‘Scrubs’ Stars John C. McGinley & Judy Reyes Remember the Late Sam Lloyd [Exclusive]

Throughout Scrubs‘ first nine seasons, the late Sam Lloyd delivered his own brand of dry but brilliant comedy as Theodore “Ted” Buckland, the resident lawyer at Sacred Heart Hospital. While Lloyd was credited with 95 appearances in the show’s original run, making fans laugh and sigh at every turn, Lloyd tragically passed away in April 2020 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor and metastatic lung cancer. Subsequently, his role in Scrubs was not recast, cementing his memory and legacy for both viewers and crew alike as his character is laid to rest.

While Scrubs certainly had bigger characters like Zach Braff’s Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian and Dr. Donald Faison’s Christopher Turk, Lloyd’s Ted quickly became a fan favorite for his sorry-but-wildly-lovable nature. In fact, according to a pair of stars returning for the revival series, Lloyd’s impact on the story and the cast is almost immeasurable.

Scrubs stars John C. McGinley (Dr. Perry Cox) and Judy Reyes (Carla Espinosa, RN) spoke with MovieWeb‘s Joe Deckelmeier about their favorite moments they had working with Lloyd on the original series and how he was such a huge part of the “soul” of the show. McGinley looked back fondly on Lloyd’s “eternal flop sweat” and how he was “great with the language,” which he paired with a mastery of physical comedy to get people howling with laughter:

“I liked his eternal flop sweat, that he always had a flop sweat, and his pen was always leaking in his pocket. And sometimes he’d see that, and then he’d wipe his brow, and he’d get ink all over his flop sweat. And Sam, Sam was tantamount to a very skilled silent film actor, because he was great with the language, but he was also this extremely talented physical comedian, and so in the frame, he could turn gestures into roaring laughter.”

As for Reyes, she recalled the moments when “he and his quartet broke into song,” giving him the chance to show off his musical skills. Always on the lookout for what songs they would sing and how they worked out the harmonies and melodies, she looked back fondly on those unique moments during the show’s long run:

“I love, and I loved when he and his quartet broke into song. It’s just there. It was like, literally, we run. They’re gonna sing now and run up, just to listen, to watch, to see how it works, to see, you know, what song they would choose, the harmonies, the melodies. It was just everything.”

Sam Lloyd’s Impact as Ted on ‘Scrubs’ Revival

Based on these quotes and others from Scrubs‘ cast and crew, Sam Lloyd’s presence and impact on the series will not be forgotten anytime soon. Even as the revival potentially changes some things around from the show’s past, Ted will always have a place in the Scrubs legacy, and he appears set to remain an important influence for the show’s remaining cast.

According to Braff, the revival is set to pay tribute to Lloyd’s death in new episodes, as the Sacred Heart crew will begin visiting a new bar called Lloyd’s Tavern. This was reportedly a decision made by the production crew to honor Lloyd’s contributions to the series, serving as a subtle nod to his memory that longtime fans will appreciate.

Currently, there are no details on whether Lloyd’s Ted will be directly mentioned during the new season of Scrubs, which is already bringing back almost the entire main cast from the original show. However, even if this does not happen this season, the cast and crew have put in the effort to keep their lost co-star in their memories and give fans another chance to remember him. The first two episodes of Scrubs Season 10 will debut on ABC on Feb. 25, 2026.