BLACK IN THE GREEN ROOM
Tamberla Perry has made her mark on television with her portrayal of Dr. Carol Pierce, chief of Psychiatry, on NBC’s “Brilliant Minds.”
The series, which explores mental health through the lens of a hospital psychiatry department, has also had a personal impact on Perry.
“Our show is all about mental health and the brain,” she said, adding, “We’re dealing with this all while managing our own mental health.”
For Perry, taking on the role of a psychiatrist was both challenging and enlightening. She revealed that she had never undergone therapy herself, but the show changed her perspective.
“It’s not so much that it was a taboo thing,” she said. “It’s more so of a, I didn’t think I needed it type thing.”
Through this role, Perry began to recognize the value of therapy not only for individuals but for relationships as well.
“I’ve been married for 13 years,” she shared. “And I think all relationships need some type of therapy. Aside from your relationship, you need individual therapy because there are things, you’re carrying that you don’t even realize.”
Perry said the experience has motivated her to pursue therapy after the show wraps. “I think the art of this show has awakened in me that there is a great need for it,” she explained. “It shouldn’t be taboo… it shouldn’t be a you thing… it should be a us thing.”
The role also highlighted for Perry the contrast between handling situations with logic versus emotion.
“Tamberla is a very logic-based person,” she said of herself. In contrast, “Carol Pierce is a very emotional-based person, and certain situations call for different ways to handle those things.”
Perry’s journey to acting wasn’t straightforward. She studied Health and Society at the University of Rochester, preparing for a career in medicine.
“The plan was to go to DPT school,” she recalled, describing her years as an athletic trainer. “I was wrapping up ankles, on the field with sports teams… that’s what I had the passion for.”
Perry’s pivot to acting came unexpectedly during her corporate job.
“I was sitting at my desk, and I thought, do I want to be in school and do it?” she said. “I remembered I took an acting class my senior year that I didn’t do well in—it was a hard-fought C—but I said, maybe I could try that again.”
Perry launched her acting career in Chicago’s theater scene, performing with Steppenwolf Theatre and Second City. She described theater as her “first love” and credited it with shaping her craft.
“If I had the time, I’d love to travel regionally to do Broadway, but it’s hard with kids,” she said.
Television, however, brought new opportunities. Perry has appeared in “Boss,” “APB,” “The Good Fight,” and “They Cloned Tyrone.” On “Brilliant Minds,” she praised the strong rapport among the cast, including her co-star Zachary Quinto, who plays neurologist Dr. Oliver Wolf.
“It was immediate, fast friends,” she said, describing how the cast quickly bonded during filming.
Perry said meeting Quinto for the first time was during a Zoom audition, which added to the pressure.
“You’ve got 30 seconds to make some chemistry over Zoom,” she joked. “But it was there, and when we finally met in Canada, we sat into it like we had been together for 20 years.”
Perry also expressed joy about working with Ashleigh LaThrop, a fellow Chicagoan and longtime friend.
“It was such a true treat to be on the show with her,” she said. “We’ve known each other for years, so it felt really special.”
The series has resonated with Perry because of its unique focus on mental health.
“There’s nothing like it right now,” she said, explaining how the show balances medical cases with the personal struggles of its characters. “It’s about exploring the last great frontier—the human mind.”
The storyline has also prompted Perry to reflect on her personal mental health journey.
“It showed me there’s a great need for therapy,” she said. “Even if you don’t feel like you need it right now, there are things you’re carrying that you don’t even realize.”
Perry encouraged viewers to tune into “Brilliant Minds,” which airs Mondays at 7 p.m. PST on NBC and streams on Peacock. She teased a major development in the fall finale.
“It’s the perfect cliffhanger to leave you on until January,” she said, promising big storylines ahead.
While Perry has found success on television, she remains connected to her theater roots. She acknowledged that balancing theater and TV work is difficult due to time constraints and family commitments.
“Theater feeds the soul,” she said, “but TV feeds the pocketbook.”
Perry reflected on her transition from aspiring medical professional to actor as a leap of faith.
“It’s not a path I recommend to people,” she said, noting her lack of formal training, “but it’s how I did it.” That leap, she said, has shaped a career that allows her to tell meaningful stories.
