Scrubs’ Judy Reyes by Gerri Miller

Judy Reyes photo by Chris Haston courtesy NBC

Playing the feisty, funny nurse Carla Espinosa on the NBC comedy, Scrubs (which begins its seventh and final season this fall), has been a dream job for Judy Reyes, who won an ALMA Award last year for the role. A New Yorker of Dominican heritage, now living single in Los Angeles, Reyes can also be seen in a 2005 film she produced and starred in called Glow Ropes: The Rise and Fall of a Bar Mitzvah Emcee. The latter is now out on DVD and soon to debut on Showtime.

Estylo: Why do you think Scrubs did make it?
Reyes: All the elements fell into place. Great writing, a great ensemble cast, people who stood behind it 100 percent and a really loyal fan base that followed it every time that it moved from one time slot to another.

Estylo: You shoot in an old, abandoned hospital. What’s that like?
Reyes: It’s really a creepy building that works really well for us—just like our quirky, odd cast and Scrubs staff. Everything is located there. Our writing staff writes in the psych ward, which is close to the morgue. Our production team is on the same floor as our dressing rooms, wardrobe and hair and makeup. And we shoot on the alternate floors, so everything is contained, which keeps us really close and gives a real sense of family. I think it’s one of the reasons that we’re all so tight. But I don’t think anyone ventures into the morgue area by themselves. And there are some odd smells. Everyone brings their dogs and there have been accidents.

Estylo: You’ve gotten to do some wild things as Carla.
Reyes: Yes. I’ve busted through a window and scaled a wall. I’ve worn a skullcap when I had to be bald. Not many shows give you that kind of opportunity to do stunts and sing and dance.