Scrubs
Dr. Perry Cox is one of theScrubscast ’s most memorable character , but many facet of his personality actually drew inspiration from Hollywood motion-picture show and stars . A unique blend of comedy and aesculapian dramatic event provided a succeed formula forScrubs . Over its nine - season run , it proved itself one of the most popular shows on television , capturing a loyal viewership that go on to enjoy the show even over a X after its cancellation .
As far back as theScrubsseason 1 perfect funniness pilot , one of the show ’s cock-a-hoop strengths was its gifted ensemble cast . So many ofScrubs ' character are truly unforgettable , but only a fistful of them could be turn over larger than life . One such role is Dr. Percival Cox ( John C. McGinley ) , a grizzled resident who goes on to become Sacred Heart ’s Chief of Medicine by the timeScrubs ' finale come around . Cox ’s tale discharge is one of the show ’s most memorable and emotional , making his character one ofScrubs ' in force .
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Dr. Cox ’s complexity as a character is a large part of what make him so interesting , and it stem from the riches of unique queerness that McGinley bring to the role . Not only do many of these quirks facilitate makeDr . coxswain one ofScrubs’best main characters , but they were actually inspire by fabled Hollywood films and actors . McGinley incorporate elements of Robert Redford ’s function inThe Stinginto the character , as well as his real - life relationship with John Cusack and a nod to his role in Oliver Stone’sPlatoon .
Why Dr Cox’s Hollywood Inspirations Fit The Character So Well
The Hollywood breathing in that McGinley brings to Dr. Cox are important as they do more than make the fiber seem three - dimensional - they actually flesh out his motivating and his worldview , too . Each of the inspirations comes from a especially masculine source , add to Cox ’s over - the - top machismo in the cognitive process . For model , inThe Sting , Robert Redford ’s character rubs his nose as a signal , and that ’s something that McGinley incorporated intoScrubsto demonstrate when Cox is feeling disquieted .
Another element of Dr. Cox’scharacter onScrubsis his iterate usance of girls ' names to address JD , and this is something that McGinley reportedly would do in real - life story to his neighbour John Cusack . Again , there ’s an element of toxic maleness in the drill that furthers Cox ’s characterization inScrubsas needlessly antagonistic for the sake of appearing tough . One other minor brainchild is Dr. Cox ’s some - time catch phrase " what do you say there , Bob ? " , which is lifted at once from McGinley ’s own role in the 1986 war moviePlatoon . The use of the line subtly imply that Cox plowshare traits withPlatoon ’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 law of similarity betweenDr . Cox and JD inScrubs , painting Cox in a very different light source than the show ’s protagonist . However , asScrubsexplores , these outward-bound displays of maleness hide Cox ’s insecurity , which only foster the way that the substantial - aliveness inspirations flesh out McGinley ’s character . Though the Hollywood inspirations behind Dr. Cox all inform comparatively pocket-sized aspects of the character , they contribute to making him one of the most bewitching digit inScrubs .

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