Where was Brilliant Minds shot? Revisiting key filming locations of the NBC medical drama shortly before Season 2

NBC’s Brilliant Minds quickly carved out a space in the crowded world of medical dramas when it premiered in September 2024. The show follows Dr. Oliver Wolf, played by Zachary Quinto, a neurologist working at Bronx General Hospital who lives with face blindness and relies on unconventional methods to treat patients.

Inspired by the writings of Oliver Sacks, the series grounds its stories in real medical puzzles while highlighting Wolf’s empathy and willingness to challenge protocol.

Although the series is set in New York City, most of the filming does not take place there. Instead, production is anchored in Ontario, Canada, with key work done in Mississauga, Toronto, and Hamilton.

The William F. White Heritage Studio in Mississauga houses the hospital interiors and recurring sets, while downtown Toronto is used for exterior shots that double for New York streets. Hamilton provided striking backdrops during the pilot and season one, including industrial stretches and Lake Ontario’s shoreline.

To keep the New York setting authentic, the crew also films select scenes in the Bronx. The Triboro Center, once known as the Daughters of Jacob Nursing Home, stands in for Bronx General. These combined locations give Brilliant Minds its distinctive look heading into season two.

How Brilliant Minds blends Canadian sets with authentic New York locations

The core filming base of Brilliant Minds is the William F. White Heritage Studio in Mississauga, Ontario. The studio spans 181,000 square feet and offers four full soundstages, which are where the production team builds recurring environments such as hospital wards, offices, and corridors.

These spaces are not left bare but carefully detailed by production designer Khanh Quach and set decorator Friday Myers, who focus on making the interiors appear functional and lived-in. This gives the show’s fictional Bronx General Hospital a consistent look across episodes without requiring constant on-location work.

Beyond Mississauga, the production regularly heads into Toronto. The city’s downtown streets and recognizable architecture stand in for the Bronx and Manhattan. Since the studio is only about half an hour away, crews can move quickly to capture exterior shots without disrupting the schedule.

Toronto has a long history of doubling for New York in film and television, so Brilliant Minds joins titles like American Psycho and The Boys in using the city’s versatile locations. Busy intersections, side streets, and older buildings are often chosen to mirror the feel of the Bronx without giving away the Canadian setting.

Hamilton, another Ontario city, also plays an important role. The pilot episode is filmed along Beach Boulevard, a narrow strip of land stretching over Lake Ontario, which provided wide and open visuals distinct from Toronto’s urban streets. For season one, filming moved to Gage Avenue North, particularly industrial zones near Burlington Street East and Industrial Drive.

These backdrops supplied the gritty exterior settings for specific storylines that required a working-class environment. Hamilton’s flexibility has made it a frequent stop for major productions, and Brilliant Minds used it strategically for both natural scenery and industrial realism.

While Ontario handles most of the heavy lifting, the series still needed authentic footage from New York City. For this, a unit traveled to the Bronx, where they filmed outside the Triboro Center at 1160 Teller Avenue. The site, once known as the Daughters of Jacob Nursing Home, became the exterior for Bronx General Hospital.

Establishing shots of the Hudson River and other New York landmarks were also collected to tie the Canadian-filmed interiors with genuine city visuals. This mix of Canadian production infrastructure and selective New York footage ensures that the show feels rooted in the Bronx while staying practical for the budget and schedule.

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