Neil Flynn portrayed the Janitor on Scrubs. He was a supporting casts member during Season One and was upgraded to the main cast for Season Two through Season Eight. He made a guest appearance in Season Nine.
Bio
Neil Flynn was born on the south-side of Chicago, he is of irish decent and was raised Catholic. Flynn has 5 siblings. The family moved to Waukegan, Illinois when Flynn was still young, he attended Waukegan East High School, and in 1978, he and partner Mike Shklair won an Illinois Individual Events state championship for "Humorous Duet Acting".
"I was in some play in 6th grade, it was written by the teacher. It was far too long, like seriously; it was more than an hour long, picture grade-schoolers in an original piece by some woman. It must have been just impossible to sit through, but I think I had the biggest part and I knew all my lines, which was strange because the kid who played the elad had to share the role with another kid because there was too much to say. So performing came up pretty early ... and appealed to me, so in high school I tried out for a play my freshmen year and was completely ignore, which now I like to think of as like Michael Jordan being cut from his JV team, all like "they had no idea", but yeah, I did plays in high school so it was kind of my thing from an early age." - Flynn on Is This a Bad Time To Talk? in 2023.
In 1982 Flynn graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois (Flynn participated on the nationally-renowned Bradley University Speech Team), and moved back to Chicago to pursue an acting-career.
"I didn't major in theater, but my senior year of college I did a play and thought "I think I'm gonna try this", having no idea, none, about how you go about becoming a professional actor." - Flynn on Is This a Bad Time To Talk? in 2023.
Flynn appeared in "10-12" theater productions during his time in Chicago, notably they were all dramas. In 1986 Flynn followed a girlfriend out to LA to become an actor. Flynn auditioned for the role of assistant coach on Coach, a dimwitted character akin to Woody in Cheers, but Flynn played it more like "Lenny in Of Mice and Men", a heartbreaking-ly dimwitted guy, and was told to lighten up. A few years later Flynn got into improvisational comedy. Flynn returned to Chicago with his tail between his legs 6 years later. Shortly before leaving LA, Flynn ran into two guys at a bar, one of them was Bill Lawrence. The two hit it off, and they ended up playing in a rec-league together out in Westwood. Flynn told Lawrence about his plan to go back to Chicago, letting him in on the fact that he was a actor, Lawrence would remember his name. Flynn had previously done Hamlet at Wisdom Bridge Theater with actor Del Close, and upon his return to Chicago he joined the ImprovOlympic, which Close co-ran. Close was known to be a bit difficult to work with, but he treated Flynn well. Flynn has later theorized that Close's kindness owed to Flynn having been there for Hamlet, the highlight of Close's career, and that he therefor, by association, went easier on him. Flynn appeared in dramas at prestigious venues such as Goodman and Steppenwolf Theater (doing As I Lay Dying and Time of My Life at Steppenwolf in 1995), but it turned out he had more of a knack for improv. Flynn went on to become a member of the Second City Comedy Troupe. One day Flynn spotted Bill Lawrence's name in the credits of Spin City, and wondered if that could be the same guy he had met back in LA. Flynn would move back to LA in 1998, and with his newly discovered skills within the field of comedy, and he would eventually find his niche. Flynn has gone on to call the 6 years back in Chicago "the most beneficial years" in his life, and leaving LA "the best thing (he) ever did". Flynn often found himself getting typecast as a cop because he "wasn't easily cast as a 20- or 30-year-old".
Because of him having played a boyfriend of Christa Miller's character on The Drew Carey Show, Flynn was invited out to dinner with Miller and "her new husband". The guy turned out to be Bill Lawrence, the guy from the bar. The two remembered each other, and Lawrence went on to see one of Flynn's improv shows. Shortly thereafter Flynn was called in to audition for Scrubs. Lawrence clarified that he hadn't done him any favors, he was already on the list put together by casting, but sadly the role he was auditioning for, Dr. Cox, already had John C. McGinley's name on it. Lawrence eventually handed Flynn the script for a scene featuring the character of The Janitor, and Flynn ended up getting the part. The janitor character was supposed to be minor, maybe even a one-off, but in the time between the shooting of the pilot and the show getting picked up, Bill Lawrence went to see the improv-group Flynn was part of, Beer Shark Mice, and after witnessing Flynn's unleashed comedy chops he started writing the character into more episodes. Flynn stayed on Scrubs for 9 years, before moving on to The Middle, which would last another 9 years. Flynn's streak would sadly end when the 2019 4-camera bar-sitcom Abby's didn't get renewed.
Flynn has appeared movies such as Mean Girls, Hoot, The Fugitive, Chain Reaction, Rookie of the Year, Baby’s Day Out and Major League, and had a bit-part in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
On television, Flynn appeared in shows such as C.S.I., Boston Public, NYPD Blue, Early Edition, The Drew Carey Show (playing a boyfriend of Christa Miller's character), That ‘70s Show, Joey, Seinfeld, Ellen, Family Law, and Smallville, before landing the role of The Janitor. After Scrubs ended, Flynn was a member of the main cast of the ABC sitcom The Middle, as husband and father of three, Mike Heck for another 9 years. Both The Janitor and Mike Heck mirror sides of Flynn, and he struggles to answer which character is more like him in real life.
Flynn has performed on-and-off with his improv-troup Beer Shark Mice since 1998, going about consecutive 17 years.
"I always assumed I'd be out here (L.A.) as long as necessary or reasonable, and then return and eventually ... expire in Chicago, but I don't think that's true anymore, I don't think that's true." - Flynn on Is This a Bad Time To Talk? in 2023.
Flynn appeared in an episode of Bill Lawrence's Surviving Jack in 2013, and has appeared in 4 episodes of Lawrence's show Shrinking, once again reuniting with Harrison Ford.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Media | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Brookside | TV | Sozza (1 episode) |
| 1987 | CBS Summer Playhouse | TV | LAPD Officer (1 episode) |
| Sable | TV | Real Security Guard (1 episode) | |
| 1989 | Major League | Film | Longshoreman |
| Tour of Duty | TV | Seal (1 episode) | |
| Doogie Howser, M.D. | TV | Policeman (2 episodes) | |
| 1993 | Rookie of the Year | Film | Okie |
| The Fugitive | Film | Transit Cop | |
| ABC Afterschool Specials | TV | Unknown (1 episode) | |
| 1994 | The Fence | Film | Dominick |
| Baby's Day Out | Film | Cop #1 | |
| 1996 | To Sir, with Love II | TV Movie | Detective Dennis |
| Chain Reaction | Film | State Trooper Nemitz | |
| Early Edition | TV | Various (3 episodes) | |
| 1997 | Seinfeld | TV | Cop #1 (1 episode) |
| Home Alone 3 | Film | Police Officer #1 | |
| 1998 | Ellen | TV | George (1 episode) |
| Late Night With Conan O'Brien | TV | Priest (1 episode) | |
| The Drew Carey Show | TV | Scott Honey (1 episode) | |
| 1999 | Sliders | TV | Officer Phil (1 episode) |
| That '70s Show | TV | The Bouncer (1 episode) | |
| Chicago Hope | TV | John Derricks (1 episode) | |
| Magnolia | Film | Stanley Berry | |
| 2000 | Then Came You | TV | Cop (1 episode) |
| The Right Temptation | Film | Max | |
| Family Law | TV | Jack Lumberg (1 episode) | |
| Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | TV | XR (24 episodes) - 2001 | |
| 2001 | The Removers | Film | Alien Masked Man |
| Arli$$ | TV | Unknown (1 episode) | |
| The District | TV | George Ryerson (1 episode) | |
| The Norm Show | TV | Lee (1 episode) | |
| Scrubs | TV | Janitor (169 episodes) - 2008 | |
| 2002 | CSI | TV | Officer Yarnell (1 episode) |
| Boston Public | TV | Walter Andrews (1 episode) | |
| NYPD Blue | TV | Kevin Healey (1 episode) | |
| Ratchet & Clank | Video Game | Various | |
| It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie | TV Movie | Janitor | |
| Clone High | TV | Glenn the Janitor / Various (12 episodes) - 2003 | |
| 2003 | Brainwarp | Video | Detective Jim Fist |
| Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando | Video Game | Waterworker | |
| Smallville | TV | Pete Dinsmore (2 episodes) - 2004 | |
| Kim Possible | TV | Tweed (2 episodes) | |
| 2004 | Mean Girls | Film | Cady's Dad |
| Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy | Film | Police Officer (uncredited) | |
| Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal | Video Game | various | |
| Untitled Phil Hendrie Project | Pilot | voice | |
| 2005 | King of The Hill | TV | Turpin (voice) |
| Love, Inc. | TV | Nathan (1 episode) | |
| 2006 | Brandy & Mr. Whiskers | TV | voice (1 episode) |
| Hoot | Film | Mr. Eberhardt | |
| The One About the Nun And the Priest | Short | Father Joe | |
| Joey | TV | Father O'Neill (2 episodes) | |
| Re-Animated | TV Movie | Head of Appleday Board | |
| My Boys | TV | Danny Finn (1 episode) | |
| 2007 | Sex and Death 101 | Film | Zack |
| The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show | TV | Hitchhiker (1 episode) | |
| Alive and Well | Film | Joel | |
| Kim Possible | TV | Beta (voice) (1 episode) | |
| Wild Girls Gone | Film | Stevie's Dad | |
| 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Film | Paul Smith |
| 5-25-77 | Film | Dr. Callahan | |
| 2009 | Monkey Talk | Short | Kevin |
| Scrubs: Interns | TV | Janitor (5 episodes) | |
| Scrubs: Med School | TV | Janitor (1 episode) | |
| The Middle | TV | Mike Heck (215 episodes) - 2018 | |
| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | Film | Weather News Network Producer (voice) | |
| 2011 | CollegeHumor Originals | TV | Dad (1 episode) |
| 2012 | Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja | TV | Mr. Bannister (voice) (2 episodes) |
| 2013 | Bob's Burgers | TV | Max Flush (voice) |
| Newsreaders | TV | Dr. Hugh Bowman (1 episode) | |
| 2014 | Surviving Jack | TV | Coach Porter (1 episode) |
| Key and Peele | TV | Dr. Kravitz (1 episode) | |
| 2015 | Undateable | TV | Neil (2 episodes) |
| Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja | TV | Mr. Bannister (voice) (2 episodes) | |
| ImagiGARY | Film | Officer Kegan | |
| 2016 | Nigel and Oscar Vs. The Sasquatch | Film | Samson |
| Vixen | TV | Chuck McCabe (6 episodes) - 2017 | |
| 2017 | The Resurrection of Gavin Stone | Film | Waylon Stone |
| 2019 | Abby's | TV | Fred (10 episodes) |
| 2020 | Solar Opposites | TV | voice (1 episode) |
| Superman; Man of Tomorrow | Film | Jonathan Kent (voice) | |
| Carcerem | TV | Vorlauf (voice) (18 episodes) - 2021 | |
| 2021 | Soundman | Short | Dean Wilderman |
| Chicago Party Aunt | TV | (voice) (1 episode) | |
| 2022 | Girls5eva | TV | Chris Dutkowsky (1 episode) |
| PBC | TV | General Wayne McGinty | |
| 2023 | Unexpected | Film | Rupert |
| Lopez vs. Lopez | TV | Steve (1 episode) | |
| Clone High | TV | voice (1 episode) | |
| The Santa Clauses | TV | Donner (voice) (1 episode) | |
| Shrinking | TV | Raymond (4 episodes) - present | |
| 2024 | The Best Man's Ghostwriter | Narrative Podcast | Nate's Father (1 episode) |
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result | For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Jeff Awards | Joseph Jefferson Award | Nominated | Excellence in Chicago theatre - The Ballad of the Sad Café |
| 1999 | Method Fest | National Board of Review, USA | Won | Best Acting by an Ensemble - Magnolia |
| 2008 | The Literary and Historical Society of University College Dublin | James Joyce Award | Won | Achieving outstanding success in a given field. |
| 2015 | Improvisation News New York Awards | INNY Award | Nominated | Improv Comedy: Best in Long Form Improv |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Awards | Critics' Choice Award | Nominated | Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - The Middle |
| 2017 | National Events Tournament | American Forensic Association | Won | Distinguished Alumni Award |
Trivia
- Neil originally tried out for the part of Dr. Cox, but the producers chose John C. McGinley. They liked him so much, however, that they wrote him into the pilot.
- The character of Janitor was so well received by fans, that they made him a full time cast member in the second season.
- He plays on a local softball team, and also enjoys a weekly game of poker.
- The Janitor was originally supposed to be a figment of J.D.'s imagination, but Neil wanted to interact with characters other than J.D., thus, the result being kept as one of the cast members.
- Neil incorporates part of his comedy act into his character. He is known for improvising a lot of his lines.
- Neil Flynn also does the voice of The Plumber in the Ratchet & Clank video game series.
| CAST | ||
|---|---|---|
| MAIN | Zach Braff • Sarah Chalke • Donald Faison • Neil Flynn • Ken Jenkins • John C. McGinley • Judy Reyes • Eliza Coupe • Kerry Bishé • Michael Mosley • Dave Franco | |
| SUPPORTING | Johnny Kastl • Sam Lloyd • Robert Maschio • Christa Miller • Travis Schuldt • Aloma Wright | |
| SEE ALSO | List of character appearances • Cast from Season: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • W • 9 | e |