Adpot an Actor / Actress

Several blogs, both from around Springfield and elsewhere, that I fairly routinely read {and scavenge for post ideas like the carp of the blog world that I am} have had posts in the past in which they have “adopted” an actor and/or actress. I haven’t really figured out what it means to “adopt” an actor; I don’t know if it’s like the Christian Children’s Fund where you send $30 a month to “sponsor” them, or if it simply means you’re a fan of their work, or what.

So I decided I’d “adopt” a male and female actor for no real apparent reason, other than, basically, because it’s an excuse to post something.

I watch the show Scrubs whenever I can. Oddly enough, however, especially since the writers apparently went on strike at some point this winter, causing prime time TV to air nothing but “reality” shows and game shows (Moment of Truth, The Power of 10, My Dad Can Bitch-Slap Your Dad, Who Wants to Fondle a Crack Whore Before Her Pimp Comes Back, etc.), I really have no clue when Scrubs is actually on now. Hell, I just found out online about a week ago that next season will be its last. Bummer.

I watch it in syndication, because I usually know where to find it. There are two episodes every night, 10-11pm on WGN, then at 11pm on UPN (I think that’s the network…), and fairly regularly on Comedy Central, channels 9, 6, and 45 on your local Dimension Insight Comcast cable listings, among several other times and channels.) Mrs. Johann doesn’t particularly like the show, so I watch the later ones on WGN and UPN because she’s usually asleep by then.

It’s a brilliant show. Truly. The actors are terrific in their roles, the scenes where they flash to what a character (usually J.D.) is thinking are quite comical, and the interaction between the characters is great. Anyhooze, my “adopted” actor and actress (at least for this installment, anyway) both come from Scrubs.

John C. McGinley

Unless you’ve never seen a movie in the last, oh, say 20 years, you’ve undoubtedly seen John C. McGinley at some point. He’s one of those guys that makes people say, “Oh, that’s that guy from that movie” and actually be right. Whether you like war movies, movies about ruthless stockbrokers, movies with really, really awful leading men, really, really awful movies with leading men in them, movies about serial killers, or those kind of off-beat, so-called “cult classic” movies, chances are that you’ve seen this man’s face. He puts everything into his characters, whether he’s on screen for 45 minutes or 45 seconds. He plays Dr. Perry Cox on Scrubs, a burnt-out alcoholic attending physician who does everything he can to make people think he is a bad-ass who doesn’t care about anyone or anything, yet all the while caring so much it hurts, and very desperately (and rather unsuccessfully) trying to hide his vulnerabilities. McGinley is great in dramatic roles, but the role of Dr. Cox seems to just flow from him effortlessly.

Gratuitous cheesy bio information alert: McGinley was born August 3, 1959, in New York City. The “C.” stands for Christopher. His 10-year-old son Max has Down’s Syndrome, and McGinley took the Scrubs role to stay close to home to be with him. He attended Millburn High School in Millburn, N.J., also the alma mater of actress-hottie Anne Hathaway. Millburn is adjacent to the town of Maplewood, where Scrubs costar Zach Braff was raised. (courtesy iMDb.com)

Wow. Small world, huh.

Judy Reyes

My “adopted” actress also comes from Scrubs. After looking at her resume on iMDb, I don’t know what I would have seen Judy Reyes in before Scrubs, but she just has a face that I feel like I’ve been familiar with for years.

(I’d sure like to be familiar with that face…)

Hmmmm… awwwk-waaarrrrrrd…

Ennyhooze, Judy Reyes plays nurse Carla Espinosa. Described as “no-nonsense”, “tough-talking”, and “straight-shooting”, among other lame Hollywood clichés, Carla is basically the glue that holds the place together. She is friends with everybody, but doesn’t take shit from anybody. She is the only person that can kick Dr. Cox’s ass off of his high-horse. Of course, Dr. Cox lets her, because he is in love with her, but that’s a whole other issue.

Reyes has had parts in numerous TV series, ranging from Law & Order to N.Y.P.D. Blue to Third Watch, and even the HBO series The Sopranos and Oz. She has done several TV movies, and has had small roles in several films. The reason I like Judy Reyes, besides because of her character on Scrubs? Very simple: she sings, she speaks Spanish… um… oh yeah, and she’s smokin’ friggin’ hot. I mean, look at her! What’s not to like?! Ain’t nothin’ like a hot Latina with a beautiful singing voice. And from what I’ve seen of her on Scrubs, she is actually a pretty good actress. She has a very strong comedic presence yet can carry her more “serious” scenes very convincingly.

Did I mention that she is HOT? (Oh, shut up- like none of you have ever lusted after a celebrity.)

Gratuitous cheesy bio information alert: Judy Reyes was born November 5, 1967 in da Bronx and, like her Scrubs character, is of Dominican descent. She has a fraternal twin sister, named Joselin (also an actress), who was born on the exact same day, coincidentally. That is so weird! Anyway, she is exactly my height (5′4″, in case you’re wondering), she is the only southpaw in the Scrubs cast, and is a co-founder of LAByrinth, a multi-cultural theatre company in Manhattan. (also courtesy iMDb.com)

So there you go–my “adopted” actor and actress. Again, I really don’t know the significance of doing so (or if there even is one), but you may consider them “adopted”.