Interview / brie ng schwartz
Photographer / dax henry
Styling / brie ilarda
grooming / Nicole Servin
actor david gridley Joining a group filled with powerhouses, 2026 has started with a bang scrubs Reboot. The revamped series brings back original cast members Zach Braff (J.D.), Donald Faison (Turk), Sarah Chalke (Elliot), John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox), and Judy Reyes (Carla), as well as a new class of doctors, including familiar faces Vanessa Bayer (Sibby) and Joel Kim Boozer (Dr. Eric Park) and Gridley as Blake Lewis, a strict personality at the hospital.
After working as a working actor for over a decade, Gridley has developed a deep understanding of how to create a character with layers in both TV and film. we discuss it scrubs The journey, where his love for sitcoms was born as well as the lessons he learned from being in the industry for over a decade.
Top, Brunello Cucinelli. Bottom, Alexander McQueen.
What was it like stepping into such an iconic franchise?
It was a whirlwind. I think I’m just coming to terms with how widespread it is and how much of an impact it has and has had before. My head hasn’t stopped spinning since booking.
What can you share about your character Blake Lewis?
He’s very much an alpha male type. He’s not one to ask for help or really make friends with the other interns because he thinks he can do it all himself and doesn’t have a lot of patience for incompetence. So he is a bit of a difficult personality to deal with.
Can you share more about the place you go to as an actor when playing a character like this?
He has reasons to be arrogant, cocky, indifferent, and these are all defense mechanisms. His past traumas he has gone through form a kind of walls and barriers that he has erected to protect himself. I can pull a lot of those defense mechanisms off of me.
As far as outward confidence, I mean, it’s fun to play, but that’s not how I operate. It’s been fun to discover it and challenge it.
It’s such a group-driven show. Not just with the original artist, but with the new artist you’re coming in with. It’s a crazy roster. Do you have any memorable moments from working with those people?
The first time we all gathered together and we heard him read the lines and saw it all happen, it was a very iconic moment. It’s mind-blowing to watch Zach, Donald and Sarah do their thing when you’re in the scene with them.
They are very kind and inviting. We never felt like outsiders or like the new kids. They immediately invited us into the family, and that made it really easy for all the newcomers to get along with them.
What do you think it is about this franchise that audiences loved so much that it brought it back?
A lot of fans are targeting this in the comments. They say it feels like a warm hug or being hugged by someone you know. I think especially now with all the tough stuff going on, the familiarity, something they know will make them laugh and feel something.
It’s got heart, it’s got comedy, and the writers have really created this love bomb for the audience. You become so attached to it. Monitoring capability is excellent. You can watch the episodes so fast. It feels like the characters are in your life; You are really growing with them.
What sitcoms did you grow up watching?
Oh man, I grew up watching Family Matters. Of course, I also watched Fresh Prince. What was there before school? saved by the Bell. boy meets world It was huge.
Fresh Prince, Boy Meets World, Saved by the Bell. They all got a reboot. have had a conversation family Matters Reboots on and off for years. There is a real desire for nostalgic media right now. How do you feel about it from an actor’s perspective?
With me, and I think a lot of viewers are like “Oh man, a reboot. They’re bringing it back. They’ll never be able to capture the original.” But I think that’s what’s so good about it scrubs Is this not a reproduced version of this? It’s really a revival of where these characters are now. It’s familiar, but it’s new energy that the heart is still connected to.
You have been in this industry for over a decade. What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned as a working actor?
Your job cannot be your identity. As soon as you start developing pride and ego about acting, you will become humble so quickly. I love it because it challenges you, it keeps you accountable and it keeps you in the present. You’re always prepared, which is also extremely stressful. Having children adds another layer to this. I like the randomness of moving to another city or country for a job, but then you have kids and it becomes harder to move.
I’ve just learned to be grateful and be present in everything I do. A lot of actors will be on something and say, “Oh, what’s the next thing? What’s the next thing?” And I think over the years I’ve really learned to love and enjoy that job. this has been great scrubs. It checks out every dream I’ve lived. Half-hour, single cam comedies and network programs are hard to come by now. So this is a dream job. So now it’s also difficult because you have these ups and downs. This is something I’ve learned as well, if you get unemployment straight from working, being on set, doing these things there’s a high octane rush of dopamine. And whenever I do I’m depressed for at least a few weeks after a show, you get depression, but I understand that everything is seasonal and things come in season and it’s a brutal industry.
It takes me months to interview someone every day, and then months where I don’t even know if I can call myself a writer because I’m not working on anything.
Completely. This is cruel. The good thing about this is that you are always aware of where you are. It challenges you to deal with those dark thoughts and find out who you really are, what your patience and your perseverance are. Are you a competitive person?
I’d love to say no, but I think I’m in a certain environment.
You have to be. I think to work in the industry you have to have a competitive edge.
As I get older, I remind myself that everyone’s path is extremely unique. Everyone is just trying to do their job.
It is very big. What’s yours is yours. You hear that growing up and when you’re struggling, you feel like nothing is yours, but you can’t compete with others. You compete with yourself.
As an actor, do you struggle with the typecasting of all this? Do you walk into an audition room and see five other people who look exactly like you?
Oh yes. It’s such a mental game. My wife has been decisive. I don’t think I would still be acting if it weren’t for her. We’ve been together since high school, so she’s been a real advocate and cheerleader for me throughout the journey. You have to have that support to do that.
On the topic of family, what would you tell your child if he told you he wanted to be an actor?
I’ve seen other families navigate this. This will likely come out because he is very interested as a four-year-old. It’s really a balance of parents and children. Can you do it in a healthy way? I guess we’ll have to cross the bridge when it comes, but I certainly wouldn’t want to break the dream.
What do you think makes a good sitcom?
There’s a lot out there. The pace, the jokes within a scene, the music must be perfect, the editing must be great, and the characters must be iconic. It takes an entire village.
Top, Rag & Bone. Bottom, COS.
Top, Helmut Lang. Sunglasses, Ray-Ban. Watch, Casio.
