Charlie Schlatter was born on May 1st, 1966 in Englewood, New Jersey.

Actually Charlie wasn’t very interested in acting until he fell in love with a girl at highschool. “The girl didn’t only happen to be cute, she was also the only girl at school that was shorter than me.” To impress her he went to an audition for the school play “Oliver” and got the leading part, the part of Oliver Twist. Charlie had discovered his passion for acting and that was just the beginning.

While studying music and theater science at the Ithaca College, he spent much time at the Musical Theatre, where he learned playing the piano, the guitar and the drums and started to write songs.

During another stage performance, he was discovered by a casting director, who invited him to an audition for a movie. He didn’t get the role, but after he had been tested with dark eyebrows and hair for his appearance on the screen he got a part in the movie “Bright Lights, Big City”, where he plays Michael J. Fox’ character’s younger brother.

Having starred in the movie “Heartbreak Hotel”, in which he plays a boy who kidnaps Elvis Presley (guys, you’ll love that film, it is just soooooo sweet), Charlie got his third role in the movie “18 Again” together with George Burns. As Charlie says himself he liked the filming of this movie most.

In the Australian film “The Delinquents” he acted as Brownie Hanson next to the pop-singer Kylie Minogue. The two of them play a young couple in the Australia of the early 50’s, who has to push through their love against the prudery and the will of the adults.

One of my personally favorite movies, in which Charlie had a leading act, is called: “All-American Murder” (that was also the title of a DM-episode, season 3, I guess).

Content:
Artie Logan (Charlie Schlatter) is a potential troublemaker and has already been thrown out of so many schools, that it’s only the merit of his father’s influence that Artie gets a place at the excellent Farefield College. As he falls in love with the model student and campus queen Tally Fuller (Jodie Bisset), he decides to change his life in all ways. But then Tally is murdered and Artie becomes the prime suspect. He claims that he hasn’t done anything, but no one wants to believe him unless the detective P.J. Decker (Christopher Walken) who gives Artie 24 hours to solve the crime.
But the more Artie tries to throw light at the events at the Farefield campus, the more people are killed and the truth becomes more and more unbelievable. Still there is no trace of the killer and slowly Artie runs out of time...

My Opinion:
With much sexual and violent content the movie is heavy-going, but certainly a brilliant thriller, in which nothing is as it seems. Even though the plot is not really an original (a suspect, whom no one wants to believe and the obligatory 24 hours....déjà vu?), the story and the characters are really convincing.
What I like most about that movie is a Charlie Schlatter who is completely different to the guy we know from Diagnosis Murder. For the first time he isn’t just the loving sunnyboy, but a cross-border commuter with a mind of his own, who however wins more and more sympathy during the movie.

In 1992 Charlie met his wife Colleen, who works as publicist, on west coast and married her on the 7th of May in 1994. 3 years later, on the 8th of September their first daughter named Julia-Marie was born and in October/November 1999 their second daughter, named Quinn, drew her first breath. And on the 12th of May 2002, their first son Beck Frederick was born.

Being originally from Englewood, respectively from Chicago, Charlie and Colleen live now together with their children in one of the valleys in the area of Los Angeles, California. As a lot of Colleen’s relatives are enthusiastic golfers, also Charlie started playing and found it very pleasing. He still does golf tournaments from time to time, but actually he likes more being at home and spending time with his children.

As most of us probably already know, Charlie plays in the TV programme “Diagnosis: Murder” the young doctor Jesse Travis, who is quite similar to himself, as Charlie says. He joined the crew of DM at the beginning of season 3, when the show was impending to be canceled, and replaced the character Dr. Jack Stewart (played by Scott Baio). What he loves most about his role is that he can say: “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV!”

Charlie tries to play Jesse a little more naive than he is. Mr Schlatter describes himself as a fairly sceptical person, but also as less cynical than his TV character, who - now and then - tends to making sharp remarks about others. However he and Jesse have many things in common (for example: their admiration for people) as Charlie always tries to put as much from himself into the role as possible because he was taught that no written character can ever be more fascinating and exciting than a real person.

When questioned who has the most flubs at the DM set, Charlie answered: “Probably my teeth!” And not only those, but also the actors’ short-time memory are strained: “When you’re doing a show like this, it’s like cramming for an exam two minutes before the test. I can look at a page for a while and have it in my head and when we move onto the next scene I’ve completely forgotten what I just said.”

And Charlie is still not the only one who has his flubs sometimes: “Dick always calls me Charlie instead of Jesse on camera. And he’ll hit his head and say: Why don’t you just change your name in Jesse?”

So, it’s strenuous sometimes. “People don’t realize to do a three page scene is three hours of work!”

However, Charlie has great fun. Working with his idol Dick van Dyke has always been his dream and he also enjoys working with Barry, Dick’s son. “Barry is a great guy, nothing but honesty coming out of him...He and I die laughing about the stupidest things and we’re like a couple of school girls...We’re so physically opposite, it’s fun playing off him, he’s such a straight man.”

Jesse came to the Community General Hospital as a new intern, but having gone through several sleepless and strenuous years as a student, he is now resident and head of the emergency room in the CGH. He completed the main part of his medicine studies as Mark’s protégé and has become more and more a member of this little ‘family’. Together with Mark’s son Steve he owns a small barbecue restaurant, called the BBQ Bob’s.

Almost as sure as his surgeon fingers, that even help in nicking key cards from hotel directors, is his sense for trouble, in which he usually ends up. In those situations he needs his friends, who are always there to help him, although they can’t always handle Jesse’s tempestuous and clumsy way that can be quite annoying sometimes. But actually they like the enthusiastic, cheerful and honest young doctor; however, they don’t refuse to tease their friend a little bit from time to time, yet, that never seems to bug him much.

Jesse was born and raised in Elgin, Illinois, where people don’t do anything else but playing baseball all day long, that’s at least what Jesse says. He doesn’t keep much contact with his parents. Since they got divorced when he was at highschool, the relationship between Jesse and his parents has been kind of cool. His mother, also a doctor at a private clinic in Minnesota, has never paid much attention or interest for what her son did or does. His father moved to Toronto after the divorce and has got a new family there. That’s at least what he  hoodwinked his son all the time. Though in real life Dane Travis isn’t an accountant, but works as an agent for the CIA.. Actually he left his family to protect them, however, that doesn’t change anything about the fact that the father-son-relationship is not the way Jesse wants it to be. Therefore Jesse is probably a bit jealous of Mark and Steve, though normally he doesn’t show that.

Jesse once had a very close relationship to the nurse Susan Hilliard, who left him then because of a chiropractor. Since then he’s had some girlfriends, but, exactly like Steve, he isn’t really lucky with the ‘weak’ gender.

The doc has blood type ‘0’; he is allergic to sun flowers (gets a bad rash) and roses (the prom-flowers-syndrome, please don’t ask!). He loves surfing, though he has never been seen at the same time, presumably because something always comes up: Once he got infected with a mutated smallpox virus, another time the garbage in Belona Creek caused an awful rash on his back. Jesse loves daily-soaps and countrymusic and obviously also cars because he is the only one of our four friends, who drives a new car in almost every season. ;-)



Episodes you shouldn’t miss as a true Jesse/Charlie-fan:


Season 3 (The first season with Charlie, life has got a new sense!!)


Misdiagnosis Murder

When an overworked and tired Jesse sees a man breaking down in the parking lot of the CGH, he believes that the man is dying and calls help. But when the rescuers are coming, the man suddenly shows signs of life again. Jesse swears he’s seen a dead man, but even Mark has his doubts. So Jesse starts to investigate on his own...and should he be right at the end? Just one word: sweeeeeeeeeet!!!


35 Millimeter Murder

Mark has finally got back the pictures from his holiday, but they aren’t exactly what he has expected. Instead of a fish, there is a man on them who is obviously threatening a girl with gun. Mark and the journalist Vic try to find that woman. In the meantime Amanda’s baby is born...but not quite as planned.
Two words: Soooooooo sweeeeeet!!


Mind over Murder

Jesse falls in love with Kristy, who works for a TV show as a psychic. Then Kristy has visions of murders being committed and the bodies are really found.
Some inexplicable phenomenons, but the solving of the case is as earthly as always.



Season 4 (Slowly we get used to the good-looking doc and don’t faint everytime he appears on the screen)


Murder Can Be Contagious

Jesse finds an ill man on the beach and brings him to Mark’s house. When the man dies there, the diagnosis is clear: He died of smallpox. While Mark and Jesse are under quarantine in the beach house, Amanda and Steve are trying to find cause of the virus and more important: the serum. In the meantime Jesse collapses and still there is no useful trace...
This epi is one of the best!! Much edge-of-the-seat-feeling and nail biting, rush and squealing tires, loads of serious dialogues and a Charlie Schlatter sweeter than you can imagine... And an eighth-grade-biology-seminar for free!
Ok, maybe we are allowed to faint...only one more time.


Murder Two 1+2

Jesse performs an emergency operation, but his patient ends up paralysed. The victim’s family mistakenly charge Jesse for a slip. Mark asks his old friend, the lawyer Ben Matlock, to take on Jesse’s case. But then Eric Spindler, the main witness for the prosecution against Jesse, is murdered and Jesse arrested as prime suspect. Now the Sloans, Amanda and Matlock start to investigate.
Two hours DM and Charlie...what do you want more?!



Season 5 (The first signs of extreme addiction: “Of course, I like DM and Charlie Schlatter, but I don’t need to watch it, I can stop anytime I want!”)


Slam-Dunk Dead

Jesse is the new team doctor of a famous basketball team in LA.. Shortly after Jesse has treated a player's allergic reaction, the man breaks down. Dead. Jesse is accused of a slip and must face the fact that he may lose his medical degree. But Mark doesn’t believe in Jesse’s failure...
Cool epi with loads of Jesse, just as we love him and also some good-looking sportsmen. So, it’s not even bugging me that I’m not a bit interested in basketball.


Discards

Jesse’s father Dane Travis is in LA for a visit, but - as always - work seems to follow him. He‘s already been attacked by some strangers and decides to disappear with his son. The investigations lead back to a case from Dane's past which he doesn’t like to be reminded of...
I really like that episode because Robert Culp does a really good job as Dane Travis. Maybe a little bit too much James-Bond-feeling, but that’s easy to take.


First Do No Harm

A sick girl is brought into the hospital, but Mark and Jesse are forbidden by the insurance to treat her. The girl dies in the ER. Mark and Jesse are outraged. Would you call it murder?
It’s not really typical for DM, in respect of the tragedy it would fit more likely to ER and it‘s more a matter of moral principles than of solving crimes. However, everyone who wants to see his favorite ER doc and his favorite head of the internal medicine in action should already occupy the TV.


Food Fight

Jesse has accepted the responsibility for the yearly charity ball of the Community General and is searching for a suitable party service. Actually that whole thing was supposed to be just a nice party, but a food poisoning and a dead man later, not only Jesse but also his friends are convinced that the ambitions of the competing services is more than just business acumen.
Watch it! You‘ll laugh yourself to death when Amanda serves starters with wry smile and in a *very* short dress and Jesse empties a bottle of bitters in one deep gulp.



Season 6 (In the meantime I got my friends reared well enough that they don't dare to phone me on Wednesdays at prime time)


Blood Will Out

After a shooting some bodies are brought to the CGH. As one of the supposedly dead persons attacks Amanda, it is quite certain that the man probably has never been dead. He really attacks also other hospital employees and finally kidnaps Susan, Jesse‘s girlfriend. What does that man actually want?
People with a sensitive stomach shouldn’t put too much extra cheese onto their pizza before. Fairly bloody affair, but really thrilling!


Alienated

On a vacation with Steve Jesse disappears traceless. When he’s found five days later, he is in an awful shape and has no memory about what happened to him in the last few days. He hallucinates and claims that he‘s been abducted by aliens. However, Mark assumes something much more earthly behind all that.
Very unusual epi and Charlie Schlatter with moustache is also a bit weird...maybe a little freaky, but something different and new at least.


Dead In The Water

In a far-flung vacation resort Susan recognises a man, whom she has believed to be dead for years. When she wants to confront him with that fact, she and Jesse find him murdered, really this time. The couple is arrested and slowly start to understand what’s going on in the small village. Will Mark, Steve and Amanda be right in time to save their friends?
Loads of rice waffles and quite funny...and Amanda has to play the waitress again:
Guest: Lady, where’s my milk?
Amanda: Do I look like a cow?!


Rescue Me

Jesse rescues the young woman Chloe Marsden who has caused a car accident and from then on she doesn’t leave him alone any more. Once Jesse witnesses a fight between Chloe and her brutal ex-lover and he intervenes...with deadly consequences. Mark and Steve aren’t so sure any more who is the real victim...
Love, tragedy, insanity and why Glenn Close never cooked a cat. Worth watching it!



Season 7 (Jesse’s girlfriend has left him? If I could try it...Why are you looking at me like this?!)


The Flame

Jesse and a girl named Betsy try to rescue a man who wanted to commit suicide, but they’re too late. He was a friend of one of Mark‘s old friends and now that Mark and Steve investigate, they soon find proofs that suicide wasn’t a suicide. In the meanwhile Jesse has some problems with his new flame and Mark has some with his old one...
The epi is thought through very well and there’s an ending of Agatha Christie  and Columbo. Really cool!


The Mouth That Roared

The radio host Denise Steiner is looking for her birth mother in her show all over the country. But as soon as she has found her, her mom is murdered and Denise arrested. Mark takes on the moderation of her show. But she is not the only one who has problems with her parents. Jesse‘s mother is for a visit in LA and turns her son’s life around again.
Mrs Travis behaves as imagined and Mark does a very good job as radio host...great!


Out Of Past 1+2

Amy, Alex' old friend, asks him for help because she believes that someone wants to murder her. Madison Wesley falls in love with a man, but Mark and Steve don’t trust him. Jesse is accused of writing a book about hospital gossips and although he claims that he doesn’t have anything to do with him, Amanda doesn’t trust him. And so all of them have their own smaller or bigger problems. Just as in real life.
This epi contains everything for everybody, not only for Jesse fans. But the scenes where Jesse and Amanda quarrel about Amanda’s love affair with a married Ukrainian (or was it a Hungarian?) are not to beat!



Season 8 (That’s the last one?! No, no, no, that can’t be true!!!)


All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Die

A famous fashion designer is attacked on his wedding...and dies. Some days later Tanja, on of the models who worked for him, has a breakdown. Diagnosis: drug abuse. Jesse treats her and finds out that the stylist gave his models Ecstasy regularly. Tanja falls in love with Jesse, but there is still her dad....
Oh yeah, life of men isn’t easy. Who doesn’t fail the woman, can be sure to get problems with her father. Poor Jesse!


Being Of Sound Mind

A dying millionaire is brought to the CGH. Before he meets his maker, he wills his property to Amanda and Jesse along with four other strangers. However, his testament implies that only one person is going to inherit: the one who will survive the others! And soon the first murder is committed...
The story with the inheritances is not very new for a crime series, but this variation is thoroughly exciting, funny and clever.


Bachelor Fathers

When one of Jesse’s ex-girlfriends is stalked by a killer, she makes Jesse believe that he fathered her son and leaves her kid with him, while she tries to help herself out of the misery. But that’s not as easy as she thought...
Really, really lovely, yet, - as much as they’re trying - Charlie and Barry can’t hide that they have already had more than one baby in their arms. Oh yeah, they’re just true daddies...