Zach Braff then
Zach Braff seemingly came out of nowhere in 2001 when he was cast as John ‘J.D.’ Dorian in Scrubs. Working only as a bit-part actor previously, Braff’s comedic timing and charming character helped make Scrubs an instant hit. Braff’s portrayal of the daydreaming J.D. saw him nominated for three Golden Globes and an Emmy during the show’s run and he even served as executive producer for the ninth series.
Zach Braff now
Braff left Scrubs before its series finale, citing wanting to work on new projects as his main reason for leaving J.D. behind. True to his word, Braff would explore new ventures, directing and starring in 2004’s Garden State and notably launching a Kickstarter campaign in 2013 to help raise $2 million to finance the film Wish I Was Here. Braff briefly dated British actress Florence Pugh, but the pair broke up in 2022.
Sarah Chalke then
Sarah Chalke played Dr Elliot Reid for all nine seasons of Scrubs as the love interest of Zach Braff’s J.D. Acting from an early age, the Canadian born Chalke found early success in Roseanne, taking over the role of Rebecca Conner-Healy after Lecy Goranson left the show. Chalke almost missed the audition for her role in Scrubs after deciding to party with friends the night before, but after reading the script in the early hours, decided it was for her.
Sarah Chalke now
Chalke would give birth to a son in 2009 and then go on to star in the third season of Cougar Town in 2012 after being approached by former Scrubs executive producer Bill Lawrence. Voice work for animated hit Rick and Morty would follow, before giving birth to a daughter in 2016. A Roseanne reboot in 2018 saw her working with her former co-stars again, and in 2021 she joined the cast of the hit Netflix series Firefly Lane.
Donal Faison then
Donald Faison played the role of Dr Chris Turk, always simply referred to as Turk, for the duration of Scrubs. His character Turk was the best friend and comedic sidekick of Braff’s J.D. Growing up in the Bronx, Faison was bitten by the acting bug at an early age, although as a working actor, he struggled financially. Before landing the role of Turk, he said he was ”broke, broke” in a 2000 Ryan Seacrest interview.
Donald Faison now
From 2016 to 2018, Faison hosted the game show Winsanity and, in 2018, the self-confessed Star Wars geek voiced pilot Hype Fazon, a character written and named for him in the animated series Star Wars Resistance. On-screen friends became real world friends as Faison and Braff have maintained a strong bond since Scrubs. Braff was groomsman for Faison’s second marriage in 2012. His ex-wife sadly passed away in 2017.
Judy Reyes then
Reyes played nurse Carla Espinosa on Scrubs in all but the final season, with her character becoming a stay-at-home mom to her and Turk’s daughter given as a plotline reason for her absence. Before Scrubs, Reyes enjoyed a successful TV career with guest spots on series like Law & Order, NYPD Blue, and The Sopranos.
Judy Reyes now
In 2012, Reyes joined the cast of the ABC pilot Devious Maids, later picked up by Lifetime. The show ran from 2013 to 2016. Following its end, Reyes starred in TNT’s Claws and had a supporting role on HBO’s Succession in 2018. 2023 is set to be a busy year for Reyes as she stars in the upcoming horror movie Birth/Rebirth, as well as Turtles All the Way Down, a movie based on the John Green novel of the same name.
John C. McGinley then
John C. McGinley would play the hilariously witty Dr Percival “Perry” Cox on Scrubs as the perpetually annoyed mentor of Braff’s J.D. McGinley delivered in his performance of Perry and his character was one of the most loved of the show’s run. The role of Perry came off the back of a serious catalog of movies for McGinley, including 1991’s Point Break, Seven in 1995 and 1996’s The Rock.
John C. McGinley now
McGinley’s acting roles wouldn’t slow down after his time in Scrubs. The father of three would go on to land a recurring role in Burn Notice in 2012, and in 2013 he was cast in the Broadway revival of Glengarry Glen Ross as Dave Moss. “It was the best couple of months of my life,” McGinley would say of the role. He would go on to play a crusty old sheriff in horror comedy show Stan Against Evil, until it was cancelled in 2018.
