John C. McGinley is a name that few people know.  It must be weird to be known for your face more so than your name.  If you saw John C. McGinley on the street, you would recognize him.  His is a face rarely forgotten.  He's appeared in about 3,000 feature films and on various television series.  He has appeared in six Oliver Stone movies.  Recent TV fans would probably recognize him as “That Surly Guy from Scrubs.”  McGinley has portrayed Dr. Perry Cox in each of Scrubs eight TV seasons, and in doing so has nailed down his most consistent acting job of his prolific career.  I feel compelled to write about Mr. John C. McGinley because he has always been a favorite of mine, perhaps inexplicably so.  His work as one of the Bobs in Office Space is memorable stuff, and even in crappy movies (like The Animal or Wild Hogs) McGinley has always made an impression.  As we approach what will likely be the final season of Scrubs, let us honor John C.

As Dr. Cox, McGinley has created a character that straddles the line of likability, one of the harder tasks an actor can pull off.  Cox can be outwardly mean, unsupportive and unhappy.  However, as any Scrubs viewer can attest, Cox is a great guy at heart and, when push comes to shove, is someone you really want around and on your side.  In a lot of ways, Scrubs is one of the more realistic TV shows to exist in a hospital, and McGinley's work is one reason why.  Cox struggles with his lot in life – he has a deep-seeded dislike of hospital management and the often brutal desire of the administration to make money at the expense of helping those who need help.  In addition, Cox has acted as a mentor, mostly for Zach Braff's JD, despite not really wanting to.  Again, when it comes down to it, Cox can't help but be that father figure. 

It's one of those roles that you can't imagine anyone else in the world playing.  It helps that we've seen seven seasons of Scrubs, and that the role has been melded to McGinley's sensibilities through the years.  But, it's a shame that McGinley has never been nominated for an Emmy for his work as Dr. Cox.  He has deserved it every year he's been on Scrubs. 

In addition to acting, McGinley is by all accounts a very good guy.  His first child, Max, has Down syndrome, and he's been active in creating awareness for the condition ever since Max was born in 1997.  In 2006, he was the national spokesperson for the National Down Syndrome Society.  On a personal note, a friend's brother was traveling in Europe a couple years back, and was in Switzerland, hiking a mountain trail.  At the top of the trail, he ran into none other than John C. McGinley.  McGinley was incredibly nice and cordial, took some pictures, and spoke with my friend's brother for some time.  I imagine this kind of behavior is rare for a known Hollywood actor. 

As Scrubs winds down, fans need to appreciate what McGinley has been able to do for the last eight years.  Dr. Cox is one of those rare roles where an actor perfectly fit a character, made it their own and was able to inhabit that role for years and years.  McGinley will surely go on to interesting work after Scrubs is over, perhaps getting a regular role on another TV show, but in all likelihood McGinley's legacy will be forever inextricably linked to his work as Perry Cox.  Let's enjoy it while it lasts. 


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of NBC)