Christopher Turk
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Christopher Duncan Turk,
M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
, commonly referred to by his last name "Turk" is a fictional character in the American
comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
''
Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...
'', played by
Donald Faison Donald Adeosun Faison (; born June 22, 1974) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his leading role as Dr. Chris Turk in the ABC/NBC comedy-drama ''Scrubs'' (2001–2010), and a supporting role as Murray in both the film ''Clueless'' ...
. Turk appeared in every episode of the series except three season 8 episodes, " My Saving Grace", " My New Role" and "
My Lawyer's in Love The eighth season of the American comedy television series '' Scrubs'' premiered on ABC on January 6, 2009 and concluded on May 6, 2009 and consists of 19 episodes. The eighth season was the first to be shown on ABC after NBC dropped the series, e ...
". Faison is the only original cast member, besides
John C. McGinley John Christopher McGinley (born August 3, 1959) is an American actor. His best known roles include Perry Cox in '' Scrubs'', Bob Slydell in ''Office Space'', Captain Hendrix in '' The Rock'', Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's ''Platoon,'' ...
, that returned for season 9 as a regular cast member.


Overview

Commonly known by his surname, "Turk" is the best friend and former roommate of the series'
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
, J.D. (
Zach Braff Zachary Israel Braff'Scrubs' Star Zach Braff Wows ...
). Turk was J.D.'s roommate at the
College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III a ...
and at medical school, and the two have an extremely close relationship, which is best described as "guy love" in the season 6 episode "
My Musical "My Musical" is a musical episode of the American comedy-drama television series '' Scrubs''. It is the 123rd episode of the show, and was originally aired as episode 6 of season 6 on January 18, 2007 on NBC. The episode follows the story of P ...
". J.D. claims that Turk's middle name, Duncan, was chosen due to his father's love of doughnuts. Starting in
season 1 Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambiguat ...
as a surgical intern, he works his way up to attending surgeon (season 5) and later the chief of surgery (seasons 8 and 9) at Sacred Heart Hospital, where the series takes place. In season 1, he begins dating
Carla Espinosa Carla Espinosa, RN is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama '' Scrubs'', portrayed by Judy Reyes, who appeared on the series from October 2001 to May 2009. Carla appeared in every episode during the first eight seasons except three ...
(
Judy Reyes Judy Reyes (born November 5, 1967) is an American actress, model and producer, best known for her roles as Carla Espinosa on the NBC/ABC medical comedy series '' Scrubs'' (2001–2009), and as Zoila Diaz in the Lifetime comedy-drama ''Devious M ...
), the Head Nurse; at the end of season 3, they get married. He and Carla have an infant daughter, Isabella ("Izzy"), as well as another daughter mentioned in season 8 and 9.


Personality

Turk is an extroverted, competitive "
alpha male In biology, a dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social groups interact, creating a ranking system. A dominant higher-ranking individual is som ...
". He says that his competitive nature drove him to "play everything" in high school, and also cites it as the main reason that he became a surgeon. At one point, he also says "winning is more important than friendship. My Gram-Gram taught me that". It also accounts for his antagonistic relationship with Chief Attending Physician Dr. Perry Cox (
John C. McGinley John Christopher McGinley (born August 3, 1959) is an American actor. His best known roles include Perry Cox in '' Scrubs'', Bob Slydell in ''Office Space'', Captain Hendrix in '' The Rock'', Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's ''Platoon,'' ...
); in season 1, they compete for Carla's affections, and consistently insult and annoy each other throughout the series. At this point, Faison had hoped Dr. Cox would succeed, so he could act in multiple relationships. In a season 6 episode, they fight a battle of wits over a
hypochondria Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating cond ...
c patient (
Richard Kind Richard Bruce Kind (born November 22, 1956) is an American actor and comedian, known for his roles as Dr. Mark Devanow in ''Mad About You'' (1992–1999, 2019), Paul Lassiter in ''Spin City'' (1996–2002), Andy in ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' (2002 ...
). Turk eventually tricks Cox into losing, eliciting Cox's grudging respect. Turk is portrayed as a devout Christian. His faith in God is shaken after being on call for Christmas Eve, during which he treats several people suffering horrific injuries. He feels lost, but his faith is restored after he finds a runaway patient giving birth and helps deliver the child. Turk is often referred to as "Turkleton" by Dr. Bob Kelso (
Ken Jenkins Ken Jenkins (born August 28, 1940) is an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Bob Kelso, the chief of medicine on the American comedy series '' Scrubs'' (2001–2009). He has also had notable appearances in many popular TV shows. Ea ...
), Sacred Heart's Chief of Medicine. It even gets to the point that at Carla and Turk's reception, Kelso drunkenly stated that he thinks Turk's name is Turk Turkleton. Kelso also refers to Carla as "Nurse Turkleton".


Family life

Turk has two brothers: Kevin (
D.L. Hughley Darryl Lynn Hughley (; born March 6, 1963) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Hughley is best known as the original host of BET's ''ComicView'' from 1992 to 1993, the eponymous character on the ABC/ UPN sitcom ''The Hughleys'', and as ...
), who paid for Turk's college and medical school; and Jabbari (formerly Bob), who is described as "militant". He also has a "
bipolar Bipolar may refer to: Astronomy * Bipolar nebula, a distinctive nebular formation * Bipolar outflow, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star Mathematics * Bipolar coordinates, a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system * Bipolar ...
Aunt Leslie". He also mentions a sister. Turk notes that while his family is
dysfunction Dysfunction can refer to: * Abnormality (behavior) * Dysfunctional family * Sexual dysfunction * ''Dysfunction'' (album), an album by the rock band Staind * Manifest and latent functions and dysfunctions Manifest may refer to: Computing * Mani ...
al, it is very close. Turk's mother is a
Jehovah's Witness Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ev ...
, although Turk himself is
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
as evidenced by his attendance of
Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
and his wearing of a small
crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...
around his neck. Turk is also one-eighth Japanese. Carla catches Turk's eye immediately, although she is reluctant to go out with him at first because of his arrogance, purely physical attraction to her, and his
god complex A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a god complex may refuse to admit the possibility of their error or failure, even in the face o ...
. He impresses her by telling her that she should give
Elliot Reid Elliot Reid, M.D. is a fictional character played by Sarah Chalke in the American comedy-drama '' Scrubs''. She appeared in every episode during the first eight seasons except two Season 8 episodes, " My Last Words" and " My Lawyer's in Love." ...
(
Sarah Chalke Sarah Louise Christine Chalke (; born August 27, 1976) is a Canadian actress and model. She is known for portraying Elliot Reid on the NBC/ABC comedy series '' Scrubs'', the second Becky Conner on the ABC sitcom ''Roseanne'', Stella Zinman on ...
), with whom she does not get along, a break; she agrees to a date with him, and they soon become a serious item. In season two, they get engaged after Carla initially rejects his proposal. They then spend the whole of season 3 planning their wedding, which happens, albeit with a few problems, in the
season finale A season finale (British English: last in the series; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will try to ...
. During season 4, the two experience some marital trouble; they briefly separate when Carla finds out that Turk is maintaining a friendship with an ex-girlfriend without telling her that he is married. The situation is worsened when Carla and J.D. share a "friend kiss" after getting drunk together. Eventually, the two fix their relationship, and at the end of season four they agree to begin trying to have a baby. They spend most of season 5 trying to conceive, finally succeeding after a few months. Their baby, Isabella, is born after some complications in " My Best Friend's Baby's Baby and My Baby's Baby". In the fourth season, Turk is diagnosed with
type two diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, ...
; he initially jokes about this as a way of coping with his fear about the disease, but learns to take it seriously. In the seventh season, Turk has a
testicle A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testostero ...
removed after his daughter, Izzy, kicks him in the groin, causing
testicular torsion Testicular torsion occurs when the spermatic cord (from which the testicle is suspended) twists, cutting off the blood supply to the testicle. The most common symptom in children is sudden, severe testicular pain. The testicle may be higher than u ...
.


Relationship with J.D.

Turk and J.D. are best friends and surrogate brothers. They both attended the
College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III a ...
(''Scrubs'' creator Bill Lawrence's alma mater), where they roomed together. They share a goofy sense of humor; for example, they both enjoy dancing " the robot", "dramatic slow running", pretending to be "multi-ethnic Siamese doctor", and also pretending to be the "World's Most
Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
Doctor." He and J.D. own a stuffed Yellow Labrador Retriever named Rowdy which they treat like a live dog. J.D. acts as best man at Turk's wedding, and is Izzy's godfather. There have been several joking allusions to the fact that they are so close as to almost be a couple. However, they best explain their relationship in their duet " Guy Love": "It's Guy Love/That's all it is/It's Guy Love/He's mine, I'm his/There's nothing
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
about it in our eyes." Carla is generally supportive of Turk and J.D.'s close relationship, although she occasionally gets jealous. While witnessing their ecstatic reunion after she and Turk return from their honeymoon, for example, she wistfully remarks, "Maybe one day he'll love ''me'' like that". She also refers to J.D. as Turk's "boyfriend", and introduces him to the newborn Izzy as "the man you'll be competing with for your father's love." When J.D. leaves Sacred Heart in the eighth season finale, Turk makes a large banner outside the hospital that says "Goodbye J.D.". Though the two realize that their relationship will never be the same, they still remain best friends. In J.D.'s fantasy/
flashforward A flashforward (also spelled flash-forward, and more formally known as prolepsis) is a scene that temporarily takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards a ...
, the Turk family spends a Christmas together with J.D. and Elliot (now married), as well as Dr. Cox's family. It is also revealed that Izzy eventually becomes engaged to J.D.'s son Sam.


Work

Turk begins his career as a surgical intern at Sacred Heart hospital. Along with the other interns, he becomes a resident and eventually, an attending physician. At the end of the eighth season, Dr. Cox, Sacred Heart's new Chief of Medicine, makes Turk the hospital's Chief of Surgery. In the ninth season, Turk becomes a visiting professor of surgery at Winston University, a medical school built on the site of the old Sacred Heart facility, which was torn down. Turk is the "singer" in an air-band, Cool Cats, with
The Janitor The Janitor is a fictional character, played by Neil Flynn in the American comedy-drama ''Scrubs''. Though he is a janitor at Sacred Heart, he is rarely referred to as ''the'' janitor, but rather just called Janitor. Neil Flynn was originally bil ...
(
Neil Flynn Neil Richard Flynn (born November 13, 1960) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Janitor on '' Scrubs'' and Mike Heck in the ABC comedy series '' The Middle''. He has had notable appearances in television series, ...
),
Ted Buckland TED may refer to: Economics and finance * TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar Education * ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association ** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey ** Transvaal Education Dep ...
(
Sam Lloyd Sam Lloyd (November 12, 1963 – April 30, 2020) was an American actor and singer, best known for his portrayal of lawyer Ted Buckland on the comedy-drama series ''Scrubs'' and the sitcom ''Cougar Town''. Early life Lloyd was born in Spri ...
), and Lloyd the Delivery Man (
Mike Schwartz Mike Schwartz is an American screenwriter and actor, best known for his work on '' Scrubs'' (2001-2009). Life and career Schwartz was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and was raised in Santa Barbara, California. A graduate of the improv group ...
).


Production details

* The episode "
My Malpractical Decision The fourth season of the American comedy television series '' Scrubs'' premiered on NBC on August 31, 2004 and concluded on May 10, 2005 and consists of 25 episodes. Heather Graham guest starred for an extended run for the first 8 episodes and the ...
" reveals that Turk's cell phone number is (916) CALL-TUR (225-5887), although he states that he hopes that people will dial the 'K' anyway. At first, fans who dialed the phone number found themselves connected to an actual phone located on set. Several fans reported many cast and crew members picking up the phone and having live conversations with them (
Zach Braff Zachary Israel Braff'Scrubs' Star Zach Braff Wows ...
, who plays J.D., accounted for this in his ow
blog
. The phone soon became overloaded with calls, and callers were re-directed to a voice mail message from Turk or Carla announcing that Turk was out, but would be back at the start of the next season. The voice mail was later changed to one in which Braff promoted his film '' Garden State''. As of December 2006, the message was one of
Neil Flynn Neil Richard Flynn (born November 13, 1960) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Janitor on '' Scrubs'' and Mike Heck in the ABC comedy series '' The Middle''. He has had notable appearances in television series, ...
(who plays
the Janitor The Janitor is a fictional character, played by Neil Flynn in the American comedy-drama ''Scrubs''. Though he is a janitor at Sacred Heart, he is rarely referred to as ''the'' janitor, but rather just called Janitor. Neil Flynn was originally bil ...
) advertising for the season premiere of ''Scrubs''. As of February 2007, the message changed to one of Sacred Heart's security guard, Leonard, promoting ''Scrubs'' on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
. As of January 2008, the message is of
Doug Murphy Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) which ...
(
Johnny Kastl Johnny Kastl is an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Doug Murphy on the medical comedy ''Scrubs''. He has since made cameo appearances in several Hollywood productions and played other parts on television including the role of Todd ...
), one of the show's supporting characters, promoting the ''Scrubs'' blog and
podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...
. As of July 2008, the message was of the Janitor saying "...this is J.D., I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message and I'll call you back immediately. If I don't, feel free to come after me and personally harm me." He then advertises the episode " My Princess". As of April 2009, the message is Dr. Cox advertising the new season on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
. As of May 2009, when the number is dialed the automatic message "I'm sorry, the number you have called is not in service. Please check the number and dial again," suggesting that the number had been deactivated. As of February 2010, the number reached a message saying that the mailbox was full, suggesting the number had been reconnected. As of 2013 the number belongs to a cell phone that belongs to a private citizen in the
Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
area. * Turk's name is based on that of real-life physician Dr. Jon Turk, a medical consultant for ''Scrubs''.Jon Turk, M.D
"Real-Life Medicine"
Autobiography from private practice website. Accessed September 10, 2011.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turk, Christopher Scrubs (TV series) characters Fictional surgeons Fictional American physicians Fictional African-American people Fictional Asian-American people Fictional professors Television characters introduced in 2001 American male characters in television