Steven Prusakowski
One of the best qualities of FX’s The Bear is the care given to developing its characters and weaving them into the story. This happens both with the central characters and even those with limited screen time. It is done so effectively that some characters, like Oliver Platt’s Uncle Jimmy’s presence can be felt looming even when not part of the episode. It is more than making the most with what you have. It is masterfully combining those ingredients into a flavorful dish that you will never forget.
In season two, Platt is given more screen time, though with the impact he left I’d never had guessed he was only in a couple of season one episodes. The actor, who’s been in the profession for over twenty years, makes the most of every scene. He makes Uncle Jimmy feel both intimidating and inviting at the same time. You never quite know what you will get from him, as Platt explained.
“What makes the character so much fun to play is the sort of the distance between what he wants to put out there in the world and what he’s actually thinking and what is revealed about him. You meet him and you go, ‘who is this guy?’ He’s a fricking scary guy. Is he going to break Carmine’s legs? You know, he actually thought about that. Not that he was serious, but he’s using you, even though he’s sort of making a joke.”
Oliver Platt spoke with Awards Radar (you can watch the full video interview below) about his work on the series where he not only spoke about his work bringing Uncle Jimmy to life, but also endlessly praised show creator and writer Chris Storer for being the chef to prepare the television delicacy. Platt could not say enough about the episodes “Forks” and “Fishes” – two of the best episodes of television this past year. It is not just how they independently, but how they play together where the master stroke of Storer can be witnessed.
“That’s my favorite, maybe my favorite episode of television ever, “Forks,” said Platt. “But the thing, Ebon (Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Cousin Richie) is just like reduced me to a puddle of fricking goo. You know what I mean? Watching him in that episode. But to me, one of the amazing things about ”Fishes” is it happens four or five years before season one.”
“And, what’s so heartbreaking about it is that you see, especially as it relates to Richie. You see, I think that in, “Fishes”, when Richie goes upstairs to check on Tiff (Gillian Jacobs), it’s one of those beautiful love scenes I’ve ever seen in my life, because that’s what it is. The love scene, even though they’re just sort of talking about stuff and then yet, literally, we already know without having seen “Forks” that that relationship just goes to absolute crap. Which is so heartbreaking to know that that’s going to happen.”
Platt’s work in “Fishes” (which we discuss more at length in the video interview) puts Uncle Jimmy’s unpredictability and perhaps a glimpse of his guarded side on display in some very powerful scenes. Both scenes are shared with Ebon and both are intense thanks to the actors’ shared chemistry and Platt’s ability to tap into his character’s psyche often just through his eyes. Across the series, Platt delivers a character who you never quite know what to expect, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Perhaps the most unpredictable part of Uncle Jimmy came at the end of season two, with only a few words and a ton of emotion expressed in Platt’s eyes as Richie serves him a chocolate covered banana at the end of his meal. It does not sound like much, but it is a powerful moment and one of those that reminds us about just how good the series, and Platt’s work in it, really are.
When asked about that scene, Platt shared, “I think that was like a roundhouse for him. I mean, that’s when Richie just really, I mean it shows you Richie was listening. It’s all part of the transformation of “Forks.” He was taking data, the data that he had about the customer. This is what he learned at that restaurant.”
“My story about the fricking chocolate banana with my dad… it’s almost like a throwaway story. You got to give both Ebon, but again, Chris, a tremendous amount of credit for just planning.”
Be sure to watch the full interview below for much more insight into Uncle Jimmy Kalinowski, how he developed his accent, how the role came to him, the scene that made him laugh out loud, and a very interesting answer to my frequent closing question, “3 words to describe.” It is a spirited and insightful conversation.
All of the first two seasons of “The Bear” are streaming exclusively Hulu, with season 3 premiering in its entirety on June 27.
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