Played by the delightful Ken Jenkins -- Kelso loves hearing his own name!

Dr. Bob Kelso. Dr. Robert Kelso. Doctor! Kelso!

Kelso's NBC Bio

It's surreal seeing interviews with Ken Jenkins. He really is that super-nice guy that Kelso wears as a facade in the earliest episodes. That someone that nice can play cranky Kelso is a true feat of acting.

It IS surreal to see Ken Jenkins speak in interviews. Its also so interesting to hear about his past acting experience. I mean, the man co-founded the Actor's Theatre in Louisville (I believe) which is just huge. And here he is, on our little Scrubs, playing the traditional old, crochety man with such vigor and interest. He doesn't get me rolling the way other people do, because I'm so absorbed in just paying attention to how he delivers his lines. He does some brilliant, understated (which seems odd because of his character) work.

My favorite Dr. Oslek moment is from "My Boss's Free Haircut" at the end:

Dr. Kelso: Oh, I'm not paying. I'm a doctor!
Barber: Yeah, we don't do that anymore. You're paying.

[After a silent moment, Dr. Kelso gets up and runs out the door still wearing that barber bib as the Barber chases after him. Cut to the street where Dr. Kelso, with a huge grin and still wearing the bib, is being chased down the sidewalk by the barber.]

J.D.'s Narration: You still have to try, though. Because as a recently incarcerated doctor once said, "Nothing worth having comes easy."

So good.

"What has two thumbs and doesn't give a crap? - Bob Kelso ".

"The question is: How can I make love to her when she's not at fat camp?"

"It was 1968. I don't like you. The End."

Some of his funniest quotes.

I like in His Story when he approaches Dr. Cox with "Hi Perry, how are you, etc...I need a favor" (he wants Dr. Cox to give him a physical). The delivery makes me laugh every time.

Another Season 2 episode (I can't stop watching the dvds, I just can't), the episode where J.D. diagnoses that patient with a really obscure disease he watched a Discovery Channel special on, Kelso congratulates J.D. on his excellent catch, and makes some snarky comment to Dr. Cox, like "the student has now become the teacher." J.D. thanks Kelso or something, and Kelso turns around and scolds him "I don't give a damn about you, I'm trying to do something here." Again, the delivery. Cracks me up.

On the second episode tonight, I cracked up when Kelso said "well, snip my pickle and call me Schlomo." But then, moments later, the 10 inches and 'baguette' jokes left me feeling slightly disturbed. I'm not sure if I needed to know that about Bob. Oh, the mind's eye!

Forgive me if I spelled Schlomo wrong.

Should we change the thread title to that? I love that line.

We can't change the thread titles -- a mod has to do that. :(

Yeah, that makes sense. I thought that I saw someone on one of the Friends boards suggest it, so I thought that it was relatively easy. Oh well.

Totally. He seems so sweet in real life, but Kelso is an ass! A funny one, mind you. Jenkins has such great line delivery. They're always saying on the DVD commentary that Ken doesn't understand half of his lines (or why they're funny), but they way he delivers is amazing! Such a talent.

HA! I'm watching 90210 on SoapNet and Kelso is the priest who baptizes Steve and Janet's baby.

I was going to post that, but you beat me to it. Damn. Haha.



I love his "back in the day ... blah blah blah nostalgic story, I don't like you" routine too.

Out of all of the characters, I think I will miss Bob Kelso when the show ends next spring. Kelso is used briefly in each episode, and very effectively. He is perfectly willing to accept and embrace the fact that he is such a magnificent bastard. And, unlike several characters who are borderline caricatures at this point, he's still as fresh and funny as ever, and we've gradually learned quite a bit about him.

I was blown away to find out that Ken Jenkins is married to Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 's Katharine Houghton, the late Katharine Hepburn's niece!

Anyway, love Kelso and what an unapologetic bastard he is. "See if you can find a card that says: 'Crippling disease or not, I want you out of your office by sundown so I can knock down the joining wall so I can build myself a giant office!'"

I too love Kelso's asshole-ness. From "My Faith in Humanity":

Dr. Kelso: Son, look around. There's an old man with Alzheimer's who no one bothers to come visit. This morning I had a chat with a woman who refuses to stop using cocaine even though she's six months pregnant. And just last week I saw an older woman fall and break her hip because some guy was too busy to hold the door open for her!

J.D.: Sir, you laughed and pointed when she fell.

Dr. Kelso: I didn't say it wasn't funny; I just said it happened.

It call comes down to:

"What has two thumbs and doesn't give a crap?"

"Bob Kelso"

I was taking a walk this past weekend and who do I see walking down my street but Ken Jenkins...(I live in Pasadena, CA) He was by himself, and looks much better/younger in person. Seems to have lost some weight also. He was very friendly, totally opposite from Kelso.