For the last twenty years or so, many have considered television to have re-entered its golden age.
From “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” to “True Detective” and “The Sopranos,” both network and cable television channels have upped the ante and begun producing some exceptionally stellar work. Not only do these works come to represent cultural phenomena, they also bring the quality–and thus standard–of television to a new level.
So it comes as no surprise that many stars who were predominantly associated with film have begun their pilgrimage to the small screen. From Jane Fonda of “Grace & Frankie” to Clive Owen of “The Knick,” many lauded actors have started recognizing the narrative, formal and stylistic excellence that TV is offering.
And while Oliver Platt, Andrea Martin and John Lithgow have all had extensive and prolific careers on television, they are also predominantly known and lauded for their film appearances. Returning to his comedy TV roots, Lithgow confessed, “nothing is better than making people laugh and it’s been awhile since I’ve done anything like this,” referring to his time on the hit show, “3rd Rock from the Sun.” “I thought it was high time [to return],” said the Academy Award-nominated actor.
When asked how she dove into this project, the wildly prolific Andrea Martin–cast member of the Tracey Wigfield (protégé of Tina Fey) created “Great News”–said, “Tina Fey called and asked me to do it. That’s a good reason isn’t it?” Speaking of her time working with the first-time showrunner, Martin said “she’s amazing. She’s in her thirties! She’s so smart. Obviously Tina and NBC wouldn’t give her this opportunity if they didn’t think she was enormously gifted.”
Oliver Platt, speaking of his preparation for the science-heavy Dick Wolf produced “Chicago Med,” stated “I walked around and hung out with a lot of psychiatrists who work in hospitals. That was really important to do.” Going on discussing the representation of psychiatry in television, Platt explained, “It was Dick who realized that there had never been a psychiatrist on a medical-based procedural in a hospital before. And he was right!”
Check out The Knockturnal’s full interview with the stars below:
