How Zachary Quinto's Brilliant Minds Character Is Unlike Any TV Doctor You've Ever Seen

Get ready to meet Zachary Quinto as a completely different type of hero.

The Heroes alum is returning to NBC in the new medical drama Brilliant Minds. Inspired by the extraordinary life and work of revolutionary physician Oliver Sacks, Quinto plays Dr. Oliver Wolf—a larger-than-life neurologist who uses unconventional methods to help his patients.

And as E! News' exclusive teases, his approach to treating his subjects are quite unorthodox.

"He took an Alzheimer's patient out of the hospital on a motorcycle!" a rage-filled hospital executive yells in the preview. "The family is threatening to sue."

However, as Dr. Wolf reasons, "His world is darkening by the day and those days are numbered. I chose to walk with him. To find a path forward, because no one else will."

While one of Dr. Wolf's medical colleagues calls his methodology genius, another hospital worker thinks he's just a "d--k."

And while Dr. Wolf may not always fit in at his place of work, Quinto shed light on the cognitive hurdles his character faces as he helps his patients.

"He suffers from Prosopagnosia, which is face-blindness," the actor noted in behind-the-scenes footage, "which is something that the real Oliver Sacks had as well."

The complex role is essentially what drew Quinto to the series.

"This is a character that's a little bit different from what people know me for," the Star Trek star admitted, "and I'm excited to expand people's ideas of the kinds of characters I can play."

Plus, the show's central theme is breaking the mold to do good for others.

"The idea of a show that's specifically focused on mental health and neurological issues is really unique to me," the 47-year-old added. "It is this really interesting opportunity for universal experience from an audience standpoint. This is a show that is bringing to audiences experiences that they are going through and doing it with optimism and compassion." 

Brilliant Minds premieres Monday, Sept. 23, at 10 p.m. on NBC. And keep reading to see when all of your favorite new and returning shows premiere this fall.

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