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CNN Live Today

Interview With John C. McGinley

Aired October 02, 2003 - 11:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The zany residents at Sacred Heart Hospital are back tonight. They'll be kicking off a third season of laughs. "Scrubs" follows the bedside humor of a group of rookie docs and the senior staffers who try to keep them all in line. For those of who have not seen this show very much, it is hilarious.
Now one of the veteran staffers on the show, a guy you see there on the screen, the abrasive, grumpy, somewhat cocky Dr. Cox. Well his altar ego, John C. McGinley, joins us from Los Angeles this morning. John C., good to see you. How are you?

JOHN C. MCGINLEY, ACTOR: Good morning. I couldn't be better, actually.

HARRIS: I'm glad to have you with us here today. As I understand it, third-rated highest comedy show last year.

MCGINLEY: Yes, we're excited. We finished the season No. 8, I think, in the overall. And then NBC gave us a great vote of confidence and kept us behind "Friends" again this year, which is the most coveted slot on NBC's lineup. That's pretty good company, "Friends," "Scrubs," and "Will And Grace." We couldn't be more thrilled.

HARRIS: Any part of that surprise you?

MCGINLEY: No, it's nice to be riding their coat tails for one more year. It's fantastic to follow a winner like that.

HARRIS: Listen, you guys have got a winner going. We've got a couple of folks on our staff who are pretty manic fans of that show. We'll talk some more about that in a second.

But I've got to talk to you, first of all, about the Buddy Walks. You're going to be participating in an awareness program that has basically been very successful since 1995. How long have you been involved with these Buddy Walks?

MCGINLEY: A couple of years ago, my son, Max, who is six now, was born with Down syndrome. When some of his challenges cleared up, I got involved with the National Down Syndrome Society. One thing we've done together is the Buddy Walk which is a day of empowerment, inclusion, and advocacy for children with special needs, primarily children with Down syndrome.

And we have 185 walks every year. Almost 220,000 people are going to come out and walk with us. We're going to have one in New York on the 18th up in Central Park. And we just couldn't be more excited about it. It's just a thrilling day of love and inclusion.

And look, when you have a child who was born with special needs, it's very confusing and disconcerting and you really don't know which end is up and you feel like you're from Mars and you did something wrong. It turns out that God blessed you with a really special package. And how to take care of that child is the real challenge.

And at the National Down Syndrome Society, there's a fantastic Web site to go to, an unbelievable resource, called www.BuddyWalk.org. And there's so much information there that I can't encourage parents of children with special needs enough to check in there.

HARRIS: Good deal. I want to make sure we mention that Web site one more time before we get out of here.

How many other cities are having these walks?

MCGINLEY: We have 185 throughout the year. And October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. And so it's just a great initiative to raise money for local education programs, and advocacy groups for children with Down syndrome.

HARRIS: You know, don't you think, though, a lot -- well, you tell me. How much progress do you think has been made in raising awareness about it since 1995? We're seeing characters on television shows. You notice it happens now, people don't react. People don't really freak out when they see that sort of thing.

MCGINLEY: No, absolutely. Look, the progress that's been made for all people with special needs and challenges is just profound. And children with Down syndrome are -- you've got to remember, when you and I were growing up, their life expectancy of a child with these challenges was about 25 because they were institutionalized immediately.

And now they find love and an inclusion in a community and society that's encouraging them and trying to elevate them to be whatever they want. And are able to be.

HARRIS: Well, listen...

MCGINLEY: What an amazing thing to be able to say about children with those kind of challenges.

HARRIS: Amen, brother. You're right about that. I agree with you 100 percent.

Got to ask you about "Scrubs" before we get out of here. Give my friend Maria (ph), she's the one who's a big nut about it right behind me up here, give her something to look forward to this season. Give me a big surprise to look forward to.

MCGINLEY: Well Scotty Foley joins us for the first five or six. And he's just fantastic. And hijinx ensues. I think the writers really found the show the last six episodes last year, raised the bar. And over the summer what they brought back to the show is just -- it's mayhem. It's just mayhem in a hospital.

HARRIS: It just looks like it. It looks like it.

Listen, one last one. This on a personal note. I've been watching you for a long time through a lot of different shows, a lot of different movies. I've got to say, I've noticed that somewhere between "Office Space" and "The Animal," you turned into buff man. You got pretty buffed up, guy. What have you been up to?

MCGINLEY: Whatever it takes. If they send me a script where I think the guy needs to cut a wide swathe, man, I'm on the Andro.

(LAUGHTER)

MCGINLEY: Let's go! If it's good enough for McGwire, it's good enough for me.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: I've got to tell you it's not just the chicks that noticed this, man. When I saw you in "The Animal," I thought, My god, what happened? This guy must be eating weights now.

MCGINLEY: That was a great gig. Robert Schneider and I had a lot of fun on that. That's a terrific film for young kids. I'm proud of that movie. I like that movie a lot.

HARRIS: You should be proud of all your work.

John C. McGinley, appreciate that. Folks, the Web site once again, BuddyWalk.org.

MCGINLEY: Right, www.BuddyWalk.org. And it's just a place to check in if you're a family with children with special needs. It's just an invaluable resource.

HARRIS: Thanks, John C. You're a great guy. Appreciate it. Good luck to you this season.

MCGINLEY: Thank you for helping us with the Buddy Walk. And see you next time.

HARRIS: You got it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 2, 2003 - 11:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The zany residents at Sacred Heart Hospital are back tonight. They'll be kicking off a third season of laughs. "Scrubs" follows the bedside humor of a group of rookie docs and the senior staffers who try to keep them all in line. For those of who have not seen this show very much, it is hilarious.
Now one of the veteran staffers on the show, a guy you see there on the screen, the abrasive, grumpy, somewhat cocky Dr. Cox. Well his altar ego, John C. McGinley, joins us from Los Angeles this morning. John C., good to see you. How are you?

JOHN C. MCGINLEY, ACTOR: Good morning. I couldn't be better, actually.

HARRIS: I'm glad to have you with us here today. As I understand it, third-rated highest comedy show last year.

MCGINLEY: Yes, we're excited. We finished the season No. 8, I think, in the overall. And then NBC gave us a great vote of confidence and kept us behind "Friends" again this year, which is the most coveted slot on NBC's lineup. That's pretty good company, "Friends," "Scrubs," and "Will And Grace." We couldn't be more thrilled.

HARRIS: Any part of that surprise you?

MCGINLEY: No, it's nice to be riding their coat tails for one more year. It's fantastic to follow a winner like that.

HARRIS: Listen, you guys have got a winner going. We've got a couple of folks on our staff who are pretty manic fans of that show. We'll talk some more about that in a second.

But I've got to talk to you, first of all, about the Buddy Walks. You're going to be participating in an awareness program that has basically been very successful since 1995. How long have you been involved with these Buddy Walks?

MCGINLEY: A couple of years ago, my son, Max, who is six now, was born with Down syndrome. When some of his challenges cleared up, I got involved with the National Down Syndrome Society. One thing we've done together is the Buddy Walk which is a day of empowerment, inclusion, and advocacy for children with special needs, primarily children with Down syndrome.

And we have 185 walks every year. Almost 220,000 people are going to come out and walk with us. We're going to have one in New York on the 18th up in Central Park. And we just couldn't be more excited about it. It's just a thrilling day of love and inclusion.

And look, when you have a child who was born with special needs, it's very confusing and disconcerting and you really don't know which end is up and you feel like you're from Mars and you did something wrong. It turns out that God blessed you with a really special package. And how to take care of that child is the real challenge.

And at the National Down Syndrome Society, there's a fantastic Web site to go to, an unbelievable resource, called www.BuddyWalk.org. And there's so much information there that I can't encourage parents of children with special needs enough to check in there.

HARRIS: Good deal. I want to make sure we mention that Web site one more time before we get out of here.

How many other cities are having these walks?

MCGINLEY: We have 185 throughout the year. And October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. And so it's just a great initiative to raise money for local education programs, and advocacy groups for children with Down syndrome.

HARRIS: You know, don't you think, though, a lot -- well, you tell me. How much progress do you think has been made in raising awareness about it since 1995? We're seeing characters on television shows. You notice it happens now, people don't react. People don't really freak out when they see that sort of thing.

MCGINLEY: No, absolutely. Look, the progress that's been made for all people with special needs and challenges is just profound. And children with Down syndrome are -- you've got to remember, when you and I were growing up, their life expectancy of a child with these challenges was about 25 because they were institutionalized immediately.

And now they find love and an inclusion in a community and society that's encouraging them and trying to elevate them to be whatever they want. And are able to be.

HARRIS: Well, listen...

MCGINLEY: What an amazing thing to be able to say about children with those kind of challenges.

HARRIS: Amen, brother. You're right about that. I agree with you 100 percent.

Got to ask you about "Scrubs" before we get out of here. Give my friend Maria (ph), she's the one who's a big nut about it right behind me up here, give her something to look forward to this season. Give me a big surprise to look forward to.

MCGINLEY: Well Scotty Foley joins us for the first five or six. And he's just fantastic. And hijinx ensues. I think the writers really found the show the last six episodes last year, raised the bar. And over the summer what they brought back to the show is just -- it's mayhem. It's just mayhem in a hospital.

HARRIS: It just looks like it. It looks like it.

Listen, one last one. This on a personal note. I've been watching you for a long time through a lot of different shows, a lot of different movies. I've got to say, I've noticed that somewhere between "Office Space" and "The Animal," you turned into buff man. You got pretty buffed up, guy. What have you been up to?

MCGINLEY: Whatever it takes. If they send me a script where I think the guy needs to cut a wide swathe, man, I'm on the Andro.

(LAUGHTER)

MCGINLEY: Let's go! If it's good enough for McGwire, it's good enough for me.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: I've got to tell you it's not just the chicks that noticed this, man. When I saw you in "The Animal," I thought, My god, what happened? This guy must be eating weights now.

MCGINLEY: That was a great gig. Robert Schneider and I had a lot of fun on that. That's a terrific film for young kids. I'm proud of that movie. I like that movie a lot.

HARRIS: You should be proud of all your work.

John C. McGinley, appreciate that. Folks, the Web site once again, BuddyWalk.org.

MCGINLEY: Right, www.BuddyWalk.org. And it's just a place to check in if you're a family with children with special needs. It's just an invaluable resource.

HARRIS: Thanks, John C. You're a great guy. Appreciate it. Good luck to you this season.

MCGINLEY: Thank you for helping us with the Buddy Walk. And see you next time.

HARRIS: You got it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com