‘Scrubs’ Star Sarah Chalke Posts Loving Message for Sam Lloyd After His Death at 56

Scrubs star Sarah Chalke joined her co-stars in mourning the loss of Sam Lloyd, who died Friday at age 56. Lloyd battled brain and lung cancer for a year before his death, and left behind his wife Vanessa and their 1-year-old son Weston. The character actor famously played lawyer Ted Buckland in the long-running hospital sitcom.

“Oh Sam…I feel so lucky I got the chance to know and work with you,” Chalke, who played Dr. Elliot Reid on the ABC/NBC series and also starred on Roseanne, wrote on Twitter. “You were the the kindest, funniest man. Sending so much love to your family. Rest In Peace.” She shared her message shortly after Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence shared his own tribute, which read, “Thinking a lot about Sam Lloyd today. (Ted). Truly such a kind, sweet guy. He will be missed by so many.”

“Rest In Peace to one of the funniest actors I’ve ever had the joy of working with,” Zach Braff, who played Dr. J.D. Dorian, wrote on Instagram. “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.”

Lloyd’s family and friends revealed last year he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lung cancer, just weeks after his first son was born. They started a GoFundMe page at the time, raising almost $160,000. Tim Hobert, who organized the page, shared the most recent update on Lloyd’s condition on March 5, revealing that the brain tumor was removed. However, he could only communicate with his son through FaceTime calls.

“In the 13 months since Sam’s original diagnosis, with help from you guys (incredible people from all over the world), he has made the most of the time that he has been given,” Hobert wrote .”He was able to go back to his home state of Vermont and play his annual gig with his Beatles band, The Butties. He was able to do guest spots on Modern Family and American Housewife that allowed him to qualify for the Screen Actors Guild insurance policy. He was able to spend time with dear friends, help his mother in the last stages of her life, and sing for her at her funeral, and most importantly, he was able to spend time with his wife, Vanessa, and celebrate Weston’s first birthday!”

Lloyd appeared in dozens of shows and movies, beginning in the late 1980s. Aside from Scrubs, he appeared in episodes of Night Court, Modern Family, Bones, Seinfeld, The Middle, Spin City and Desperate Housewives. He also played his Scrubs character on three episodes of Lawrence’s Cougar Town.