An old friend's returning to NBC
Perry 'Scrubs' in for helming bow
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In his first major gig since the "Friends" finale, Perry will both direct and star in an episode of the show skedded to air during the November sweeps. He'll play a man willing to donate a kidney to his ailing father --until complications arise.
Perry's directing bow will be also a family affair: Perry's dad, veteran thesp John Perry, has been cast as his small-screen father. Filming is set for the first week in November.
"Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence said Perry's directing/acting stint fits into the skein's tradition of "making sure all of the big guest stars are personal friends of the cast or writers."
"I wrote on the first season of 'Friends,' and my wife and I got to know him better in the years after that," Lawrence told Daily Variety. "So to sucker him back onto a sitcom by letting him direct is like the coolest thing."
Lawrence said Perry shouldn't worry about first-time director jitters. "The guy's timing is ridiculous, and our show is all timing-based," he said.
Having John Perry guest in the same episode as his son will give the show some extra heart, Lawrence said, while also making Matthew Perry a bit more comfortable in the helming chair. "He'll have at least one actor on the show who won't give him shit," Lawrence quipped.
Another NBC vet, former "ER" star Julianna Margulies, is set to appear in two episodes of "Scrubs" during the November sweeps.
