Although Zachary Quinto only plays a doctor on television, his character is inspired by very real life.

In Brilliant mindsThe Emmy nominee plays Dr. Oliver Wolf, inspired by world-renowned queer neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, who wrote numerous bestsellers based on his case studies before dying in 2015 at the age of 82.

Series creator Michael Grassi explained that he was “doing something different” than other medical procedure dramas, telling The Huffington Post, “What really sets our show apart is Oliver Sacks.” This is a love letter to a real doctor , who treated real patients and told their stories.”

In the NBC series, which airs Mondays, Wolf suffers from a rare condition that gives his care a unique quality. After his unusual methods lead to his firing, he takes a job at Bronx General, where he leads a team of bright young interns in solving puzzling cases.

Although Sacks remained hidden most of his life, Grassi’s show was inspired by Sacks’ books The man who mistook his wife for a hat (1985) and An anthropologist on Mars (1995) – set in modern times, it allows the doctor to live out his truth and gives his work a new sense of relevance.

“Finding someone who is a hero, who cares so much for his patients (and who is also gay) is exciting to me,” Grassi said. “While Dr. Wolf has a lot of hurdles and deals with a lot of complex things, I wanted him to live in today’s world. I wanted all of our cases and relationships to feel urgent and in conversation with the things we are experiencing now.”

Quinto previously discussed portraying the “incredible, complex, inspiring and influential” doctor, explaining his character’s “unique alchemy.”

“I get to play a character inspired by a real person, but I’m not tied to that person’s era or behavior in real life,” he explained. “I can take the whole rich image of Oliver Sacks and influence the creation of Oliver Wolf, but Oliver Wolf exists in his own world.”

Quinto added: “Oliver Sacks was someone who was deeply influenced by the times in which he came of age and the societal restrictions that made it difficult for people to live fully as they were.” His Coming -Out came much later. In the end he met a partner and had a truly happy relationship for the rest of his life. But to play a character who embraces that aspect of himself in the modern world in a vital, contemporary and forward-thinking way is truly special.”