Donald Faison Biography
Donald Faison is an American actor and comedian best known to millions as surgeon Christopher Turk from the medical sitcom Scrubs.Throughout his career, he's appeared in the cult classic Clueless, voiced characters in the Star Wars universe, and proven he can handle both comedy and drama. His approach is simple: "I don't work because it's my profession. I do it out of love."
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theblerdgurl.com
Childhood and Family
Donald Adeosun Faison was born on June 22, 1974, in Harlem, New York. His parents, Shirley and Donald, were actors at the National Black Theatre of Harlem. One of Donald's earliest memories is watching his mother direct a rehearsal.The family lived in Manhattan Plaza, where most apartments were government-subsidized housing for artists. Among his neighbors were Larry David and Kenny Kramer.
In an interview with Sway In The Morning, Faison recalled that by age five, he already knew what he wanted to be. His parents supported his interest in acting and took him to children's theater productions. Even then, Faison felt a special connection to the craft—the stage sparked his dream of building a Hollywood career.
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@donald_aison
Faison remembered that he wasn't exactly popular in high school. The reason? He joined the yearbook committee and, as a joke, put his face on every single page.
Acting Career
Donald's first time on set was for an Oatmeal Raisin Crisp commercial. At 15, he appeared in a Folgers coffee ad. Then he landed a recurring role on "Sesame Street," where young viewers got to know him as Dwayne, Jelani's friend (Eugene Byrd).Donald made his feature film debut in 1992 with a tiny role in the crime drama "Juice" starring rapper Tupac Shakur. A string of roles followed – he appeared in "Sugar Hill" with Wesley Snipes and "Waiting to Exhale" with Angela Bassett.
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imdb.com
In an interview with AP Online, Faison talked about how his life changed after the film:
The success of the film and series brought Faison good money, but he was too young to handle it wisely. "I spent money on stupid stuff," he admitted to People Weekly, "a motorcycle, a big-screen TV." Things got so bad that shortly before landing his career-defining role on "Scrubs," he was practically broke, earning minimum scale and living paycheck to paycheck.Donald FaisonIt was weird. Nobody knew who I was and I'd go to the club and ask girls to dance and they'd say 'No.' Then two years later, I'd see those same girls at another club and suddenly they're like, 'Hey, remember me?' And I'm like, 'Oh yeah, you're that girl who turned me down!'
In the late '90s, Faison appeared in the cult football film "Remember the Titans" with Denzel Washington, playing the role of Petey Jones.
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imdb.com
Everything changed in 2001 when Faison landed a role on Scrubs. His character, the confident intern Dr. Chris Turk, became one of the show's most popular characters alongside the dreamy J.D. played by Zach Braff. And it was this role that brought Donald worldwide fame.
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imdb.com
While working on Scrubs, Faison kept busy with films. He appeared in the comedy Big Fat Liar with Frankie Muniz and Amanda Bynes, and starred in Uptown Girls, Something New, Next Day Air, and the sci-fi thriller Skyline.Donald FaisonEveryone wants a piece of you. They point at you and say, 'I know you. Hey honey, look, it's that guy from Scrubs.' All this happens, like, in a restaurant. You can't go anywhere.
After Scrubs wrapped in 2010, Faison didn't miss a beat. From 2011 to 2015, he starred in the sitcom The Exes, playing a recently divorced man living with two roommates dealing with similar issues.
In 2012, he had a cameo in Pitch Perfect, and in 2013 landed a role in Kick-Ass 2.
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imdb.com
His Star Wars connection is especially worth noting. Faison is a massive Star Wars fan. He even created his own parody animated show BlackStormTrooper on his YouTube channel. The show caught the attention of director Dave Filoni, who wrote the pilot character Hype Fazon in the animated series Star Wars Resistance specifically for Donald.
After nine seasons of Scrubs, Faison faced the challenge of being typecast. In an interview with Sway In The Morning, the actor shared:
Fortunately, the creators of the sci-fi mystery series The Emergence (2019) decided to give Faison a chance and cast him in the show, helping him break the stereotype.Donald FaisonPeople still know me as Turk. When I went in to audition for The Emergence, I remember meeting my wife at our kids' soccer practice and telling her, 'Babe, I don't think I'm gonna get this role. Honestly, I believe they only saw Turk.'
In 2022, Faison created the web series Alabama Jackson for Adult Swim's YouTube channel, starring in the lead role himself.
Donald Faison's Personal Life
Faison has six children. His first son, Sean Faison-Ince, was born in 1996 to former girlfriend Audrey Ince.In 1997, Faison started dating Lisa Askey, a nursing student. They married in 2001 and divorced in 2005. During that time, they had three children: twins Kaya and Dade (1999) and Kobe (2001).
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People
The couple has two children together—Rocco (2013) and Wilder Frances (2015).
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glamour.com
Faison's friendship with Zach Braff extends far beyond the screen. In March 2020, they launched the podcast "Fake Doctors, Real Friends," where they discuss Scrubs episodes, share behind-the-scenes stories, and reminisce about filming. Braff is also godfather to Faison's two youngest children.
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People
Donald Faison Now
2025 has been a year of coming full circle for Faison. Since late 2023, he's been starring in NBC's comedy series "Extended Family" alongside Jon Cryer and Abigail Spencer. Faison plays Trey, a perfectionist MIT grad who owns the Boston Celtics and falls for Julia (Spencer), recently divorced from Jim (Cryer).2025 also saw the release of "Delivery," featuring Faison, Rainn Wilson, and Jimmi Simpson—a comedy about a plus-size supermodel who decides to have her first baby at home surrounded by her entire family.
But the biggest news for Faison fans in 2025? Scrubs is back. In July, ABC officially ordered a revival of the series. Joining Faison are Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, and John C. McGinley.
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@donald_aison
On September 26, 2025, the cast held their first table read for the Scrubs revival with the original cast in attendance.J.D. and Turk are putting their scrubs back on for the first time in a long time—medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has stood the test of time.