As gorgeous brainiac Dr. Elliot Reid on Scrubs, Sarah Chalke is one doctor we don’t mind making appointments with. Perhaps its Elliot’s lovable penchant for putting her foot in her mouth, or the countless romances she’s fumbled, but Dr. Reid is definitely the chick other girls want to hang out with and guys want to date. Chalke loves the character, herself. “Even eight years later, it’s still fun to come to work every day,” she says. However, if rumors are true and the eighth season is the final one, Chalke is ready for a new rotation, so to speak.
Up next for the Vancouver native is Maneater, a Lifetime miniseries based on the best seller of the same name. Chalke plays a Hollywood socialite who, upon finding herself single at 32, makes it her mission to marry the new producer in town. Sounds like the showbiz norm, but the plotline is a far cry from Chalke’s own life. Engaged now for two years to Jamie, her longtime boyfriend, she envisions a simple wedding with friends and family. “We don’t need our names on a fancy napkin,” she jokes.
Fiancé aside, Chalke has another love in her life; her name is Lola. The chocolate Lab was a gift from her Scrubs castmates six years ago. “When I first got her she was the runt of the litter, but had the loudest bark,” she says. “My neighbors were surprised to find that this terrifying sound came from a small puppy.”
Living in a town where child stars become the “where are they nows” of tomorrow, Chalke believes the key to success is living as normal a life as possible. Her advice for today’s young talent: “Do it for fun first. Wait until you’re an adult to make it a career.” Coming from the girl who got her start as Roseanne’s daughter (Becky number two!) on the hit sitcom, we’ll take her word for it. Had she not made it in Hollywood she would have been just as content as a coffee barista. “My high school boyfriend worked at Starbucks and I loved wearing the green apron for fun,” she recalls. Perhaps the actress who’s donned a pair of scrubs for the past eight years is destined to always be in uniform.
