Tufts has served as the creative breeding ground for several of today's television personalities - though many of them admit that in college they had no idea they would eventually ascend the ladder to fame and fortune.
Film and television actor Oliver Platt (LA '83) made his mark as a dynamic member of Tufts' drama department during his undergraduate years, dazzling audiences and peers with his outgoing personality and talent for invention.
Assistant Professor of Drama Downing Cless recently reflected on Platt's days at Tufts. "Oliver was an outstanding and extremely talented student who established himself as one of our leading male actors," he said.
Cless remembered Platt goofing off during rehearsals and constantly trying to entertain the cast and crew. "We did a lot of exercises about focus and trying to keep concentration, so Oliver always joked around about trying to get 'the focus,'" Cless said.
Platt's most noteworthy achievements at Tufts were his role as Shylock in the Merchant of Venice and a supporting part in Waiting for Godot. In addition to his outstanding contributions to Tufts theater, Platt also forayed into music, spending his free time writing original blues songs and performing in a rock band.
Since graduating, Platt has starred in several blockbuster films, including Simon Birch, A Time to Kill, Executive Decision, Indecent Proposal, and Working Girl. Most recently, he was cast as the lead in the NBC drama Deadline, where he played a tough-nosed investigative reporter. The show, however, was pulled after only four episodes aired.
Some Tufts students in Hollywood work behind the scenes. Rob Burnett (LA '84) currently serves as president of the production company WorldWide Pants, and is in the midst of a very successful season. His new comedy Ed earned critical acclaim for its comic portrayal of the title character, a lawyer who leaves New York to return to his Ohio hometown to start his life over.
The script of Ed reveals that Burnett, a writer and producer for the show, is never far from his Tufts roots. On one episode, when a character applies for a job at Ed's combination bowling alley and law office, Ed observes that his resume boasts a Tufts diploma.
As Burnett told New Jersey's Bergen Record, Ed is loosely based on his own character and experiences. "If you're a guy like me... you write about stuff you know, and then you go out and get a guy that's better looking to pull it off," Burnett said.
Burnett also produces Everybody Loves Raymond, the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, and Late Show with David Letterman, for which he recently accepted the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Music or Comedy Series for the third consecutive year. His work on Letterman necessitates a close relationship with the man himself.
Last year, during Letterman's recovery from heart surgery, Burnett helped ease the star's transition back onto the air by organizing newly taped segments of repeat guests on the show as a mock tribute to Letterman.
"We really try to load [Letterman] up with as much comedy as we can," said Burnett in an interview with Daily Variety. He enjoys his relationship with WorldWide Pants, "just because I love the name of the company," he joked.
Also working behind the scenes is Tufts grad Eric Tannenbaum (LA '85), former president of Columbia TriStar. Tannenbaum left the company to form a television production venture, Artists Television Group (ATG), as a means to assert Columbia TriStar's presence on the small screen.
"When we started this company, we decided on an aggressive strategy that would allow ATG to impact television right from the start," Tannenbaum said, according to the Tufts "eNews" website.
Tannenbaum also arranged for Tufts students to experience the excitement of the television industry firsthand. Two summers ago, eight Tufts interns trekked to California to taste the flavor of Hollywood, which included everything from answering phones and assisting with production to mingling with celebrities and attending high-profile parties.
Like Tannenbaum, Hank Azaria (LA '85), one of the most celebrated Tufts alums involved in television and film, continues to give back to the University, most recently during his return to campus last year. Along with singer-songwriter Eden White, Azaria was honored in a ceremony with the Light on the Hill Award for his acting achievements.
Azaria acted along with Oliver Platt during his time at Tufts and played major roles in plays such as Uncle Vanya and Royal Hunt of the Sun. When he reflected during his Light on the Hill Award speech, Azaria said he had no idea his life would follow its present course.
Though he enjoyed frequent success in the drama department, Azaria admitted that he was hesitant to take the leap of faith necessary to lead an actor's life.
"When I was back here, I didn't know how things would turn out for me - it was very scary. And the idea of pursuing a career in acting, it's against the odds and it is horrifying. But what seemed more horrifying to me was never trying," Azaria said during his reception speech.
In addition to his great respect for Platt, Cless also places Azaria at the top of his list of bright lights in the drama department. "I have a huge memory of Hank as a person with a tremendous sense of humor," he said.
Cless said that while Azaria displayed his proclivity towards the hilarious and over-the-top here at Tufts, his natural talent for vocal impressions did not emerge until his stint on The Simpsons for which he currently provides the voices behind many popular characters.
"Hank revealed himself as someone who could play a large variety of characters during his theater time at Tufts, but I had no idea he could do so many voices since it was never something he displayed in class," Cless said.
Besides The Simpsons, Azaria also had a recurring role on Mad About You. His film credits include The Birdcage, Grosse Point Blank, and Heat. Most recently, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his performance in the TV drama Tuesdays with Morrie.
