‘Scandal’ Alum Joins ‘Brilliant Minds’ Season 2

Season 2 of Brilliant Minds has added a Scandal alum.

Variety reports that Bellamy Young will be recurring in the upcoming season of the medical drama, premiering this September on NBC.

Young is set to play Dr. Amelia Frederick, the clinical director for Hudson Oaks, a long-term mental healthcare facility. She is well-acquainted with the “woes of the mental healthcare system, and even despite her years in the medical field, she is not yet jaded.” Dr. Frederick will be an adversary for Zachary Quinto’s Dr. Wolf, with the two going toe-to-toe throughout the season.

Fans will recognize Young from her role as Melody “Mellie” Grant on the ABC drama Scandal for all seven seasons. The role won her the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2014. Other notable credits include The Other Black Girl, Promised Land, Prodigal Son, Criminal Minds, For the People, Another World, A Wrinkle in Time, Mission: Impossible II, and We Were Soldiers, among others. Young also created the podcast series She Leads with CARE, which highlights stories of female leaders from around the world.

Along with Quinto, Young joins Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears, Donna Murphy, John Clarence Stewart, and Brian Altemus. Brilliant Minds premiered last fall, and it is inspired by the work of late author and physician Oliver Sacks. It follows a “larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier – the human mind – while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.”

Brilliant Minds’ Season 1 finale aired in January, and the show wasn’t renewed for Season 2 until May. It was one of the last shows on NBC’s 2024-25 lineup to be renewed for next season. Following the season finale, creator Michael Grassi shared with TheWrap his plans for Season 2, even though a renewal was not yet confirmed, revealing there is “so much to unpack due to the season finale.”

“Obviously, there’s Wolf and dad, but there’s so much more, and I would say many more medical mysteries and suspense, and a lot more of Oliver’s unique approach to medicine that feels like it really sets us apart,” he said.

A premiere date for Season 2 has not been announced, but the wait shouldn’t be too much longer. In the meantime, the first season of Brilliant Minds is streaming on Peacock.