John C. McGinley

John C. McGinley: (about the Buddy Walk website) If you get on that Web site, you're going to find out you're not alone. You're not from Mars, you didn't do anything wrong, you've been blessed with a gift and you have a chance to bring up a child who's going to be just a stunning, stunning person here.

John C. McGinley: You go to the hospital your wife's in labor and you're doing the thing, and then it's very disorienting and scary and you beat yourself up and you go through a whole period of 'woe is me' and then you realize that this a gift, this child is the light, and if you can nourish that light and just let it shine, you have an opportunity to get closer to what I think is God.

John C. McGinley: (about his son Max) Is he going to be a brain surgeon? Probably not. But you want to foster an environment and a landscape where he can excel and do whatever he can do. What a wonderful thing to be able to say, that a child got a chance to do what he or she was able to do.

John C. McGinley: (about the Buddy Walk) It's a day of inclusion and empowerment, and it's a day we like to celebrate people's abilities and not their disabilities. And so it's--it's really about lifting up families and children with special needs.

John C. McGinley: (about how he first met his wife, Nicole kessler) My son walked up to Nicole on the beach and I was throwing the ball for the dogs in the ocean. I was like, 'Max, you get the dogs. I'll talk to the hot blondes.'

John C. McGinley: (about reaching the 100th episode of Scrubs) For this to reach 100, it does feel like all of a sudden. When we're doing this thing, its like "you put your head down" and just go. You just keep trying to move that rock uphill. And before you know it, we reach 100.

John C. McGinley: I knew I wanted to play "Dr Cox" really bad, which is always a huge mistake because as soon as you want something really bad, maybe you rip up a little bit.

John C. McGinley: (on his character "Dr Cox") He's a big collection of damaged, eccentric goods.

John C. McGinley: (about auditioning for the role of Dr Cox) I like to be in waiting rooms with people as they're auditioning, because their terror calms me.

John C. McGinley (on why his character on Scrubs hates Hugh Jackman) I think it's because the creator of the show just can't stand how talented he is. Hugh Jackman is just too talented. For him to have won a Tony, he's Wolverine, and he's deadly good-looking. He's a great athlete, he can sing and he can dance. That's too much for Billy (Lawrence) to process.

John C. McGinley: (on whether he envisioned his character on Scrubs, any differently than the creators) I did feel Dr. Cox, the character that I was auditioning for, was too similar to the head of the hospital. He was too arrogant and mean. I approached him kind of like I had a miniature Max sitting on my shoulder. I pictured Max saying, "This guy has got to give love every once in a while. He has to!" I knew there had to be tiny little windows of redemption.

John C. McGinley: (on why he wanted to play Dr Cox) I felt (a) it was a great role and (b) I wanted to stay in town. I wanted to stop going to these four month and five month gigs up in Toronto or Montreal or Vancouver or down in Mexico. I wanted to be around my son, Max. This came along and I was like, "I really want to play this guy!"

John C. McGinley: (about his character, Dr Cox, on Scrubs) He is this tower...this tower of inadequacy and damage, but he is so morally in the right place. He really wants to be a caregiver, he wants to make these kids responsible for saving lives and there is no middle ground. So he gets to be this mix of babysitter, mentor, teacher and dad. They made me audition about six times–everyone wanted to play this guy. It is a very desirable role.

John C. McGinley: I would love to have a photographic memory. It would come in handy with the rants I'm given on Scrubs... often on short notice!

John C. McGinley: (On his co-star, Ken Jenkins) Ken I just… you know, I couldn't believe that they got a guy who was one of the founding members of Louisville Rep. Had done all, what, 36 of the Shakespeare plays. He's been in more movies than I have. If you imdb.com him or put him on your Tivo it's gonna ruin your Tivo. He's this gentle, gentle pro. Kenny's got the most gentle vibe. I don't know. I just couldn't believe they got that guy.

John C. McGinley: Dr. Cox mentors the rookie doctors with a spoonful of dirt and then a cup of sugar. I see him as an archetypal descendent of two of my favorite curmudgeonly characters: Lou Grant and Louie De Palma.

John C. McGinley: As an actor, it's great to play a strong leader with a heart of gold.

John C. McGinley:The [Scrubs] pilot script's notes described the character as a John C. McGinley-type.' Now, I don't know what that type is, but I said, Well, you've got him.' I still had to audition five times for the network."

John C. McGinley(On why he thinks he never landed a role as a TV series regular until Scrubs): With my dorky head, I guess I just wasn't handsome enough. I'd do the audition but never hear back. TV tends to look for the living equivalents of squeaky-clean Kens and Barbies, but with my dial I'm more like Ken's dirty old uncle.

John C. McGinley (On how he memorizes lines for Scrubs): I go downstairs and don't come up from there until I get that stuff hammered in my skull, until I can do it water skiing or jumping out of a plane. It's all about the text, flushing it out, to excavate, to really get in there and see what falls through your fingers.