“Scrubs” returned to our television screens earlier this year after 15 years off the air, bringing back J.D., Turk, and Elliot Reid alongside a host of other fan-favorites. It also saw a number of high-profile guest stars, including the likes of Rachel Bilson and Andy Ridings.
Of course, guest stars are something that has been ingrained in “Scrubs” since the very beginning of the medical sitcom. As well as the main cast, the series is well known for its extraordinary collection of celebrity guests who made one-off appearances. During a recent conversation to promote the revival with Disney+, Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison all discussed their favorite guest performers.
The trio were asked to create their very own Mount Rushmore of guest stars, with the main cast eventually settling on four individuals who managed to steal the show.
Sarah Chalke Picks Michael J. Fox & John Ritter
During the conversation, Chalke was most vocal about including two guest performers, singling out both Michael J. Fox and John Ritter as particular favorites.
Fox appeared during the third season of “Scrubs” as the brilliant surgeon Dr. Kevin Casey, whose obsessive-compulsive disorder became an important part of his storyline. “I grew up watching him,” Chalke told Disney+ as she praised his physical comedy and performance. She noted that it was remarkable to be able to work with someone she had admired before she even became an actress.
Chalke’s second pick was John Ritter. The comedian and actor played J.D.’s father, Sam Dorian in two episodes across the first two seasons of the series. Future appearances became impossible due to his death in 2003. According to Chalke, Ritter had an ability to instantly get everyone on set to laugh at the same time and was incredibly grateful to be able to see him in person. “He was so funny and he was so good,” she recalled.
Zach Braff & John C. McGinley Agree on Brendan Fraser
Braff chose Brendan Fraser, who played Ben Sullivan, brother of Jordan Sullivan and close friend of Dr. Cox.
Meanwhile, Braff opted for Brendan Fraser as his best guest star. The Oscar-winner portrayed Ben Sullivan in the sitcom, who is Jordan Sullivan’s brother and best friend of Dr. Cox. His appearance comes in an emotional episode in the season 3 episode “My Screw Up.” As the story unfolds, it is slowly revealed that Ben has died, with Dr. Cox struggling to come to terms and accept the loss of his friend.
“A phenomenal actor,” Braff said, admitting he never expected Fraser to agree to appear on the show. The episode went on to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
In a separate interview with Den of Geek earlier this year, John C. McGinley also named Fraser and the episode as among his favorites from his time on “Scrubs.”
“The Brendan Fraser episode where he dies and Cox doesn’t know he’s dead, then the funeral, that was a very ambitious half-hour of television,” McGinley said. “Billy [Lawrence] earned the permission to do that episode after doing a hundred or so. That was a preposterously ambitious tone shift.”
Donald Faison Picks Tara Reid
Out of all of the selections made for the “Scrubs” Mount Rushmore for special guests, Faison made what is perhaps the most unexpected selection. He opted for “American Pie” star Tara Reid, prompting a confused and shocked reaction from Braff.
Reid appeared in a total of 11 episodes of the show as Danni Sullivan, the younger sister of Jordan. She eventually became a love interest for J.D throughout her time on the show, which stretched from 2003 to 2005.
Faison went on to say that Reid was “one of our funniest guest stars on the show” and expressed his enjoyment at seeing how the other characters responded to her character.
