Dr. Cox is one of Scrubs’ most unforgettable characters, and actor John C. McGinley drew on a number of Hollywood inspirations to flesh him out.
Dr. Perry Cox is one of the Scrubs cast’s most memorable characters, but many facets of his personality actually drew inspiration from Hollywood movies and stars. A unique blend of comedy and medical drama provided a winning formula for Scrubs. Over its nine-season run, it proved itself one of the most popular shows on television, capturing a loyal viewership that continues to enjoy the show even over a decade after its cancellation.
As far back as the Scrubs season 1 perfect comedy pilot, one of the show’s biggest strengths was its talented ensemble cast. So many of Scrubs‘ characters are truly unforgettable, but only a handful of them could be considered larger than life. One such character is Dr. Percival Cox (John C. McGinley), a grizzled resident who goes on to become Sacred Heart’s Chief of Medicine by the time Scrubs‘ finale comes around. Cox’s narrative arc is one of the show’s most memorable and emotional, making his character one of Scrubs‘ best.
Dr. Cox’s complexity as a character is a large part of what makes him so interesting, and it stems from the wealth of unique quirks that McGinley brings to the role. Not only do many of these quirks help make Dr. Cox one of Scrubs’ best main characters, but they were actually inspired by legendary Hollywood films and actors. McGinley incorporated elements of Robert Redford’s role in The Sting into the character, as well as his real-life relationship with John Cusack and a nod to his role in Oliver Stone’s Platoon.
Why Dr Cox’s Hollywood Inspirations Fit The Character So Well
The Hollywood inspirations that McGinley brings to Dr. Cox are important as they do more than make the character seem three-dimensional – they actually flesh out his motivations and his worldview, too. Each of the inspirations comes from a particularly masculine source, adding to Cox’s over-the-top machismo in the process. For example, in The Sting, Robert Redford’s character rubs his nose as a signal, and that’s something that McGinley incorporated into Scrubs to demonstrate when Cox is feeling upset.
Another element of Dr. Cox’s character on Scrubs is his repeated use of girls’ names to address JD, and this is something that McGinley reportedly would do in real-life to his neighbor John Cusack. Again, there’s an element of toxic masculinity in the practice that furthers Cox’s characterization in Scrubs as needlessly antagonistic for the sake of appearing tough. One other minor inspiration is Dr. Cox’s some-time catchphrase “what do you say there, Bob?“, which is lifted directly from McGinley’s own role in the 1986 war movie Platoon. The use of the line subtly implies that Cox shares traits with Platoon‘s Sergeant O’Neill, further adding to Cox’s own projection of his masculinity.
The use of these hyper-masculine inspirations serves to distract from the similarities between Dr. Cox and JD in Scrubs, painting Cox in a very different light than the show’s protagonist. However, as Scrubs explores, these outward displays of masculinity hide Cox’s insecurity, which only furthers the way that the real-life inspirations flesh out McGinley’s character. Though the Hollywood inspirations behind Dr. Cox all inform relatively minor aspects of the character, they contribute to making him one of the most fascinating figures in Scrubs.
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