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Scrubs, the interviews pt.1

posted by Matt Knicl at 10:15 pm.

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Behind Emmy Lines

Way back when, I talked about the Writer’s Strike through the lens of one of my favorite shows, Scrubs. While at the time I was discussing my own viewpoint, i decided to seek out members of the entertainment community to see what they thought. This was difficult due to the WGA’s media blackout, but after a few months I was able to talk to several members of Scrubs for an article in the Buzz.

Phyllis Williams has worked with Scrubs since the beginning. She is the make-up department head and in her spare time works on Haute-Zine, an online publication that focuses on beauty, fashion and entertainment for African-Americans.

The following is the interview I conducted with Ms. Williams about her work on the show and the Writer’s Strike.

Matt Knicl: What is your position on the show and what does that role entail?

Phyllis Williams: Basically I’m responsible for breaking the script down and finding those parts that require some effect ie, tears, sweat, fantasies involving flashbacks or flashforwards, any site gags, like turning Dr. Elliot into Turk. I also hire the staff, design the makeup looks for the cast, order products…basically manage the department.

Matt: What did you do during the Writer’s Strike?

Phyllis: I wish I could say that I handled the strike gracefully but I can’t,that first month as it became clear that “they” were projecting a prolonged strike I was depressed and scared, like most people in the biz I tend to wrap my life around my work and work can many times be all consuming, I realize that I like having that structure in my life. I did use the down time to lose some weight, get in shape, rest. I re-did my resume and began considering and researching other ways of making a living.

Matt: Did you need to find temporary employment elsewhere? Is so, what was that?

Phyllis: In January after the holidays I began to get small jobs, I did 3 short films, one was 3 weeks long and paid a lot more than unemployment. I also helped a friend cover Stevie Wonder and gigs like that pay very well so that carried me through most of Feb and in Feb I did a commercial with Johnny C McGinley, look for them its a series called the “Commish” for Miller Lite. Between Johnny C and Stevie Wonder I was cool and of course we found out before the end of Feb that the strike was going to end before the Oscars so I knew I was going back to work soon after that.

Matt: Was the Writer’s Strike financially threatening?

Phyllis: The strike was nothing but financially threatening, it came during the holidays when most people are spending instead of saving. Had we known in advance of the strike date we could’ve been better prepared financially to ride it out, for me it wasn’t nearly as devastating as it was for some people with mortgages and kids, for me it called into to question the transient nature of the work I’ve chosen, its not like working a corporate gig where you know you have a job baring some financial collapse of the company, with the industry, you never definitively know from season to season or movie to movie or project to project. I’ve been blessed during my career to have worked steadily since I got into the union in 94 but the strike made me see how fragile the biz is and most importantly that its changing.

Matt: Now that you are back to work, were there any benefits you can see for there being the Strike?

Phyllis: That the biz is changing is the greatest benefit I see from the strike, new media will have an impact on how deals are done in the future, there will probably be another pay scale for new media work which will probably be less then what crews make now but for me the strike made me proactive re: my financial future, I’m preparing now for more stability and diversity in the types of work I do and I’m aggressively paying off debt, saving and investing in my future.

Matt: What is you favorite part of working on the show?

Phyllis: My favorite part of working on Scrubs is definitely the joking on the set, its always great to work with comedians and Zach [Braff], Donald [Faison], JC [McGinley], Neal [Flynn] and Ken Jenkins are like a well oiled machine and they’re friends they genuinely like each other and when they get going in between takes its hilarious. Its good to be back, Scrubs is unique in that we really are like a family.

Matt Knicl: My name is Matt Knicl. I'm a U of I alumn and one of those unemployed English majors Garrison Keillor likes to make fun of. I've been reading comics since high school and one day I would like to write them. My goal is to expose readers to what is out there in the world of comics and using my English powers, show what is worth reading or not. I can be reached at buzz.comics@gmail.com.