Hot Donald Faison, AKA Turkelton, Brown Bear, Chocolate Bear, or SCB (Super Chocolate Bear). I love that DF and ZB are friends in real life, and not just on the show. :)

Turk's NBC Bio

Love him (I just had to post in the new forum)!

I think he is having the best year on the show. He's doing some great work and has character has been so funny on the show this year. I wish he could get an emmy nom but I'm not holding my breath.
I think that Turk is the heart of this show. He always feels extremely guilty when he does something bad. Is always there for his friends.

Turk/Donald Faison rules this year! I will never, ever tire of the Turk "Poison" dance and the way he screamed at the site of Lando Calrissian. So, so funny.

Scrubs has its very own forum! Squee!

Topic? I *heart* Turk so much. He is the glue that holds this show together, imo, especially this season.

Last night, I was getting my nails filled when "Poison" came on the salon's stereo. I immediately started laughing hysterically, almost ruining my French tips and scaring the heck out of the poor nail tech in the process...who speaks almost no English, so I couldn't even explain what was causing my paroxysms of mirth....

Oh, Chocolate Bear, I love you!

Me neither! Nor will I ever tire of the Turk/JD love. Ever.

...

I do not get tired of the Turk/JD love either. Their friendship is actually a huge part of the show for me.

Get this man an Emmy!

I've been a fan of Donald Faison ever since he played Murray in Clueless. Turk is sort of like Murray all grown up.

I've been embarrassed to say it, but I think knowing him from Clueless may be the reason I started watching. That and Zach Braff's overwhelming cuteness.

His "Safety Dance" response to Carla is probably one of my favorite moments in the show now.

He can dance if he wants to.

The reason I started watching this show was because of the small DF crush I developed from watching him on Felicity. Although, he was great in Clueless too. In fact, DF is great in everything he does. I agree with all the Turk love. He needs an emmy, stat.

I've been surprised to see all the comments in the Scrubs thread this season about Turk being so especially great this year. Well, yes, of course he's great this year, but he's great every year! I don't see much difference this year because I've loved him so completely for so long (Yes, since he was Murray! "Because I'm keepin' it real! Because I'm keepin' it...because I keep...because I'm keepin' it real!").

Maybe people are noticing him more this year because he's totally hot now. He was cute before, but he's lost a bit of weight and he is rocking that goatee this year. Yummy.

The Poison and Safety Dances were moments of pure happiness for me. As was the "Sanford & Son" song. "...now get me a Handi-wiiiiiipe!" Hee!

I adore the Brown Bear! Donald Faison is a lovely bald comic genius and definitely deserves an Emmy.

all of my ultimate all time favorite Scrubs moments have had to do with Turk.

Not to get all sentimental but I just love the fact that he's a Black brother who's funny and smart and silly and colorful. IMO Turk is one of the best examples of how to properly include a person of color on a prime time sitcom without pandering or stereotyping or watering down or beating you over the head with your message. He's just your average brother who grew up in the 80's, went to school, and now is living his life and that makes him very entertaining to me personally.

some of my favorite Turk moments (and by "favorite" i mean i had to either get up and leave the room, stop the tape and rewind it several times for both myself and others or ended up with stomach pain because i was hunched over laughing so hard):

Cal Turk: "Cal Turk here. We don't only sell insurance, we sell peace of mind. *leans close*
But only to white people." (this was like the funniest moment for me ever. i can't even put this into words.)

*slams Carlas hand down while arm wrestling* "DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET CARLA? DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU MESS WITH THE WARRIOR?!?" (any chick who's been around guys who grew up watching wrestling know how hilariously stupid and perfect this was)

*cues opening drums to "Poison"* *proceeds to do spot on choreographed lip sync routine of Bell Biv Devoes biggest hit* (Anyone who ever grew up listening to R&B and remembers back in the day dancing in pajamas in front of the tv to "Poison" knows how huge this moment was. And to see it acted out so perfectly on primetime was just glorious.)

*dorm room door opens and we see Turk practicing ballet* "DUDE CLOSE THE DOOR!! CLOSE THE DOOR!!!!"

Turk: "I don't understand it. This wedding is supposed to be about us - how come I can't be comfortable?"
Carla: "And I don't know how many times I have to tell you that you are not wearing sweats!" (would season 3 come out already?!!!!)

Turk:"...But you know what? Tonight, you and I, we're gonna rip it up. And then we're gonna hop on a plane to the Bahamas, where you and I can get married tomorrow amongst the fishes and mermaids and whatnot."

Carla: "Turk, for the last time, mermaids aren't real!"

Turk: "I know what I saw!" (the whiny delivery here kills it)



Like ya'll I love JD and Turks friendship. I've never for a second taken it as "homo" but moreso youthful. They remind me of like being in the fourth or fifth grade and being innocent yet mischievious and thinking your bestfriend was like the coolest person ever and wanting to spend all of your time with them. You play and act silly and sing and wrestle and cause mayhem and its totally all innocent and fun. It's endearing to see them like that cause it makes me feel nostalgic even though they are two very grown men.

ok i'm rambling now... GO TURK!!

One thing I have to say about Turk is that he's never frustrated me the way Elliot, JD, and Carla all have managed to do. To be honest, I typically like the way I'm allowed, as a viewer, to be frustrated with the actions of those three (particularly the former 2) because it makes them seem real.

That said, I get frustrated, in the terrible viewer is sick of the show way, with characters that manage to never upset me with their decision making. It usually means the character is pretty one-note and unoriginal.

This isn't the case with Chris Turk, and I'm not sure why. He has faults, of course, but they aren't faults that have lead to these huge, aggravating mistakes/words that the other three have done. I really think that he's the most well adjusted of the four--and from we've learned about all their backgrounds, it makes sense. He's just a wonderful guy, and I really think the writers and Donald Faison have done a superb job in making Turk a loveable, not boring, not obnoxious character.

I know this is like 500 years later, but IseutLaBrune, I love you. "Wait! Don't call my mom! Don't call my mom..." I often do his fist clench-nnnnhh! deal from the scene in the car on the way to Sun Valley.



I absolutely agree (though that's coming from the whitest white girl, but still). As with Elliot, I've never felt like Turk was a Character, but really an actual person. I really admire how realistically he's written and played, and the balance they've struck between not making him the stock "Black Guy" who fulfills everyone stereotype about race ever imagined, but not making his race non-existent either. He's just so normal, so real. And so funny.

Hee! Totally! I didn't know how to write it to describe it, but he cracks me up in that scene every time. I need to watch that movie again. It's been awhile. "Oh, excusemeMissDionne!"

I also agree that Turk is one of the sadly few examples of a "real" person of color on TV. I wish there were more like him.

You know, seeing so many of JD's nicknames for his BFF lined up like that makes me realize two things: first, JD needs to stop watching the Care Bears cartoons, and second, it's a testament to how this friendship is written and acted that it isn't completely annoying and diabetic-coma inducing ("Diabetes is a very serious disease...") but instead it feels honest and grounded and real.

Faison is largely responsible for how deep the portrayal of Turk's and JD's friendship goes. I also have to say that the little scene between Elliot and Turk recently where Turk finally "makes it" onto Elliot's speed-dial list is still making me smile. The unfeigned delight in Turk's voice - and on his face - when he says "Whzzzzup?" into the phone is infectious.

But, um, mostly the first thing.

There's so much to say about my Turk love but too little time. I'm at work. I'll wax poignent later tonight. I love me some Brown Bear.

I agree that he is by far the best depiction of a Black man on tv. Nowhere near a coon but not a homogynized stock chracter either.

Plus he's hot hot hot and he likes to play MMORPGs so he's a huuuge dork. Love when he screams and I love when he sings. *sigh*

Plus, Turk's "Lando Calrissian! Eeeeeheeeheheeee!" might just qualify as the funniest thing ever, ever.

Have they ever stated that Turk is Catholic? I havn't seen the weddin episode yet, but he talked about going to Mass in an earlier season, so I got that impression. If so, being a black Catholic would make him fairly unusual on TV, and add to the non-stereotypical nature of his character.

Nope, the most that's been stated is that he believes in God. He's quoted the Bible and wears a cross necklace, so it's possible he's just a Christian.

That was fantastic, but what sealed it for me was Billy Dee Williams telling Turk (as Turk held him in a giant bear hug), "you can call me Billy" and Turk whispering reverantly, "yes, Lando, yes." Bwah!

Turk mentioned going to Mass in season 1's "My Own Personal Jesus":

This is the only episode I recall that deals with his spirituality, but it's definitely in there. Do any other religions, aside from Catholicism, call their services "Mass"?

That's what made me wonder, RainIsBeautiful. For the writers to use the word "Mass" makes me think they were thinking Catholic, even if there may be other Christian faiths that use that word. (That also sets up J.D.'s line that never fails to make me chuckle: "I wanna get me some of them church crackers.")

The other thing was that in the episode where they almost got married in the hospital chapel, J.D. called the officiant a priest.

Yeah! Snerk. That was brilliant.

In my experience, only Catholics speak of the service as Mass, but the use of "priest" (as opposed to "minister", or "preacher") is not confined to Catholics. Some Protestant denominations, I believe, use "minister" or "priest" interchangeably. (I know that I've heard Episcopalians use both terms, depending on the congregation.)

I took my niece to Build-a-Bear today, and as she was making her bear, I noticed one of the bear outfits available is a set of green scrubs. Long story short, I couldn't resist, and made a brown bear (how fitting!) named Turkleton.

I am the nerdiest "Scrubs" fan ever.

In the episode before the wedding, Carla said they weren't able to use their own vows and had to use "the same Catholic ones as everyone else," and they were ultimately married by a Father Fitzpatrick.

Only if you also made a "Bambi Bear" complete with blue scrubs and a headful of odd, gravity-defying black curly hair...

Sadly, I was tempted to make J-Dizzle the vanilla bear, but no blue scrubs. Or a white bear, for that matter. Such racism at Build-a-Bear.

On the topic of Turk's religion, in one of the reeeeeally early episodes it is mentioned that Turk's mum is a Jehovah's Witness (but that Turk isn't). Her photograph is also mistaken for that of Morgan Freeman, by Eliott.

Oh. My. God. I just downloaded (iTunes) "My Half Acre" and I am watching the dancing scene over and over and over. It is so freaking awesome. Go Turk!

Taken on its own, I don't think the wedding necessarily tells us anything about Turk's faith. At the risk of stereotyping, Carla is Latina and therefore very likely Catholic. In the leadup to the wedding, religion was never mentioned as an issue, so they are probably both Catholic.
What convinces me most that Turk is Catholic though is the Christmas episode. This clearly shows him as the most religious of the four, as he's goading them all to have faith and go to mass and all that. Calling it "mass" and the mention of "church crackers" convinces me that, to the extent the writers have picked a religion for him, it's Catholicism.

I'm satisfied that Turk is Catholic, which I find interesting. The writers could have given him the standard vaguely-Baptist TV religion that black characters often have, but for some reason they didn't. Not only is he Catholic, but he's one of the most religious good-guy characters on TV. I'm Catholic born-and-bred, and not many of us can quote Scripture chapter-and-verse. They must have written his character that way for a reason (you don't call it "Mass" on accident), and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with it.

Watched 3.20 My Fault today. I had forgotten about Turk's shrieking! This man MADE the episode, ya know what I'm sayin'? Turk MADE that epi with his shrieking and hair-pulling-out'ing.

Glorious.

Since my own memory is lousy, I´m relying on other Scrubs fans´ability to remember everything! Which episode is it that Turk first tells Carla that he loves her? It´s season 1, isn´t it?

Yes, diskette11, that's season 1, episode 12, My Blind Date.

Thanks, Roark13579! Now I don´t have to search the DVDs to find it.

No problem. I actually slurped the HTML files of the scripts to my local system the other day, so when someone asks what show a line is from, I can do a quick grep through them. So the thanks should really go to the MOPNT site owners for putting up those and so much other great info!

I've heard JD call him Brown Bear and Chocolate Bear, but was last night the debut of Mocha Bear or did I miss it in an earlier ep?

I've been watching lots of DVD Scrubs, and in one of the first ones, Elliot makes fun of Jehovah's witnesses in front of Turk, and then says" Oh my god, you're not a Jehovah's Witness, are you?" Turk: "No, but my mother is". So add that layer to the religious speculation, I suppose.

I can't think of a discreet way to say this, nor can I let it go unsaid...and I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it...but..

Am I the only one who was quite impressed by...um...Turk's green jockey shorts in 5.23? ;)

So Emmy talk is all the rage nowadays, and I'd just like to chime in for my man Donald. You can argue that Scrubs is not deservant of an Emmy nod, you can even argue against Zach Braff getting one. But Donald Faison MUST get a best supporting actor nod.

There's no negotiating this, Emmy people. The man WAS the season. There is no one more deserving of a nomination.

Agreed. He was on FIRE this year! Seriously everything he did/say was gold lol. And I think everyone here saw that as well...let's hoping that "independent panel" is smart enough to get "it".

Followed by the hilarious line "I love her freckles!" I am still laughing at that line!

I love JD and Turk's best friendship. For example, the time that they went to the "Black Club" and end up dancing like fools and embarrassing Carla. Any scene where DF dances kills me!

Turkleton is my favorite character and I agree with everyone else that he has truly made this season.

A very happy birthday to Donald! He turns 30 today.

Found more evidence in the Turk is Catholic or not debate- In season 3, Carla couldn't find his lucky do-rag. She says "Why don't you wear the fluffy puppies do-rag I got you for Lent?" Though Lenten presents aren't really a done thing (time of personal sacrifice, blah, blah), Lent itself is pretty much a Catholic thing. There. Did my bit.

I want to meet Turks cousin ShaDaisy

I think they need to dial back on having Turk look to the side and screech at something. It's getting OLD.