Created by Bill Lawrence, Scrubs first came to our screens back in 2001. The series follows a group of friends working in a hospital together. Due to its memorable comedy and recurring gags, Scrubs amassed a cult following. After concluding in 2010, the beloved sitcom was on air for nine years and has a total of nine seasons. Despite the critical failure of the show’s season 9 reboot, Med School, Scrubs still has a dedicated fan following to this day.

Whilst the nostalgic sitcom is remembered for its quirky comedy, Scrubs also featured a ton of celebrity cameos throughout its nine-year run. Some fans may not know that one of these cameos featured Ryan Reynolds, the esteemed actor who is most known for his role as Deadpool in the MCU. Now that Reynolds is an A-List star, it’s surprising to see him appear in this early 2000s sitcom - so who did he play?

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What Is Scrubs About?

Set in Sacred Heart Hospital, Scrubs follows a group of characters as they attempt to navigate working in a hospital. Zach Braff stars as the series’ lovable protagonist, J.D., who begins the series as a medical intern at Sacred Heart. Scrubs is centered around J.D.’s attempt to navigate the highs and lows of working in a hospital, making for some comedic misadventures. The sitcom is characterized by J.D.’s first-person narration and bizarre daydreams.

Whilst Scrubs is renowned for its feel-good comedy, the series also incorporates some darker themes into its episodes. Once J.D., Turk, and Elliot start working at Sacred Heart, the trio soon realize that death is a common part of the job. Because of this, Scrubs explores the hardships of working in a hospital, resulting in numerous poignant episodes and hard-hitting moments. Scrubs’ capability to balance comedy alongside these darker moments is why the series is so critically acclaimed.

Throughout Scrubs’ nine seasons, audiences really get to know the show’s central characters. Whilst the sitcom predominantly takes place at Sacred Heart Hospital, the show also explores the characters’ lives outside of work. Because of this, some pretty iconic actors crop up in unexpected cameos, often appearing as characters’ friends or relatives, which is where Ryan Reynolds came into the show.

Who Did Ryan Reynolds Play in Scrubs?

In season 2’s finale, Ryan Reynolds appears as Spence, J.D. and Turk’s friend from college. Although many years have passed since the trio’s college days, they all quickly fall back into the swing of things when Spence comes to visit J.D. and Turk. As the episode progresses, however, it becomes clear that J.D. and Turk’s responsibilities at work are causing a rift in the trio’s friendship.

Whilst the trio are hanging out, J.D. and Turk are both unexpectedly paged into work, which aggravates Spence. When they arrive at Sacred Heart, it’s clear that the pair have both been drinking and are immediately sent home from the shift. J.D. and Turk both let out their frustrations on Spence, who could not understand the severity of the pair’s work.

It’s clear that Spence is still stuck in the college mindset and cannot come to terms with J.D. and Turk’s dedication to their careers. Because of this, it becomes apparent that the trio’s friendship is pretty much irreparable. It seems like Spence’s frustrations hit a nerve for both J.D. and Turk, who were both struggling with the crucial responsibilities of working in a hospital. Because of their long hours and unexpected call-ins, J.D. and Turk resented the fact that they were left with hardly any free time and were struggling to accept that the hospital had suddenly become the center of both of their lives. After an uncomfortable confrontation, Spence goes back home and the character is never brought back into the series, leaving his friendship with J.D. and Turk on a sour note.

Despite his brief appearance, Ryan Reynolds’ character doesn’t fail to leave his mark on the series. In a comedic scene, Spence accidentally reveals that Dr. Cox is the father of his ex-wife’s baby – a secret that J.D. has been keeping for nearly the entirety of season two. Now that Ryan Reynolds is a renowned Hollywood actor, it’s surprising to see him crop up in an episode of a sitcom from 2002. However, Reynolds’ appearance is not the first or last of Scrubs’ celebrity cameos.

Which Other Celebrities Appeared In Scrubs?

Back in 2001, Brendan Fraser made his debut to the Scrubs cast. Fraser is renowned for his role in The Whale, which won him the Oscar for Best Actor, but the actor’s appearance in Scrubs was near his ‘George of the Jungle’ days – which would’ve made him an instantly recognizable face in the sitcom. In Scrubs' first season, Fraser appeared as Ben Sullivan, Dr. Cox’s close friend who was tragically diagnosed with leukemia near season 1’s finale. Although he only appeared in a few episodes, Ben was one of the most likable characters in the entity of Scrubs. His optimism was contagious, bringing out a side of Dr.Cox that audiences rarely saw.

Colin Farrell is widely recognized for his roles in The Banshees of Inisherin and In Bruges, but back in 2005, the renowned actor starred in an episode of Scrubs’ fourth season. In the episode, entitled ‘My Lucky Charm’, Farrell plays Billy, an Irish visitor at the hospital who is visiting a patient with a head injury. Whilst J.D. and Turk assume that Colin Farrell’s character is the patient’s brother, it's later revealed that Billy was actually the one who caused the patient’s head injury after the pair got into a bar fight. To their shock, Billy explains himself to J.D. and Turk, stating that: “Where I come from, you knock someone unconscious, you stay around and make sure they’re okay”. Although he only appeared in one episode, Colin Farrell makes a particularly memorable guest appearance, largely due to Billy’s charm and upbeat personality.

In Scrubs’ second season, Alan Ruck briefly appears as Mr. Bragin, a patient at Sacred Heart. Ruck is widely recognized for his role as Connor Roy in the critically acclaimed series, Succession. The actor is also famed for his role as Cameron Frye in John Hughes's 1986 comedy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Whilst Ruck only appeared as a brief cameo in Scrubs, his character had a lingering impact on Elliot. During his time at Sacred Heart, Mr. Bragin was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was told by Elliot that he only had months to live. Fortunately, in nine months’ time, Mr. Bragin was cancer-free. However, in typical Roy fashion, Mr. Bragin now intends to sue Elliot for falsely telling him that he only had months to live.

Season four of Scrubs also starred Matthew Perry, who is most known for playing Chandler Bing in Friends. In the episode, Perry plays Murray, a man who is debating whether to donate his kidney to his dying father. In fact, Scrubs featured not one but two Friends stars. Courtney Cox, who is renowned for playing Monica Geller in Friends, appeared in Scrubs’ eighth season as Dr. Taylor Maddox. Dr. Maddox takes over Dr. Bob Kelso’s position as the Chief of Medicine for Sacred Heart. However, her character is worlds apart from Monica Geller. It is soon revealed that Dr. Maddox is money-hungry and ultimately becomes the series’ antagonist.

In Scrubs' third season, Michael J. Fox appears as Dr. Kevin Casey. Appearing in two episodes, the renowned Back to the Future actor stars as a talented Doctor, who stirs some drama in the workplace when Dr. Cox believes that he is being upstaged. This wasn’t the only Scrubs cameo made by an iconic actor. Scrubs' second season featured another memorable cameo by the iconic actor, Dick Van Dyke. In the episode called ‘My Brother, My Keeper’, Van Dyke stars as Dr. Townhend, an old friend of Dr. Kelso’s. However, it soon becomes apparent that Dr. Townhend is employing outdated medical practices on patients, putting their lives in danger. It's clear that Scrubs features an abundance of celebrity cameos, which clearly counts towards the show’s lingering popularity since its last episode was aired over ten years ago.

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