Mandy Patinkin Joins Zachary Quinto’s ‘Brilliant Minds’ at NBC

NBC’s “Brilliant Minds” is continuing to grow its cast. The medical drama has added Mandy Patinkin in a recurring role, and Steve Howey and André De Shields as guest stars, showrunner Michael Grassi announced on Sunday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Pasadena.

Both Howey and Patinkin will star in two episodes.

“We have incredible casting directors,” Grassi told reporters during the panel. He revealed that De Shields will appear as an Alzheimer’s patient who Dr. Wolf (Zachary Quinto) helps him to reunite with his family. Howey will appear as a biker gang looking for help and treatment in an “emotional” case. Patinkin will be playing a family doctor who is on call 24 hours for his patients. He “really shakes up our world,” Grassi teased.

The series, previously titled “Dr Wolf,” follows the work of Dr. Oliver Wolf, a larger-than-life neurologist. The lead character is inspired by Dr. Oliver Wolf Sacks, the British neurologist and naturalist; many of his studies were chronicled in his non-fiction books, “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” and “An Anthropologist on Mars.” The best-known adaptation of Dr. Sacks’ novels was “Awakenings,” the Oscar-nominated film that starred Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer.

“Brilliant Minds” also stars Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears and Donna Murphy.

Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Melissa Aouate, Henrik Bastin, Andy Serkis, Jonathan Cavendish and Will Tennant executive produce. Berlanti Productions, Fabel Entertainment, The Imaginarium, Grassi Productions and Tavala produce in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

“Brilliant Minds” premieres on Monday, Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.