Howard Platt

For years, character actor Howard Platt qualified as one of the small screen's most familiar faces. Devoted viewers of 1970s television will easily remember Platt; he played Hoppy the Cop, the quintessentially weird, by-the-book white police officer who made frequent stops at Fred Sanford's junk yard, on the hit NBC sitcom Sanford and Son (1972-77). Additional recurring roles included Dr. Phil Newman on The Bob Newhart Show, and Marvin the Jewelry Salesman on Alice. Platt briefly enjoyed a main starring role as an airline pilot, Captain Doug March, on the CBS adventure drama Flying High (1978) opposite Pat Klous and Connie Sellecca; unfortunately, it was cancelled in late January of 1979, soon after it premiered. He remained active for the following several decades, however, and extended his work into occasional features such as The Cat from Outer Space (1978), Nixon (1995), The Rock (1996), while establishing himself as a nearly constant presence in theater, as an actor and director. In 2008, Platt starred opposite Tim Robbins and Rachel McAdams in the Iraq veteran-themed drama The Lucky Ones.

~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide