John C. McGinley Reveals He Lost 43 Pounds and Played Himself in ‘Rooster’ (Exclusive)

In the upcoming HBO series Rooster, John C. McGinley portrays Walter Mann, the enthusiastic dean at a college who persuades Steve Carell's character, Greg Russo, to start teaching. In a recent Men's Journal interview, McGinley opened up about reuniting with Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence and drawing from his own life for the show. He also revealed how he lost 43 pounds for the role and why filming one scene made him anxious.

“I’m Stealing Your Life”: How Bill Lawrence Shaped John C. McGinley's Rooster Role

Men’s Journal: What excited you the most about getting to reunite with Bill Lawrence and play a very different kind of authority figure than you've played for him in the past?

John C. McGinley: Billy came to me in my hut house, which is an outdoor sauna attached to an ice tub, and he asked me if he could steal my life. And I was flattered by that, but it begged the question, 'Are you going to steal my life and then give it to Cranston?" I was like, “Yeah, why?” And he said, “I'm writing one for Steve, and I want you to be in it.” And that was a year and a half before we shot. It was very flattering. Anytime Billy asks you to do anything, it's a good day.

Men’s Journal: I can imagine that, since he makes such incredible shows.

John C. McGinley: He is the Norman Lear of his generation.

Men’s Journal: My favorite thing about your Rooster character is that he is like an onion. During all of his scenes, we’d learn more about him as information would be unfurled. I especially love how the character was introduced in such a mysterious way. How did you feel about getting to reveal more about him during each scene?

John C. McGinley: I don't know anybody other than my wife who knows me better than Bill Lawrence, having spent nine years with him on Scrubs and two years on Ground Floor. In fact, I just introduced him at the Museum of Broadcast out in Los Angeles at a big, swanky black-tie dinner. So, it cuts both ways. Billy knows me, and he knows how to pull the onion back, which is exciting because when you get a script, the one thing you don't want it to be more than anything is redundant. And so if the script can continue to astonish or expose nuances, that's the stuff of thrilling. That's what Billy does with this character, Walter Man.

Men’s Journal: As somebody who has been a star for years and is absolutely beloved, I'm sure you've had thousands of fan experiences where people come up to you, and they're super excited to meet you. How did that affect when you were filming the scenes in which your character was desperately trying to get Steve's character to stay at the school?

John C. McGinley: I thought it was lovely that Billy explored adoration because this guy, Walter Man, absolutely adores every… All the idiosyncratic things that Steve's character brings to this campus are devoid in this guy's landscape. And so. for Billy to go like, “Yeah, you adore this guy.” is quite the opposite of Dr. Cox and how repulsed he is by mediocrity and the newness of these newbies. And I thought it was lovely to completely turn that on its head. And while some of the other faculty may be sticking their nose up at this romance writer from the Florida Keys in the context of the show, the president of the school is like, “Yeah, by hook or by crook, you're staying here because you're my shiny new toy.” So, I thought exploring adoration, as you were suggesting, was really lovely.

Men’s Journal: The show focuses on characters reinventing themselves after having gone through crazy situations. Did working on the series allow you to reinvent yourself in any way?

John C. McGinley: No, it was the opposite. It's the first time a creator of a show has ever come in and said, “I'm stealing your life. You're going to be playing you.” And so that's a little vexing at first because a lot of actors like to hide behind artifice and eccentricities and a bag of Felix, the cat bag of tricks. And Billy's like, “No, I want you to open your sternum up and we want to see you.” So, no, I don't think there was a reinvention as much as you had to have the spine to adhere to what Billy's vision was.

Men’s Journal: Were you nervous about showing so much of yourself in the show?

John C. McGinley:  No, but as always, I just relied on Billy to help me hew to his tone. All his shows are very tone-specific, and Rooster's no different. It is a lot flatter. There is not the histrionics of Scrubs with the crazy fantasies. And this guy's right down the middle. He's running a university. You know, a lot of plates are spinning, and the fact that he's going to integrate how much he adores Steve into this is just another plate to spin.

Why John C. McGinley Lost 43 Pounds for ‘Rooster’

Men’s Journal: You spend a lot of the show wearing very little. Did you do any extra preparation to look your best during those scenes?

John C. McGinley: I lost 43 pounds for this thing. I hired a guy and he came out to the house and I was down to one meal a day plus bone broth at night. I stopped eating. And I guess I'm going to start doing it again on Friday.

Men’s Journal: Does that mean we're going to see more of this show?

John C. McGinley: I don't know. You have to kind of hedge your bets, don't you? If you go back in August, you can't be carrying an extra 30 around.

Men’s Journal: That makes a lot of sense. I loved the show. and I absolutely hope we get to see more of it in the future.

John C. McGinley: Me too.

Men’s Journal:  Was there a moment of getting to portray the Dean that really stuck out for you?

John C. McGinley: I had no small amount of apprehension about the first time Steve walks into my office, and I'm practically naked. That was the end of five months and 43, 44 pounds lost. You know, as a 66-year-old male, you have a vision of what you want to look like, but Mother Nature dictates what you are going to look like. And that's the best I could do. So, I felt good about it when they called action, but it was not without an enormous amount of apprehension.

Men’s Journal: Well, as a 43-year-old, you looked amazing.

John C. McGinley: Thank you.