Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Leonard Nimoy’s widow Susan will make a surprise appearance on Zachary Quinto’s new NBC medical drama, “Brilliant Minds.” Quinto became close to the Nimoys while playing Spock in three “Star Trek” movies starting in 2009.
Nimoy, who died in 2015, originated the role of Spock in the original “Star Trek” series. Quinto stars in “Brilliant Minds” as a hospital neurologist treating patients with rare mental health conditions.
It is inspired by the late Dr. Oliver Sacks, the neurologist and writer who was portrayed by Robin Williams in 1990’s “Awakenings.” “One of the most wonderful, significant experiences of my career was playing Spock,” Quinto says in an interview for the next episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast, premiering next week. “The relationship that I shared with Leonard Nimoy still has reverberations to this day.
As a result of Leonard, I became very, very close with his wife Susan.” So close that Quinto flew Susan, 81, to Toronto from her Los Angeles-area home for a guest spot on an episode of “Brilliant Minds.” “She plays a woman who suffers from a condition that causes her to experience hypersexuality.
Read more on variety.com