The Warden
as Jayhan
as Martin J. Daylor
as Ralph Adams, Reporter
as Attorney Briggs
as Thomas Daley Sr.
as Dr. O'Conner
as Neil Shipley
as Sheriff Galt(1 ep)
as Marshall Mays(1 ep)
as Dr. Paul Cochrane
as Palmer(1 ep)
as Stanley Andrews(1 ep)
as John Wilbur Mason(1 ep)
as Rev. Wilson
as Dr. Barlow
as Everett Carter
as Sheriff J.C. Marson
as Judge Wahller
as Major Dunning - Psychiatrist
as Dr. Eubank (uncredited)
as Ray Fremick
as Ralph Ford
as Mr. Henshaw(1 ep)
as Mr. Burgess(1 ep)
as Harry Downs
as Lamian Threatening Death (uncredited)
as Judge (uncredited)(1 ep)
as Lease Harris(1 ep)
as General Thomas(2 eps)
as Ben Tarbell(3 eps)
as Henry(2 eps)
as Sutter(1 ep)
as Dr. Banner(1 ep)
as Freddie(1 ep)
as Chief of Police(1 ep)
as Dr. Fain(1 ep)
as Sparks(1 ep)
as Lieutenant in Gates' Office (uncredited)
