This article previously appeared at Strong Mind, Brave Heart

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.

Donald 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.

Ken Jenkins then

Ken Jenkins starred in 178 episodes of Scrubs as the no-nonsense chief of medicine Dr. Bob Kelso. Kelso’s years of experience in the medical field have desensitized him to the death happening around him, which causes him to make decisions with very little care about the feelings of patients and fellow hospital staff. He occasionally shows flashes of kindness, especially to his many mistresses.

Ken Jenkins now

Ken Jenkins took up a small handful of roles after Scrubs finished in 2010. His most recent was the role of Elder Sam in Netflix’s television adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events in 2018. Jenkins is now approaching his mid-80s and seems to be enjoying his retired life away from the cameras.

Neil Flynn then

The Janitor, played by Neil Flynn, was the unproductive, work-shy handyman at the Sacred Heart Hospital. Flynn played the Janitor in 170 episodes of Scrubs, between 2001 and 2009, before leaving the show due to his casting in the ABC sitcom, The Middle, in which he was the main character.

Neil Flynn now

Neil Flynn has been very active since his departure from Scrubs in 2009. He has mainly acted in television roles, but has appeared in four movies, including as the voice of Superman’s adoptive parents in 2020’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Coincidentally, Flynn’s most recent role was that of a Janitor in the animated science fiction sitcom, Clone High.

Robert Maschio then

Robert Maschio played the immature, sex-obsessed surgeon Dr. Todd ‘The Todd’ Quinlan in Scrubs for a total of 156 episodes. Despite Quinlan’s offputting behavior towards women in the show, he is regarded as a talented and capable surgeon. Maschio stayed as a recurring character until the final series of Scrubs.

Robert Maschio now

Since the finale of Scrubs, Robert Maschio has predominantly taken up roles in television sitcoms, including Cougar Town which ran until 2015, where he also plays the role of Todd Quinlan. Maschio took his acting to the big screen, most notably in the French language movie Hollywoo. Robert Maschio’s last prominent acting role came in 2015, in the police comedy-drama, Bones. He now works as a real estate broker in Santa Monica.

Aloma Wright then

Aloma Wright played nurse Laverne Roberts in Scrubs for a total of 91 episodes between 2001 and 2009. Wright’s character is known for her devout Christianity and the fact she refuses to be intimidated by some of the sterner characters in the show. Wright left the show in 2009 after her character was involved in a fatal car crash.

Aloma Wright now

Aloma Wright’s career didn’t slow down after she left Scrubs, taking on multiple film and television roles, including the part of Gretchen Bodinski in the hit drama Suits. She has also played smaller roles in shows such as Lucifer and Scandal. Wright continues to act and is currently starring as Viola in Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan, a role she has nailed down since 2020.

Christa Miller then

Christa Miller had already appeared in both The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Seinfeld before she took the role of Jordan Sullivan in Scrubs. She played Sullivan for nine years, between 2001 and 2010, appearing in a total of 89 episodes. Her character is known to be cold and unfriendly, with the habit of loosening up around people once she has fully gotten to know them.

Christa Miller now

Christa Miller has kept busy since Scrubs came to an end, playing a variety of roles in television and movie productions, including mini-series The Andromeda Strain, and a smaller role in CSI: Miami. She was also a series regular in the sitcom Cougar Town, along with many of her other Scrubs castmates. She continues to provide voice acting for Clone High and plays the role of Liz in Shrinking, a comedy-drama series in which she is also the music supervisor.

Johnny Kastl then

Johnny Kastl portrayed the clumsy pathologist Doug Murphy in 49 episodes of Scrubs. Murphy joined Sacred Heart Hospital as a junior doctor at the same time as J.D., Turk, and Elliot, but his ineptitude led to the deaths of many of his patients, which is why he ended up as a pathologist. During the time that he was in Scrubs, Kastl also performed alongside Patrick Swayze in The Beast, as well as a handful of minor acting roles.

Johnny Kastl now

Johnny Kastl decided to turn his back on acting after Scrubs had come to an end and went off to study law at the University of Iowa. For a spell, he worked as a lawyer in both Iowa and Chicago, Illinois, before eventually moving into the finance industry, where he is currently employed.

Travis Schuldt then

Travis Schuldt played the unlucky-in-love Dr. Keith Dudemeister in 38 episodes of Scrubs between 2006 to 2009. After being used by Elliot, the pair eventually became a couple, and soon after they were engaged. However, Elliot returned the ring after realizing she didn’t love him, and although Dudemeister carried on working at Sacred Heart, he resented Elliot for the rest of his time there.

Travis Schuldt now

As well as Scrubs, Travis Schuldt has been involved in a whole host of popular sitcoms, including The Big Bang Theory, Community, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, in which he featured in seven episodes. He has also appeared in more serious productions, including Blue Bloods and 9-1-1. His most recent role was Dick in How I Met Your Father, a spin-off of the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Eliza Coupe then

Having only appeared in her first prominent acting role in 2007, Eliza Coupe was late to the Scrubs party, only appearing in the final two series in 2009 and 2010. She played the role of Denise Mahoney, an insensitive and abrasive physician who enjoys the science of medicine, but not the human interaction that comes with the medical industry.

Eliza Coupe now

Following her brief spell in Scrubs, Eliza Coupe appeared in the sitcom Happy Endings, where she played one of the main characters for 57 episodes. She also enjoyed relative success in a handful of movies, including Sofia Coppola’s 2010 film, Somewhere, and a cameo role in Anchorman 2. Her most recent appearance on our screens came in the form of a guest role in the drama series So Help Me Todd.

Charles Rahi Chun then

Charles Rahi Chun enjoyed minor acting success during the mid-90s, playing small roles in Beverly Hills Cop III and Dumb and Dumber as well as having short stints in a handful of TV shows. Scrubs was his longest-lasting TV role, as he appeared in 21 episodes overall, playing Chief of Surgery, Dr. Phillip Wen.

Charles Rahi Chun now

Charles Rahi Chun’s post-Scrubs career has been limited to mostly minor roles in TV series such as House M.D., Chicago PD, and Hawaii Five-0. His most recent acting appearance on our screens was in the role of Priest in the time-traveling show, Timeless.

Ryan Reynolds then

While Ryan Reynolds’ career may have been well underway when he made a one-off appearance in Scrubs in 2003, he was yet to see the sort of success he would become accustomed to in years to come. Reynolds played the role of Spence, J.D. and Turk’s college friend who had come to visit them in their second year at Sacred Heart.

Ryan Reynolds now

Since his appearance in Scrubs, Ryan Reynolds has become one of the most famous actors in the world, most notably playing the role of superhero Deadpool. Reynolds is also an active businessman and co-owns the Welsh football club Wrexham with fellow actor Rob McElhenny.

Elizabeth Banks then

Elizabeth Banks was already enjoying a fruitful acting career before she made her debut in Scrubs in 2006, having appeared in Spider-Man, Catch Me If You Can, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. In her 15-episode Scrubs stint, she played urologist Kim Briggs, a recently divorced people pleaser who, after a one-night-stand, becomes the mother of J.D.’s baby.

Elizabeth Banks now

Elizabeth Banks’ career went from strength to strength after she left Scrubs in 2009. She has appeared in some huge films, most notably, The Hunger Games, Love & Mercy, and The Lego Movie. She has also worked as a producer and director, winning multiple awards in the process. Her most recent role came in the comedy-drama movie, The Beanie Bubble, and in 2023 she made her directorial debut with comedy thriller Cocaine Bear.

Courteney Cox then

Thanks to the global success of the sitcom Friends, Courteney Cox (Monica Geller) was a huge star when she made her three-episode stint in Scrubs. Cox played the part of Dr. Taylor Maddox, Sacred Heart’s Chief of Medicine after the departure of Dr. Robert Kelso. Although she is only in the series for a brief moment, it quickly becomes clear that Maddox is a cruel and sadistic character.

Courteney Cox now

Since appearing on Scrubs, Courteney Cox has made multiple appearances in reality TV shows such as Who Do You Think You Are? and 9 Months With Courteney Cox. She has worked as a director and producer, while also appearing in a selection of movies and TV shows. Her latest movie role was in 2023’s Scream VI, and her latest TV role was in the horror comedy series, Shining Vale.

Brendan Fraser then

Brendan Fraser appeared in three episodes of Scrubs, playing the part of Ben Sullivan, an amateur photographer suffering from leukemia. Fraser’s short time in Scrubs was enough to pull at the heartstrings, as his failure to get his leukemia checked up on resulted in his death from a cardiac arrest.

Brendan Fraser now

Brendan Fraser was a successful, established actor by the time he made his first appearance in Scrubs in 2002. In the years since, personal issues meant that his career fluctuated and went into a period of stagnation between 2010 and 2020. However, Fraser gave his finest performance to date in 2022’s The Whale, the movie that rightfully earned him an Oscar for best actor.

Dick Van Dyke then

If you’re under the age of 80, chances are that you’ve grown up watching Dick Van Dyke. From his legendary attempt at a Cockney accent in Mary Poppins, to driving a flying car in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the man is a bona fide cinema legend. Oh, and in 2003, he made a shock one-off appearance as Dr. Townshend in Scrubs.

Dick Van Dyke now

At 97 years of age, Dick Van Dyke is showing no signs of slowing down. He remains physically healthy and has appeared as recently as this year on the entertainment show, The Masked Singer. As well as this, he has made a recent appearance on US soap opera Days of Our Lives and is scheduled to play a role in James Archer’s Capture the Flag.

Colin Farrell then

In 2005, Irish actor Colin Farrell made the most brief of appearances in Scrubs, playing Billy Callahan in an episode named My Lucky Charm. During the episode, Callahan manages to seduce every woman he speaks to, simply by making run-of-the-mill comments about their appearance.

Colin Farrell now

Colin Farrell has had an extraordinarily successful career, appearing in movies such as In Bruges, The Gentleman and, most recently, The Banshees of Inisherin. Farrell was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, and won the Best Actor Golden Globe award for his performance in The Banshees of Inisherin.