Dr. Percival "Perry" Cox is a character on the TV comedy
Scrubs. He's one of the staff doctors at Sacred Heart hospital on the show. He's rude, sarcastic in the extreme, and loves to rant in a hilarious yet withering way. He's played by actor
John C. McGinley who's been in a variety of films.
I realize not all of this will make a lot of sense unless you've seen a good extensive part of the show, since it's been over 6 years and we learn a bit more about each character, drop by drop. Spoilers:
Dr. Cox apparently was very much like J.D. when he was younger, according to his ex-wife Jordan; optimistic and friendly and caring. Somehow, fast-forward many years later and he's bitter and cynical and turned into a workaholic who both loves and hates his work but can't bring himself to give it up.
Everyone who's seen the show knows that Dr. Cox always says at least one zinger in every episode, often two or three. He's the best source of the hilarious put-downs, as well as the mentor for the others, so we get good heartfelt stuff as well as amusingly mean. Everyone has a favorite quote of his, and after six seasons there are pages and pages of quotes online. Heck, I hope they make a desk calendar of them one day, I sure would buy it. Fans like to compare him to Dr. House, and they even had an episode satirizing him. Dr Kelso said, "Oh Perry, you are so edgy and cantankerous; like House without the limp."
When he rants, he shows a strong hatred for Hugh Jackman, among other things.
Dr. Cox has an interesting relationship with everyone else on the staff:
J.D., aka any girl's name you can think of Outwardly, Dr. Cox loathes him, finds him incredibly annoying, weak, girly, naïve, and just a pain. He calls J.D. a girl's name in every episode, and tries to vary it up. In one episode, we are treated to his inner monologue, where we find he's really trying hard to come up with new put-downs, but sometimes repeats them, and tries to pass it off as being effortless. He puts J.D. down at every moment, every compliment is back-handed, but in reality he kinda likes him, supports him when he needs it, and thinks J.D. is growing. He tries to push J.D. out of his life, but J.D. seems to regard him as a mentor and father figure, causing him to inject himself into Dr. Cox's affairs like his son's baptism and try to sneak into Dr. Cox's parties at his lavish apartment. Of course it didn't help matters when J.D. slept with Jordan before he knew who she was in relation to the hospital and his friend, but Dr. Cox seemed to forgive him later, though he got sweet revenge through the fact that he was J.D.'s boss and was dating Jordan's sister without knowing it. Over time, the show hints that he is secretly proud of J.D. and thinks he has the potential to become a great doctor. The only girls names Dr. Cox has used more than once are Lily, Ginger, Gidget, Marcia, Gloria, Janice, Betsy, Carol and Nancy. Dr. Cox's trademark of calling J.D. by girl's names is what McGinley does in real life (jokingly) to his good friend and neighbor John Cusack.
Dr. Cox: {to J.D.} Oh, gosh, Shannon, thank you so much for clarifying my point by repeating it word for word. And now, in a reciprocal gesture, can I be included in the planning of your coming-out party?
J.D.: Is that a gay joke?
Dr. Cox: No, it's a cotillion joke. My God, Newbie, it's been two furiously frustrating years - how is it possible that you still don't get me? I would never compare you to the gays. I like the gays - I like their music, I like their sense of style, I especially like what they've done with Halloween - but our thing is that you are a little girl. That's who you are. But that's really not fair...
Carla, who he doesn't really have a nickname for. He's got a crush on her, probably because she's not afraid of him and is a pretty strong woman. He thinks she married the wrong guy. Carla denies his love, saying he doesn't love her, he idlozes her. He thinks she's the only one who "gets him."
Turk, aka "Gandhi." Cox thinks he's "a tool" and not just because he's a surgeon, who doctors dislike on the show. They compete over Carla.
Elliot, aka "Barbie." Dr. Cox really seems to hate her, think's she's an awful doctor or at least shallow and annoying and while he'll be a mentor to the others, he never really lets up or apologizes in her case. He also dislikes her for going into private practice, but Dr. Cox looks down on it because he feels they treat less patients for more money.
Elliot: Oh, Dr. Cox, does this lipstick make me look like a clown?
Dr. Cox: No, Barbie, no... it makes you look like a prostitute who caters exclusively *to* clowns.
Elliot: I'm sorry, that was my mistake, I keep forgetting that you're a horrible, horrible person.
Dr. Cox: Ooh, Backbone Barbie.
Dr. Kelso, aka "Bobbo", is the chief of medicine, and they do not get along. Perhaps it's because Dr. Kelso runs the hospital like a heartless business and Dr. Cox actually cares for patients, or that Dr. Cox wants to be chief one day and fix the problems, or because Dr. Kelso just tries to spite him or interfere in his patient care. Either way, they're at each other's throats without much open hostility. Plenty of sarcasm though. However, in a rare gesture of goodness, he punched Dr. Kelso out cold in the face when he was trying to berate Elliot to purposely humiliate her and make her cry in front of the patients. They're rivals, but cooperated in the rare occasion, like trying to break an optimist Doctor Molly's spirits.
Dr. Kelso: Dr. Cox, did you get my memo stating residents should wear their lab coats at all times?
Dr. Cox: Yes, I did. At first I just threw it away, but then I thought, that's not grand enough a gesture, so I made a model of you out of straw, put my lab coat on it --with your memo in the pocket-- and invited the neighborhood kids to set fire to it and beat it with sticks.
The Janitor. Oddly enough, they seem to get along relatively well, though there was rivalry in the beginning. They would ruin the ending of films or sports games for each other, or bet on winning each other's car. It's like they're drinking buddies. Their careers kinda separate them, and the Janitor sometimes pretends he doesn't know him, to keep his Janitor cred, but otherwise they seem to connect, though they haven't gone after J.D.. Yet.
Jordan. "She's the devil, Newbie. Don't look in her eyes, she might steal your soul." Apparently he keeps going back to her, even leaving girlfriends to be with either her or Carla, but Carla always turns him down. Although he divorced his wife, they turned out to be just too compatible and meant for each other, their personalities and snide comments and cheer-crushing sarcasm were just too right for each other. They were miserable when married, yet mutually happy when divorced. Oddly enough, he cares for Jordan but doesn't ever want to show it, and she wants to raise a family with him, which they are in the process of doing.
Of course, Dr. Cox wants to keep those plans at arm's length, because he had a lousy childhood due to an abusive father. He's still coping with it quietly. He has a sister, Paige, who is a born-again Christian but make no mistake, just as bitingly sarcastic as he. He dislikes seeing his sister because of the mutual memories of abuse it brings up. He fathered a son with Jordan, and they're raising him together, with Dr. Cox concerned he's going to screw up his kid. His son Jack's first full sentence was "daddy drinks a lot."
Dr. Cox: Don't look her in the eyes, newbie; {covers his own eyes} she'll steal your soul. {to Jordan} So, how are things going down in the underworld?
Jordan: Good. And you? Still have a rollicking social life?
Dr. Cox: Since I cut you loose, it's been one big party!
Jordan: In the next five seconds, name someplace other than the hospital or your apartment you've been in the last month...Five...Four...Three...Two....
Dr. Cox: My car! On the way to the...big party.
Jordan: Ooh. That must have hurt.
Laverne Roberts. Although he put her down a bit, he never really messed with her too much, since nurses hold power over doctors. She was one of the few who could stand up to him, and Dr. Cox mourned her loss.
Laverne:Dr. Cox, would you like to try some of my world-famous brownies?
Dr. Cox: No thank you, Laverne, I've already had diarrhea.
http://drcox.ytmnd.com