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The Actor Behind Brilliant Minds' Tearful Intro Should Be No Stranger to Law & Order Fans
This guest star in the Brilliant Minds premiere is also a recurring Law & Order star and Broadway legend.
The premiere episode of Brilliant Minds starts off strong with the introduction of Harold (portrayed by Andrè De Shields), a hospital patient struggling with memory loss from Alzheimer's. His doctor, Oliver Wolf (played by Zachary Quinto), breaks the facility rules and takes Harold to see his granddaughter’s wedding on the back of a motorcycle. And through music, Harold connects with his granddaughter again with a heartfelt piano performance that brings her to tears.
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This event shows off Dr. Wolf's passion for uncovering ways for his patients to still feel human through their diagnoses. The situation is also what caused him to get fired and ultimately end up at the Bronx General Hospital to kick off the rest of the series.
However, the tear-jerking scene is also notable for guest star Andrè De Shields' presence. If you recognized him, you're not alone: De Shields is a veteran actor, singer, director, and choreographer, and has more than a few iconic roles under his belt. Read on to learn more.
Who is André De Shields?
The 78-year-old actor is no stranger to the entertainment industry. In fact, he’s one award away from reaching the coveted EGOT status.
De Shields got his start in theater; his first gig was with the 1969 Chicago production of Hair, which eventually led him to the Broadway stage. Since that 1969 performance, he's appeared in many Broadway productions, including as an original cast member in The Full Monty, Warp!, and The Wiz. Perhaps most notable is his role in Hadestown, for which he received an individual Tony Award in 2019 for his role as Hermes and a joint Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
But De Shields doesn't just thrive on stage. He's had roles over the years in Another World, Sex and the City, Great Performances, Lipstick Jungle, John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch, Blue Bloods, Uncoupled, the Law & Order franchise, and more.
He also had a recurring role as Chubby in the television series Katy Keene on The CW (for which Brilliant Minds creator Michael Grassi served as executive producer and co-creator).
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As for his Primetime Emmy, De Shields' win came from his performance in the 1988 NBC adaptation of Ain’t Misbehavin.
Despite all of his accolades and achievements, the actor says that he doesn’t consider himself successful just yet.
“There’s no such thing as having ‘made it’,” De Shields explained to TODAY. “I applied that to my own thinking, as I was considering leaving Hadestown. I think I’ve gotten to the pinnacle of Mount Hadestown. But look up, there’s another mountain.”
What’s André De Shields' connection to Law & Order?
De Shields has appeared in several Law & Order episodes over the course of 20 years. However, he hasn’t consistently played the same character.
He made his Law & Order debut back in the '90s in Season 6, Episode 14, in which he portrayed the minor character Dr. Elvin Simmonds. Then, 10 seasons later, he portrayed a completely different character — Mr. Miller, the father of 25-year-old murder victim Derrick Miller — in Season 16, Episode 16.
After nearly a decade away from the series, he returned to the franchise in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In Season 15, Episode 14, De Shields played the minor character Keys, a homeless man who assists in providing key information to help with a high-profile missing persons case.
Keys became De Shields' first recurring character in the franchise, as he returned once more in Episode 14 of Season 22. This time around, Keys found himself in the middle of an investigation after a criminal asked him to go to a hardware store and get bondage items (zip ties, rope, duct tape, and a hand torch) to use on his victim.
New episodes of Brilliant Minds premiere on Mondays on NBC at 10/9c and are available to stream on Peacock the next day.
