"Really interesting to flip it 180": Scrubs star John C. McGinley reveals what position Dr. Cox's health crisis puts him in

In the Scrubs episode titled My Odds, Dr. Perry returns to Sacred Heart and discovers he has microscopic polyangiitis, a serious autoimmune disease that has no cure.

This moment forced him to step into the patient's role, which is the opposite of his usual role as mentor.

McGinley explained that this shift is powerful because it made Dr. Perry dependent on the people he once guided. The story opens up new ground for the writers and helps them to show Cox as vulnerable and human. In addition, it lets the series explore how he deals with his own limits and the reality of mortality.

McGinley was busy outside of Scrubs. He is starring in Rooster, a new comedy show on HBO Max. The series was created by Bill Lawrence and features Steve Carell. Even with this new role, McGinley remains a key part of Scrubs. He played the tough attending doctor who pushed J.D. Reid and Turn during their early days as interns.

Continue reading more about the story.

What John C. McGinley reveals about Dr. Cox's health crisis in Scrubs?

In Variety, McGinley reveals Dr. Perry's health crisis in the show. He said,

"It puts him back in the hospital in a patient capacity, which is really interesting to flip it 180 from being the mentor to seeing the people he mentored now have to be his caregivers. That’s a rich landscape for the writers to write."

Dr. Perry has always relied on his ability as well as his skills to keep emotions at a distance. When he is forced into a hospital bed with serious autoimmune disease, that protective layer is gone. Watching J.D. Elliot and Turk taking care of him shows how far they have come. For years, he pushed hard and often utilized harsh words to make them stronger. Currently, their calm and professional way of handling his illness and their pride proved that they have grown into the doctors he hoped they would become.

Dr. Perry Cox in Scrubs

In Scrubs, Dr. Perry was once the Chief of Medicine and a senior doctor at Sacred Heart Hospital. He spent many years there and trained countless interns and residents with his tough and demanding style. Even though he never liked the word mentor, he became one for J.D., guiding him in his own sharp and reluctant way.

John C. McGinley played his role and appeared in 178 episodes across the first 9 seasons. He was one of the central figures of the show. His first appearance was in the pilot episode, titled, My First Day. Later, in the episode titled, My Return, he chose to retire and passed his role on to Dr. John Dorian.

What do fans think about Dr. Cox in Scrubs?

Viewers of this show loved the character of Dr. Cox. One of the viewers commented on IMDb,

"The love-hate relationship between Dr. Cox and Jordan is a pleasure to watch and keeping the J.D.-Elliot love/relationship off-kilter is a smart move on the writers' part."

The viewer continued,

"Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison and Judy Reyes have a wonderful sense of comic timing. And even though the series revolves around Braff's character, J.D., the show, I believe, belongs to John C. McGinley as Dr. Cox."

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