Judy Reyes on the ‘Scrubs’ Reboot: ‘It Was Like Coming Back From Holiday Break’ (Exclusive)

We’ve all heard that old saying, “You can’t go home again,” but that sure doesn’t seem to apply to Judy Reyes and her fellow Scrubs castmates. The beloved TV series reboot hits the air February 25 on ABC as Reyes, Zach Braff, Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke return to Sacred Heart Hospital.

“I felt really moved and really touched by the media reaction to it all and by the fan reaction on how much they wanted us back,” Judy shared as our Woman’s World cover girl (get your copy here!). “Once we were all together and hanging out, it was like coming back from holiday break. It was like we never left, but are just older.”

Judy Reyes reflects on the ‘Scrubs’ legacy

Scrubs first hit the air on NBC in 2001 and ran for nine seasons, chronicling the life of John “J.D.” Dorian as he worked his way up from intern to attending physician at Sacred Heart Hospital. Judy, who portrays Nurse Carla Espinosa, says she didn’t realize until the show was over just how much it meant to people.

“As an actor, I had to really train myself—once the show was over—to move forward and move on to the next thing and that’s pretty much what I did,” Judy says. “I hadn’t realized until after, I would say the pandemic, what an impact it continued to make on people past my generation. I would continue to come across people when I traveled saying, ‘Oh my gosh! I love this show!’ and they are like half my age or younger.”

Judy’s role as Nurse Espinosa has always held a special place in her heart, and she’s excited about reuniting with her cast mates for the relaunch of Scrubs. She’s also looking forward to embracing new cast members. “I’m excited to see the reaction between the older us versus the younger versions of the interns that we have to confront and how the audience responds to that,” she smiles. “I feel like people will embrace it in both the new and younger generations. It’s really exciting to be working with the younger actors who are as excited as we were when we first got there.”

Judy Reyes talks ‘High Potential’ and other projects

In addition to Scrubs, Judy can also be seen in primetime as Lieutenant Selena Soto in the crime drama High Potential, making her one of the busiest actresses on television.

“There’s nothing but gratitude because none of this is going to last forever,” she says with a smile. “I know how lucky I am. I really do.”

A native of the Bronx who now makes her home in Los Angeles, Judy has earned recognition over the years for such roles as Zoila Diaz in the Lifetime series Devious Maids and as Annalise Zayas on the TNT series Claws. 

“Claws gave me the best group of girlfriends and also from Devious Maids. I made really great friends in those shows and ultimately, in all the shows I’ve worked on,” she says. “No matter what happens among you, no matter what happens in the world, you have each other and that’s going to keep you young. Women need each other. We’re often gaslit to think that that’s not true, but we do.  We still don’t understand that we’re the best thing that ever happened to the planet.”

She credits support for her success

Judy has obviously been thriving for decades in a very demanding field. When asked what she attributes to that success, she responds, “It comes down to the support that you have, the friendships that you have. No matter how much you try not to be yourself, you are always going to be that, so you’ve got to embrace it and there’s got to be people in your life who love you for that. That’s what you bring in this career, so know what you want and just be who you are. You’ve got to surround yourself with people who understand you, because you are going to change throughout the seasons. To abandon all the things that are important to you for a career is a mistake. Just continue to be exactly who you are.”

Judy admits her mother wasn’t initially supportive of her career path. “When I chose this my mom thought I was insane—as any parent would,” she grins. “I was such a good student, I think that completely disappointed her. She wanted a doctor or something, but I got angry at her that she didn’t understand that this was an epiphany for me. A few years later I started working and then I didn’t work for almost four years.

“I felt like I made a mistake, but I literally just meditated and prayed on it and what I understood was I’m not into this for being famous,” she continues. “I’m into this because I wanted to act, so if I do regional theater, or commercials or whatever I do, as long as I get to make a living at it, I’m okay. That freed me up and I started working again and have been working steadily ever since. Sometimes you really start questioning your instinct, but that’s another thing that’s really powerful as you get older—especially in your forties after menopause—your instincts are all you got. Every time you listen to your instincts, that’s when things go right for you.”