When “Scrubs” star John C. McGinley recently wed girlfriend Nichole Kessler, it only made sense that both of the actor’s chocolate Labrador Retrievers would get starring roles at the ceremony.
Labrador Retrievers Hudson and Haley were at the beach with McGinley when he first met Kessler, who was approached by McGinley’s 9-year-old son, Max, while the actor was playing with the dogs.
At the ceremony, Max, who has Down syndrome, escorted Kessler down the aisle. Halfway down the aisle, however, Max darted back to the house to retrieve Haley so the dog could take her rightful place at the altar alongside McGinley and Hudson.
“I barked out orders to make sure Max was OK,” says McGinley in an interview with People. “You don’t usually have the groom [yelling] at the altar, but I couldn’t concentrate unless I knew Max was squared away.”
Turns out best man Max’s spontaneous act nearly stole the show from his veteran performer dad, who plays the acerbic Dr. Perry Cox on the long-running series.
“The sweetest thing,” says Nichole, “was Max walking back with Haley, then sitting down, thinking, ‘OK, now I’m done.’”