Michael J. Foxwas one of the biggest names to appear as a guest star onScrubs, but his presence created an amusing obstacle for the actor’s pair of episodes.Every doctor inScrubsserves either as a mentor or student - or at least did at some point in their careers.Fox’sScrubscharacter was incredibly knowledgeable, so he used his visit to Sacred Heart Hospital to share as much of what he knew as possible. The veteran actor was a brilliant addition to the sitcom’s cast and remains one of thebestScrubsguest stars.
Fox’s brilliance aside, his presence made the production process challenging for an interesting reason. WhileFox’s Parkinson’s diagnosisin 1991 gradually made it more difficult for him to continue acting, it wasn’t his condition that caused theScrubsseason 3 issue in question. Instead,the challenge was faced by the writers of Fox’sScrubsepisodes, but there are far worse problems to have than the one that had to be solved in this instance.
Speaking withCBSaround the time of Michael J. Fox’sScrubsdebut in 2005, showrunner Bill Lawrence (who also co-createdSpin City, starring Fox) revealed one of the biggest problems the writers had to account for. In short,theScrubscast was so excited to have Fox on the showthat they all wanted to be part of Dr. Kevin Casey’s two-episode arc. With a combined runtime of around 40 minutes, there wasn’t much space to accommodate this desire, butScrubssomehow managed to pull it off.
“The hardest part, Lawrence said, was writing a script that allowed eager cast members a chance to work opposite Fox.” - Lynn Elber, CBS.
As is often the case withScrubs, Zach Braff’sDr. John “JD” Dorian had what was arguably the main arc with Fox’s character. However, other characters, like Sarah Chalke’s Elliot Reid and John C. McGinley’s Dr. Cox, still had substantial storylines with Dr. Kevin Casey. So, despite the challenge of making sure all the main members of theScrubscast were content with their shared Michael J. Fox screen time, it would seem the obstacle wasn’t insurmountable.
Dr. Casey’s OCD Helped Michael J. Fox Return To Acting
The symptoms of Fox’s Scrubs character allowed him to perform more freely
AfterSpin Cityended in 2001, Michael J. Fox’s took mainly voice roles until he was cast inScrubs. Speaking withCulture, Fox has discussed how hisScrubscharacter’s struggles with OCD allowed the actor to reframe how he viewed his own diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Using his time onFamily Tiesas a reference,Michael J. Fox suggested acting onScrubswas a much more traditional acting challenge, as instead of having to quell the tremors brought on by his condition, he could fold them into his performance as Dr. Kevin Casey.
“I discovered that I could focus less on the externals and stop trying to hide my symptoms. This was in stark relief from my days on Spin City, when I’d keep a live audience waiting while I paced my dressing room, pounding my arm with my fist in a vain attempt to quell the tremors. On Scrubs, instead of trying to kill it, I invited my Parkinson’s with me to the set. I felt free to concentrate on the task that any actor, able-bodied or not, is charged with accomplishing: uncovering the internal life of another human being. Putting the emphasis on my character’s vulnerabilities and not my own, Parkinson’s could in fact disappear.”
AfterScrubs, Michael J. Fox went on to star in a number of other TV shows. One of which, the eponymously namedMichael J. Foxshow, even had the star’s character suffering from the same condition as the actor playing him. It’s unclear to what extent Fox’s time as Dr. Casey influenced his future characters, but it’s possiblethe actor’sScrubscharacter served as a solid foundation for the rest of his career. In 2020, Fox officially announced his retirement from acting.
Why Michael J. Fox Was One Of Scrubs' Best Guest Stars
Scrubsended its run with an impressive list of guest stars such as Matthew Perry, Brendan Fraser, Courtney Cox, and Ryan Reynolds. Of all theScrubsguest stars, Fox is easily one of the best, if not already sitting at the number one spot. Despite having a sitcom background,Scrubsallowed him to explore a deeply emotional storylinethat served as an allegory for the daily battles fought by him and so many others. In addition, he also stuck the landing on all of his comedic moments, and striking that balance is essential for a show likeScrubs.
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With Fox being such a likable personality, it’s also incredibly rewarding to hear thathis twoScrubsepisodes as Dr. Kevin Casey appear to have been very therapeutic for the actorbehind the character, as well as knowing the role was something of a resurgence in Fox’s belief that he could continue to act. Of course, it’s not possible to know this piece of behind-the-scenes trivia without reading the comments from Fox himself, but it all still adds to the reason and the story behind how and whyMichael J. Foxbecame such a belovedScrubsguest star.
Scrubs
Cast
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
