Sam Lloyd, who is best known as the lawyer Ted Buckland on the sitcom ‘Scrubs,’ has passed away. He was 56 years old, according to his agent who confirmed the news of the actor’s demise on Friday. The statement, however, did not give any indication on when the veteran actor died.
Diagnosed with Brain Tumor
Lloyd was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in January 2019, shortly after Vanessa, his wife, gave birth to their first child – named Weston – according to a GoFundMe page created for the actor and his family.
At the end of 2019, Lloyd discovered that the targeted therapy drug which had given him a second lease of life had lost its effectiveness.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched by Tim Hobert, the executive producer of ‘Scrubs,’ and his wife, Jill, for the actor and his family. At the time, it was revealed that Lloyd had started experiencing headaches, though this was initially attributed to his sleepless lifestyle as a new dad. And when the headaches became stronger, the actor went to the doctor.
The Hoberts wrote: “The doctor thought the pain might be sinus-related, so he ordered a CT Scan. The scan revealed a mass on Sam’s brain.
“Within a day, he was in brain surgery. Unfortunately, the tumor was too intertwined so the surgeons couldn’t remove it. By Sunday, Sam and Vanessa were informed that cancer in his brain had metastasized from his lungs. Further scans showed the cancer was also in his liver, spine, and jaw.”
Lloyd’s Long Television Career
In addition to starring as the lawyer Ted Buckland on the long-running series ‘Scrubs,’ Lloyd also appeared in dozens of TV shows over the span of his career including ‘Modern Family,’ ‘Desperate Housewives,’ ‘Spin City,’ ‘Cougar Town,’ (where he reprised the role of Ted Buckland), ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘The West Wing,’ and ‘Shameless.’ He also appeared in several movies including ‘Flubber’ and ‘Galaxy Quest.’
Lloyd’s Brief Foray into Music
The late Sam Lloyd also made a brief foray into music as he also sang in an acapella group known as ‘The Blanks’ which performed on ‘Scrubs’ as ‘The Worthless Peons.’ He also played bass guitar in the Beatles tribute band ‘The Butties.’
Tributes from the ‘Scrubs’ Family
Following the news of the actor’s demise, tributes started pouring in from the ‘Scrubs’ family.
Bill Lawrence, the creator of the long-running medical comedy, ‘Scrubs,’ posted a behind-the-scenes snapshot of Lloyd, and he captioned it: “Thinking a lot about Sam Lloyd today. (Ted). Truly such a kind, sweet guy. He will be missed by so many.”
Zach Braff tweeted: “Rest In Peace to one of the funniest actors I’ve ever had the joy of working with. Sam Lloyd made me crack up and break character every single time we did a scene together. He could not have been a kinder man. I will forever cherish the time I had with you, Sammy.”
Robert Maschio shared a photo of himself standing next to Lloyd and wrote: “Simpler times, happier days, the kindest man I ever met. Easy going Sam, Rest In Peace. #RIPSamLloyd.”
