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Ken Jenkins plays Dr. Robert Kelso on Scrubs. He was a member of the main cast for the first 8 seasons, and was a supporting cast member for the ninth season.

Bio[]

Jenkins began his acting career performing in high school stage productions in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio, and went on to study drama at Antioch College, and performed on Broadway and in regional theater throughout his college years. In 1969, Jenkins co-founded and served for 3 years as associate artistic director for the prestigious Actors Theatre of Louisville, which became a breeding ground for some of America’s best new playwrights. Jenkins continued to work with the theater as an actor, director and writer through 1983.

Jenkins has appeared in the films I Am Sam, The Sum of All Fears and Clockstopper. He has also appeared in such films as The Abyss, Air America, Last Man Standing and Courage Under Fire. Jenkins’ television credits include Homefront, The X-Files, Family Law, Chicago Hope and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

He has 3 sons and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Trivia[]

  • Jenkins is an avid woodworker and a skilled dog trainer.
  • His actual personality is the total inverse of the character he plays in Scrubs, having been described by various cast and crew members as the "sweetest guy in the world".
  • Ken Jenkins' dog played Kelso's dog Baxter.

Filmography[]

Year Title Media Character
1974 In Fashion TV Movie Aubin
1983 Heart of Steel TV Movie Priest
1985 The Equilizer TV Sheriff (1 episode)
1986 What Comes Around Film Larry
1987 Matewan Film Sephus Purcell
1988 CBS Summer Playhouse TV Dwayne Pewe (1 episode)
The Wizard of Lonliness Film Joel Spender
Amen TV The Pilot (1 episode)
Newhart TV Al Griswold (1 episode)
Knots Landing TV Border Thug #1 (1 episode)
Disaster at Silo 7 TV Movie Clarence
Wiseguy TV Paul Beckstead (9 episodes)
1989 CBS Schoolbreak Special TV Echer (1 episode)
The Outside Woman TV Movie Junior Miller
Hard Time on Planet Earth TV Sergeant Burdick (1 episode)
Roe vs. Wade TV Movie Unknown
The Abyss Film Gerard Kirkhill
Breaking Point TV Movie Col. Lowe
In Country Film Jim Holly
Star Trek: The Next Generation TV Dr. Paul Stubbs (1 episode)
1990 Family of Spies TV Movie Unknown
Mancuso, FBI TV Unknown (3 episodes)
Shattered Dreams TV Movie Hal Witt
By Dawn's Early Light TV Movie Sam
Air America Film Major Donald Lemond
Dark Avenger TV Movie Unknown
Gabriel's Fire TV Potter (1 episode)
Descending Angel TV Movie Sam Murray
1991 In Broad Daylight TV Movie Bob Webb
Love, Lies and Murder TV Movie Rubright
Edge of Honor Film Bo Dubs
thirtysomething TV Durstin (1 episode)
Homefront TV Mike Sloan, Sr. (41 episodes)
1992 A Private Matter TV Movie Frank Kearns
Crossing the Bridge Film Lou Morgan
A House of Secrets and Lies TV Movie Ed Norwood
1993 And the Band Played On TV Movie Dr. Dennis Donohue
Sisters TV Judge Guisewite (1 episode)
Mad About You TV Jack Farrer (1 episode)
1994 In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness TV Movie Bob Newsom
A Time to Heal TV Movie Don Peterson
Hearts Afire TV Mr. Conway (1 episode)
The Stand TV Peter Goldsmith (1 episode)
White Mile TV Movie Jerry Taggart
1995 Cybill TV Ed (1 episode)
Legend TV Ethan Catridge Steele (1 episode)
Past the Bleachers TV Movie Hilton Burberry
Hiroshima TV Movie Secretary of State James F. Byrnes
Chicago Hope TV Various (2 episodes)
1996 Executive Decision Film General Wood
Last Dance Film Warden Laverty
Courage Under Fire Film Joel Walden
Fled Film Warden Nichols
Last Man Standing Film Capt. Tom Pickett
1997 NYPD Blue TV Marshall Hastings (1 episode)
Babylon 5 TV Captain Trevor Hall (1 episode)
Murphy Brown TV Paul Cookson (1 episode)
1998 The Magnificent Seven TV Virginia's Father (1 episode)
Where's Marlowe? Film Linguist
Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story TV Movie Unknown
Thirst TV Movie Lou Wolford
Early Edition TV Winston Thorpe (1 episode)
Psycho Film District Attorney
1999 Vengeance Unlimited TV Jack Humphrey (1 episode)
Mutiny TV Movie Unknown
Balloon Farm TV Movie Unknown
The Last Marshal Film Judge Wooley
Pensacola: Wings of Gold TV General Mitchell Burke (1 episode)
Beverly Hills, 90210 TV Pastor Neal (3 episodes)
Sliders TV Various (2 episodes)
2000 Brutally Normal TV Mr. Kirschner (1 episode)
Gone in Sixty Seconds Film Televangelist (uncredited)
Lucky Numbers Film Dan Schuff
Family Law TV Judge William Jankowski (2 episodes)
2001 The Tailor of Panama Film Morecombe
The X-Files TV Deputy Chief Karras (1 episode)
All Souls TV Dr. Lohman (1 episode)
I Am Sam Film Judge Philip McNeily
Scrubs TV Dr. Kelso
2002 Fidel TV Movie Herbert Matthews
Clockstoppers Film NSA Agent Moore
Home Room Film Police Captain
The Sum of All Fears Film Admiral Pollack
2007 I-Nasty Film Sheriff Bernie
5 Minutes to Midnight Film General Kubrick
Welcome to Paradise Film Reverend McNamara
2009 House Husbands TV Movie Dean Worthington
2010 Cougar Town TV Chick (2 episodes)


CAST
MAIN Zach BraffSarah ChalkeDonald FaisonNeil FlynnKen JenkinsJohn C. McGinley
Judy ReyesEliza CoupeKerry BishéMichael MosleyDave Franco
SUPPORTING Johnny KastlSam LloydRobert MaschioChrista MillerTravis SchuldtAloma Wright
SEE ALSO List of character appearances • Cast from Season: 12345678W9 e
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