The ‘Scrubs’ Cast And Their Most Famous Roles Since

For the majority of the 2000s, Scrubs (2001-2010) was one of the best comedies around. The show mixed classic sitcom humor with more in-depth storytelling that left a lasting impact on viewers. For nine seasons, Scrubs made us laugh, cry, and fall in love with its lovable cast of characters. And now, after 16 years, Scrubs is set to make its return with a tenth season on Hulu, and many of its original cast are set to return!

What makes this a huge sigh of relief is mostly due to season 9, which saw many of the longtime cast members being shelved in favor of a new cast of characters. Scrubs isn’t the same without JD, Turk, and Elliot, but they didn’t just let Scrubs be their sole claim to fame. Following the success of the series, most of the major cast members have gone on to have long and fulfilling careers on screen. Even though some fan-favorite characters, like Neil Flynn’s Janitor and Ken Jenkins’ Dr. Kelso, have yet to be confirmed for the tenth season, here’s what the major cast members of Scrubs have been up to since the show ended!

Zach Braff (JD) - Wish I Was Here (2014)

While Zach Braff had great comedic talent playing JD in Scrubs, he’s also a surprisingly talented director. A resident Jersey Boy, he first made waves in the world of film with Garden State (2004), but following the success of Scrubs, Braff would later go on to direct several smaller independent films, with his most well-known being his passion project, Wish I Was Here. 

Braff directed, starred, produced, and wrote the film Wish I Was Here, which isn’t as cheery as Braff’s directorial debut, but it still carries a lot of the same charm. In it, Braff plays a dad who is attempting to find a job as an actor in LA, while raising his kids and being a good husband. Braff finds a way to balance the innate quirkiness of his family with the very real problems adults in his situation face. In a way, it feels like a more grounded take on The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), all while Braff finds a way to inject moments of genuine joy into the film’s hour and 47-minute runtime. If you wanted to see a deeply personal indie gem that flew under people’s radars, Zach Braff delivers with Wish I Was Here.

Donald Fiason (Turk) - The Exes (2011-2014)

Donald Fiason had a solid career before Scrubs, mostly for his performance in Clueless (1995), but Scrubs allowed him to make a name for himself in the world of sitcoms. Following the finale of Scrubs, Fiason would go on to appear in plenty of sitcoms, with the most notable one being The Exes (2011-2015).

Running for four seasons and earning a handful of Emmy nominations, The Exes was a fairly solid sitcom for its time. Like Scrubs, it balanced comedy and drama pretty well, though its focus on relationships and interpersonal drama makes it most similar to New Girl (2011-2018). Both shows feature a host of men buoyed by one woman trying to find love and navigating the realm of being an adult in the 2010s. While New Girl skewed towards younger adults, The Exes skews to an older crowd. Fiason is still allowed to be his charming self, though his character is noticeably more selfish and lustful than Turk ever was. The Exes may not hit the same comedic highs as either show, but its more mature depiction of classic sitcom jokes may just be for you.

Sarah Chalke (Elliot) - Rick & Morty (2013-Present)

Sarah Chalke always had a great sense of comedic timing on Scrubs. Elliot was always bursting with energy, whether it be from giggly awkwardness or manic frustration. That emotional breadth helped her a lot when she began to explore voice acting following the end of Scrubs, but she quickly found a home on Rick & Morty voicing Beth. 

Hearing Chalke play Beth may take a couple of viewings, if only because of how grounded and understated she is while playing Beth. She has to put up not only with her husband’s ineptitude but also with her father’s sociopathic experiments, which makes her aggression and frustrations at everything surrounding her feel valid and justified. She’s still hilarious when she’s able to cut loose, and given Rick & Morty’s infinitely creative sci-fi premises that feel like a sci-fi take on The Venture Bros (2003-201), there are plenty of opportunities to do so, especially when Chalke is allowed to play a grizzled version of her character. Thanks to Rick & Morty’s creativity, Sarah Chalke has been thriving in the voice acting community, and if you want to see how her comedic and dramatic delivery has only improved with age, check out Rick & Morty. 

John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox) - Stan Against Evil (2016-2018)

There’s no one quite like Dr. Cox. John C McGinley made JD’s oppressive mentor a darkly comedic riot, with plenty of catchphrases and asides that made him an instant fan favorite. If you want to see more of McGinley’s frustration and wit on full display and you haven’t seen Stan Against Evil, you should probably rectify that.

Like Ash vs. Evil Dead  (2015-2018), Stan Against Evil has a deep love and appreciation for the horror genre. Stan is a great reluctant hero like Ash, who would rather be anywhere else and throws out some great one-liners whenever he gets the chance. At times, it feels like Stan and Dr. Cox are the same character, which is totally fine given how both characters carry the same sense of humor. The creature designs are solid, the kills are cool, and the campiness is impossible to ignore. It’s a shame that the show was cancelled after its third season, but if you want an underrated and easy-to-binge horror comedy, you can’t really go wrong with Stan Against Evil. 

Judy Reyes (Carla) - High Potential (2024-Present)

The last major cast member from the original series to reprise their role in the tenth season is Judy Reyes’s Carla Espinosa. As the voice of reason for the crew at Sacred Heart, Carla had one of the most fleshed-out arcs of the series, which showed off Reyes’ considerable acting talent. Then again, if you’ve been watching High Potential, you would already know that.

The series is a cop drama with all of the expected trappings of one, but with a tinge of goofy and silly humor permeating throughout it. It’s not too far off from Poker Face (2023-2025) and its unconventional lead, but both have a similar pace and structure. The cases on High Potential are fun, but what helps elevate the series beyond Poker Face is the much more involved and interesting supporting cast, which includes Reyes as the head of the Major Crimes Division. It’s a brighter and cheerier crime show where the darkest moments never get too dark, and there’s always a joke or a line delivery that will make you chuckle. It’s been one of the most successful crime dramas recently, so fans of the genre should definitely check out the show to see what the hype is all about.