NBC’s new medical drama, Brilliant mindsPremieres on September 23 with new episodes set to air weekly on Mondays. Inspired by real-life doctor Oliver Sachs, the series follows a neurologist with face blindness (Zachary Quinto, Star Trek), which prioritizes patients over politics. When his unconventional treatment methods result in his firing, Oliver’s longtime friend, Dr. Carol Pierce (Tamberla Perry, All Americans: Homecoming), offers him an opportunity to work alongside her at Bronx General Hospital.
Oliver and Carol’s dynamic is the most heartwarming aspect of Brilliant mindsAnd Tamberla Perry is happy that her real-life friendship with Zachary Quinto is translating to the screen. She emphasizes that the two characters see each other for who they really are, because Carol is one of the few doctors who believes in Oliver’s non-traditional approach to care. In addition to Perry and Quinto, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears and Donna Murphy make up the main cast.
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Screen Rant Interviewed Perry about what drew her to the series, Carol and Oliver’s friendship, the show’s emphasis on mental health, and what fans can look forward to as Brilliant minds Season 1 Keep going.
From the moment she read the brilliant mind script, Perry knew she had to play Carol
“It was a different show. It was unlike any show I could think of on television at the time, or even before.”
Screen Rant: What were your initial thoughts when you first heard the concept of Brilliant minds?
Tamberla Perry: I got the audition maybe, 5:00 on a Wednesday, and it was right at 10:00 on a Thursday, and it was like 14 pages of dialogue. This is what the industry is doing to us at this point. I remember finishing reading the script at about 2:00 in the morning. I went into the living room, and I said to my husband, because he was going to take me for the audition, I said, “I’ll be ready at 8 o’clock to record this because I’m about to book this job. ” I just knew.
I knew from the moment I read the script, I knew I had to have it. I don’t welcome roles. As actors, we want to work, and the things we audition for most of the time, we want to book, but 98% of our work is rejection. Most of the time, we say no. You should not put a lot in these things because otherwise you will get your feelings hurt every day of the week. But when I read this, I said, “I have to get this one, I have to get it.” And I did.
I typed the audition. I gave it my all, and when I read the script, it was different. This was a different show. It was unlike any of the shows I could think of on television at the time, or even before. A show dealing with mental health, especially at a time when it’s so topical, is such a hot topic. It really spoke to me. I was excited to get every single call that said, “You made it to the next round.” And I wondered when the rounds were going to end, but I was there for every step of the way.
When you started filming and getting to know the character, what stood out to you about Carol and the way she approached her job as a doctor?
Tamberla Perry: Carol “Furious” Pierce, as I like to call her, the Chief of Psychiatry at Bronx General is actually based on Carol E. Burnett, who was actually a pediatrician and a best friend and colleague of Dr. Oliver Sacks, who the story was inspired by. So my character is completely based on a real woman who was devoted to Oliver Sacks. She understood him. She was the first black graduate at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in 1960.
But beyond that, she was a pioneer and a trailblazer for diversity in medical education and just a leader and sheer force in the fight against health disparities at that time in the 60s. Today, we are still talking about health disparities. So to step into the shoes of this woman, which the character is based on, and build on the legacy – many people do not know about Carol Burnett. There is not much about you. There are many things about Oliver Sacks.
I took it upon myself to do the best I could in honoring who she was and honoring the relationship she had with Oliver Sacks in this role. I like to say that I bring bits of what I read about her, bits of Diahann Carroll, and also, bits of one of my favorite comedic actresses, Regina King, to the role. And through all these women, even through women that I know, I was able to create this “Fire Pierce” that, hopefully, the audience will get to know and love in the next few weeks.
Perry unpacks Carol and Oliver’s friendship in Brilliant Minds
“They were in the trenches together, and she knows her friend is a genius.”
From this, Carol is the first person to, literally, come knocking and offer Oliver a chance. What does she see in him that other doctors do not?
Tamberla Perry: Oliver, in the industry, is seen as challenging, a bit of a conflict, but she knows her friend. They’ve been in the trenches together, and she knows her friend is a genius. She knows that if he decides to come to the hospital, they can create the dream team of neuropsychology, really focusing on patients and helping patients that other people might have discarded, thrown away and deemed lost.
So she knows her friend is a genius. She knows that he literally steps into the shoes of the patients, in order to really understand what is going on with them and then give them the tools to express themselves and adapt. She knows that about him. She knows that there will be some resistance to bring him, but she knows that he is the best thing for that hospital and for that department.
The friendship between them was really the heart of the pilot episode for me.
Tamberla Perry: I didn’t ask you for that compliment, but that seems to be a theme, a common thread with a lot of people we’ve interviewed. It’s just about the friendship that Wolf and I have on screen, but it also translates off screen. We really fell in love with each other in a friendship way, as in our personal relationship. I am so glad that this is professionally translated.
On the flip side of that, what makes Oliver feel like he can trust Carol?
Tamberla Perry: She sees him, and she saw him for a long time, and that was the case with Carol Burnett and Oliver Sachs. She saw him. Carol Burnett was there when they were in their early twenties, and people didn’t really understand who he was. And I think that’s what our creators and our writers are really trying to get across. This was his man forever, and they really were that for each other. That’s the hope that we try to give to our audience, that everyone is not lucky enough to have people see them, but that’s what we want. We want people to watch this show and feel seen.
Perry tastes what’s to come in Brilliant Minds Season 1
“You really get to see a turning point of mental health for some different people.”
I love Oliver’s scenes with the interns. Will Carol be interacting with the group? What might the dynamic look like this season?
Tamberla Perry: As the show goes on, we’re going to get to see her interact with them quite a bit. They are his interns, and I bring him to the hospital not really letting him know that he will have a team of interns working with him, so it comes as a surprise to him. Ashleigh LaThrop, Spence Moore II, Aury Krebs and Alex MacNicoll play the characters.
Once people get cast, and they do such a good job, you can’t think of other people in those roles. The four actors embody the four characters perfectly. As the series goes on, you will definitely see some interactions between yourself and them. They respect me. I’m the boss. This is my hospital. I know it’s called Wolf, but it’s really Carol’s hospital.
Besides the pilot, what episode this season are you most looking forward to fans seeing?
Tamberla Perry: I’m going to say 11. It’s towards the end, but I think it’s one of those episodes where you really get to see a turning point of mental health for a few different people.
About NBC’s medical drama Brilliant Minds
Michael Grassi serves as creator, writer and executive producer
Inspired by the extraordinary life and work of world-renowned author and physician Oliver Sacks, “Brilliant Minds” follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier—the human mind—while Grappling. with their own relationships and mental health.
Check out the official trailer for Brilliant minds below:
Brilliant minds Airs Mondays on NBC at 10 p.m. ET.