Zachary Quinto is going back to his roots – starring in NBC’s latest hit show, Brilliant Minds. The decision to return to network television felt natural – the universe was giving him unmistakable signs of approval. Filming began during a solar eclipse, which was coincidental, given that an eclipse was the catalyst for the narrative of what he calls his big break, the iconic Heroes. In Brilliant Minds, Quinto plays Dr. Oliver Wolf, a character based on one of the most important neurologists of the 20th century, who was instrumental in advancing our understanding of prosopagnosia, commonly known as face blindness.
Ironically, BTB assigned the interview about his latest role to Matt Bomer, one of Quinto’s oldest friends. The two met at 18 when they were both in college, and they’ve been supporting each other through all the success they’ve achieved ever since. On an early morning in Toronto, the two catch up as Quinto prepares to shoot his final scene of the show. But both are on the brink of change – Bomer is getting ready to send one of his children off to college. Amid Mercury retrogrades, tight schedules, and the pride they have in each other, they reconnect like the best pals they are.
- August 2024 -
Zachary Quinto: Hey honey, thank you so much for doing this.
Matt Bomer: Are you kidding me? I’m so glad I’m doing this with you. I’m so proud of you.
ZQ: I’m sorry I’m a bit late. But I know if there’s anyone who understands what it’s like to have a busy schedule it’s you. I think I get it now in a way I didn’t before. When you and I would talk when you were doing White Collar, I always thought, “Oh yeah, Matt is busy,” but I couldn’t quite fathom what that meant, I get it now that I’m on the other side.
MB: I know, which is why I’m so grateful you made time to be with me.
ZQ: Thank you. I was having a lot of technical difficulties… For how much longer is Mercury in retrograde?
MB: Ok, so, it’s usually three weeks at a time, this time is from August 5th to the 28th…
ZQ: We’re right in the middle of it…
MB: How is Toronto?
ZQ: Toronto has been great. I can’t believe it, but after I finish talking to you, I’m getting in my car and going to do the last scene of the show for the season. They had to move it to a Saturday and then after that, everything is wrapped. I’m going immediately to the barber… But I loved it, I’ve had a really great time. I hit the right time of the year to live in Toronto, it’s been a wonderful summer.
MB: When did you start?
ZQ: We started on April 8. I know because it was the day of the eclipse. It’s funny because the job that changed my career was Heroes. The whole inciting incident of the pilot of that show was a solar eclipse. To be back on NBC and to start filming a show on the day of an actual solar eclipse, I couldn’t help but notice the thread.
MB: How did this show come into your orbit?
ZQ: The project has been kicking around for a long time, it was being developed before it got to NBC. I remember reading a different script of the same project, maybe seven years ago. It didn’t resonate with me at the time but when it came around this time it was different, it drew me in a way it didn’t the first time. I spent some time with it, I didn’t know if I wanted to go back to a network environment. And then I talked to Michael Grassi and the creative team, and I loved how they were talking about the show and what they wanted to do with it. We did the pilot in March 2023 and then we waited to see what happened. The strikes happened right after, so there was no movement. In the middle of that, the head of NBC left… That’s never been a good sign when you’re waiting for a project to be decided upon, but we survived it. We got picked up the week before the strike ended… I feel grateful for that timing.
MB: You’re fantastic in the show, it’s a great role for you. It’s wonderful to see you in every scene. I know that’s a very unique experience as an actor. How do you pace that all out? Are you carving out time to be a human being for at least 12 hours a week?
ZQ: I've never had an experience like this before, so it was a real learning curve for me. Ultimately, we had a pretty reasonable schedule. I felt like I was able to generate the necessary stamina. I never felt overwhelmed, incapable, or so exhausted that I couldn’t see the road ahead. I kept a low profile during the downtime in Toronto. I wasn’t very extroverted or social. When I had free time, I made sure to take it. It was important for me to maintain a sort of monastic existence if you will. As I reflect on it, I think "monastic" is a fitting description. It was crucial for me to do things for myself when I had downtime, to maintain balance. I scheduled activities like banjo lessons, massages, and workouts on weekends. Friends visiting was nice, too. As for the work itself, I found it helpful to go from macro to micro. I would read the episodes as they came out, discuss them with the showrunner, raise any questions or concerns, and then review the revised drafts. I couldn’t afford to think too far ahead because there were so many intense days with a lot happening. So, I concentrated my energy on what was right in front of me, and I think that approach worked for me.
MB: You know, I was thinking, we met at 18 years old. We were in college together and you’ve always been a huge inspiration to me, not only as an artist but also as a person. You inspired me to travel abroad for the first time. When we were starting in the business, I remember we used to have trailer talk. I mean, we did Broadway together… It's worth taking a moment to reflect on, especially since I've been thinking about it even before our conversation. So much has happened for each of us, and while we've experienced much of it together, we've also had significant individual journeys. To go so far back with someone and share such a foundational experience, like our time at drama school and our personal awakenings, makes watching your success and taking pride in it even more meaningful. There are many great Hollywood friendships and relationships, but to me, the best ones are those that trace back to before the flashbulbs and excitement. It's about the moments when we were there for each other in everyday ways, like driving to a doctor's appointment or just being present. I feel incredibly grateful for that.
ZQ: I do too. You were really the first friend of mine who became famous, and seeing how you navigated that with such grace and kindness was incredibly inspiring. I remember how tactfully and graciously you handled interactions with people who approached you on the street, it was truly admirable. Also, I recall our conversations about our sexual identities back in college. We were among the first to discuss these topics openly with each other, and to see how you've embraced and expressed your identity with such power and confidence is remarkable. Fellow Travelers is a testament to that. Witnessing this aspect of your life is just as inspiring as anything I could have shown you when we were younger. I was reflecting on how intense the schedule can be on a show like this, and yet you managed to balance it while raising three children. Meanwhile, I have my dogs who come to work with me. You were working in Toronto and flying to LA every weekend while White Collar was in New York.
MB: Jesus, right… I was flying home every weekend.
ZQ: I literally don’t know how you did it.
MB: Me neither, I think if I were doing that now it would be a different situation, but I was young and in love.
ZQ: It’s pretty thrilling to think about. How old were you at the time?
MB: I was 30 but my co-star would do the same thing and he was a little bit older than me, so he was a great accountability partner. Thankfully, we worked great hours in that show. In six seasons, I think we did two overnight shoots.
ZQ: Yeah, it’s like what we’re doing. It helps to be a studio show, everything is on a sound stage so it’s a much more controllable schedule. The hours are much more civilised.
MB: It’s funny to think about our time at college and the solace we found in each other in terms of our sexuality in the context of your character on the show, Oliver, because the real Oliver Sacks was celibate for much of his life… He had a hard time with his sexuality. Were you inspired by his life to play this character?
ZQ: It's this unique hybrid of portraying a character who is, yes, largely inspired by the real-life Oliver Sacks, but exists in a contemporary and entirely fictionalized world. I get to draw from all the inspiration and source material related to Oliver Sacks’ real life, while also imagining what his life might have been like if he had come of age in a different time. His relationship with his sexuality was deeply influenced by the cultural and social expectations of his era. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 83, having grown up in the 20th century it was so different from what we know now. I think compounding that he had a very complicated relationship with his mother, which is something we explore in the show in a meaningful way. This might be a bit of a spoiler for the pilot, but Donna Murphy does play my mother.
MB: Legends only, babe…
ZQ: Legends, we’re bringing them in. But we do get to imagine what someone like Oliver might be like in the modern world. I think that standpoint motivates a deep desire to celebrate and amplify his legacy because he was such an incredible person. Almost every aspect of my character is true to the real-life Oliver Sacks, so I get a sense of who he was.
MB: I get that. I think the way his sexuality is treated in the pilot is well done and unique, the way he’s talking to Carol… That was chef’s kiss. I love that relationship. We all need a Carol in our life. That first conversation when we think she’s talking about your sexuality but it’s about your face blindness.
ZQ: There’s an aspect of him that’s very split off when we first meet him that moves through that over the course of the first season. A lot happens quickly on our show. It's fascinating to blend the narrative forms of medical procedural and character drama, and I've learned to anticipate how the stories will evolve. Almost every week, we introduce a new patient while continuing the ongoing stories of the doctors and hospital staff that viewers invest in. The cases are incredibly intriguing. I can't tell you how many times I’ve read a script and thought, "That can’t be real," only to find out that it is. Oliver Sacks wrote detailed case studies of his patients, and many of the stories on the show are drawn from those, as well as other similar cases. It’s remarkable to be part of a medical show that focuses exclusively on neurological disorders and mental health issues. At a time when mental health is more openly discussed in mainstream culture, it's important to continue examining and addressing this. I’m proud to be involved in something that contributes to this dialogue. The medical community often operates within a rigid framework, where thinking outside the box or proposing alternative approaches can be seen as a threat to the establishment. This reflects broader issues within the medical system, which is driven by profit and, in many ways, is broken. Oliver Sacks had a spirit of caring for his patients above all else, even if it meant challenging the system or disregarding rules he saw as obstacles. I've played characters who are rebellious for the sake of themselves or their own agendas, but it's nice to be playing a character's rebelliousness on behalf of other people in a magnanimous, compassionate way.
MB: Prosopagnosia, I believe I’m pronouncing that correctly… face blindness is such an interesting thing to approach from an actor’s standpoint.
ZQ: I’m going to be straight up, it’s weird to play because it’s a hard thing to comprehend. How could I imagine looking at you and not seeing my dear friend? I read a lot about it to try and incorporate that into my experience doing scenes. The other valuable thing was Lee Toland Krieger, who directed the pilot and some other episodes. He’s wonderful, he’s such an experienced and generous director. He came up with a visual vocabulary for sequences that we play throughout the season. It was interesting to see how it pays off. At first, I was a bit unsure of the value of the dramatization of that disorder in relation to the character. But they did a beautiful job. I don’t want to give too much away, but they don’t make a meal out of it.
MB: How was working in Toronto? I love Canadian crews. I have a special place in my heart for it after doing Fellow Travelersthere.
ZQ: That’s right, I forgot you shot down here. They’ve been nothing short of phenomenal, they’ve been amazing and hardworking. Everybody was on the same page; we all came together to tell the story. I’m so grateful for that experience, I hope we get to do more. But I am looking forward to a little break. I’ll have a change of pace in the next few months.
MB: I hope we can manage to share a meal soon; we need to catch up. By the way, I’m loving the look here, love the beard.
ZQ: I’m going to immediately shave my head after this. [Laughs] But I’m not mad at it, I just need a little change right now. But I want to enjoy a little of the end of the summer. I’ll be in LA at the beginning of September.
MB: I’ll try to see you there. Are you going to be back in NYC?
ZQ: Yeah, I’m going to be doing a play in the fall, at the end of October. I’ll do that until March.
MB: You’re giving us a holiday run.
ZQ: Giving you a holiday run. The play takes place on Christmas Eve. But anyway, I’ll be in LA before that, and I cannot wait to catch up with you. I can’t wait to know what’s been going on with you.
MB: I’ll tell you this, I’m leaving tomorrow to drop a kid off at college. I wanted to watch your mind get blown for a second.
ZQ: That’s insane Matty… My god. I just felt that in my stomach. Well, congratulations on that, it’s incredible.
MB: I’m glad we had the chance to chat. I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing that we have to do this to talk, but I’m grateful it happened. Anyway, I’m excited for the world to see Brilliant Minds. I can’t think of anyone else who could have played this role. I feel like the nuance and the care and the subtlety that you bring to the character is moving,
ZQ: I appreciate it so much. Thank you for watching it, and for the talk. I can’t wait to see you. I love you.
MB: I love you. Good luck with your last scene.
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Discover the full story in our upcoming FW24 Issue - release next End-October.
Talk moderated by Pedro Vasconcelos
