Scott Foley is heading back to familiar territory for his next television role following a stretch that included a dramatic Will Trent exit and the cancellation of another series.
Foley, 54, appeared in a season 2 teaser for Hulu’s Scrubs revival that was shown during D23 on Saturday, August 15, confirming that he will reprise his role as Sean Kelly.
Longtime Scrubs viewers may remember Sean as the dolphin trainer who appeared during seasons 1, 3 and 8 of the original series. The character had a romantic history with Dr. Elliot Reid, played by Sarah Chalke, and later dated Dr. Kim Briggs, played by Elizabeth Banks.
Foley’s return is notable because he had previously been invited to participate in the first season of the revival but was unable to make the timing work.
Earlier this year, Foley spoke about his long-running professional relationship with Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence. Beyond Scrubs, the pair have worked together on projects including Cougar Town, Undateable and Whiskey Cavalier.
Foley also revealed that Scrubs star Zach Braff had personally asked him to return.
“Zach has asked me to come back,” Foley said in January, explaining that he had received a call when production was beginning and had even been scheduled for an episode before a conflict got in the way.
At the time, Foley remained optimistic that another opportunity would come along. Now, his appearance in the season 2 teaser confirms that the scheduling issue has finally been resolved.
The role comes after an eventful period in Foley’s television career.
The actor, whose credits include Felicity, Scandal, The Unit and Grey’s Anatomy, joined Will Trent in 2025 as Seth, the husband of Angie, played by Erika Christensen.
Seth’s storyline came to a dramatic conclusion when Angie gave birth, only for Seth to collapse and die at the hospital shortly afterward.
Following the episode, Foley thanked the cast, crew, writers and creators for making his time on the series meaningful. He also joked that seeing his name featured in the show’s title card would be enough to make his wife and daughter emotional whenever they passed it.
Foley then experienced another professional disappointment when Prime Video decided not to renew his series It’s Not Like That for a second season.
The actor addressed the cancellation in July, admitting that he was disappointed, particularly because the series had spent several weeks in Prime Video’s Top 10 and had received strong reviews.
Still, Foley focused on gratitude rather than frustration.
He said he was proud of the show and appreciative of the people he had worked with, while also thanking viewers who had taken the time to watch the series.
Now, his return to Scrubs gives Foley a chance to revisit a character from an earlier chapter of his career.
Rather than introducing audiences to another entirely new role, his next project brings him back into a television universe where he already has history — and reunites him with collaborators he has worked with repeatedly over the years.
For longtime Scrubs fans, Sean Kelly’s return also adds another familiar face to the revival as the series continues reconnecting viewers with characters from the original show.
After several recent TV endings, Foley’s latest casting news represents something different: a return.
