John Christopher McGinley (born August 3, 1959)is an
American actor, most notable for his roles as
Perry Cox in
Scrubs, Bob Slydell in
Office Space, and
Sergeant Red O'Neill in
Oliver Stone's
Platoon. He has also written and directed for television and film. Apart from acting, McGinley is also an author and a spokesperson for the
National Down Syndrome Society.
Early life
McGinley, who is one of five children, was born in the
Greenwich Village section of
New York City, the son of Patricia, a schoolteacher, and Gerald McGinley, a stockbroker.
[John C. McGinley Biography (1959-)] His paternal great-grandfather was from
Donegal,
Ireland.
[Irish America Magazine] McGinley was raised in
Millburn, New Jersey, and attended
Millburn High School, where he played
wide receiver for the school's
football team. He studied acting at
Syracuse University, and later at
New York University's
Tisch School of the Arts. Upon completing his education, McGinley did a variety of different work, including
Off Broadway and
Broadway productions, and a two-year stint on the
soap opera Another World.