ZACH BRAFF: COMEDIAN; GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Not since the arrival of Dustin Hoffman has a young actor done so much to demonstrate his immense versatility on the big screen, while totally re-inventing himself behind the camera and upon the written page. Whether it's busting and repairing guts as Dr. John Dorian on NBC's most audacious comedy series, Srcubs, breaking hearts and promises in last year's sleeper silver screen hit The Last Kiss, or making one of the most auspicious writing-directing debuts in recent years with Garden State, Mr. Zach Braff has not only established himself as a genuine and reliable talent but he has done so with a distinct batch of improbable gifts. Hollywood has not just sat up and taken notice of Zach Braff... they have gotten up from their high-powered executive thrones and offered him their seat.
Born April 6, 1975 in South Orange, NJ, Braff is the youngest of four siblings. His accelerated talent and charm led him to pursue a career in the entertainment industry by enrolling in Northwestern University where he earned a BA in Film. It was there that Braff recorded many of his post-pubescent experiences in South Orange in what would later manifest as the basis for much of Garden State's quirky plot and character angles. The success of that film, however, would not come until Braff had gained popularity on NBC's Scrubs as Dr. John Dorian (JD) – the reflective, outlandish and totally likable central character on a show that is the outright vehicle for Braff's diverse formulas. So popular is Scrubs and the show's bumbling leading man that the 32-year-old star has signed on for the final(?) season earning $350,000 per episode!
When Garden State finally hit film festivals, Braff was garnering praise and plaudits from audiences and critics in every theater seat. Word spread fast and soon Garden State became one of 2004's most talked-about films for a host of reasons: its unlikely hero (purported ideally by Braff), the unpredictable storyline, its vast and eccentric characters, its contemporary shout-out to an afflicted generation of lost twenty-somethings, and for the remarkable triple play debut of actor-writer-director Zach Braff. As if the critical merits weren't enough, Braff would later accept the coveted Spirit Award for Best First Feature Film, as well as the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack. Safe to say that Braff had truly arrived in 2004...
Braff returned to work on Scrubs, his modesty and ego in check, and began fielding the off-season requests by scads of producers and directors to appear in and co-write their upcoming films. Braff opted for a totally unexpected turn as the voice of Chicken Little in the computer animated film of the same name, then popped into the FOX comedy series Arrested Development for a few guest spots. Never one to follow convention, he chose his next film role as Michael, the conflicted lover of Jacinda Barrett's character in The Last Kiss, a terrific movie about the anxieties that threaten the future of a domesticated couple on the edge of 30. Though the film had several comedic moments, the storyline maintained a steady stream of dramatics that Braff tweaked brilliantly with a surprising turn that critics adored and audiences felt.
What's next for the multi-faceted star? Carrying Scrubs through to what many viewers fear is its last season, then a follow-up feature of his acting, writing, and directing prowess with Open Hearts, a re- make of a 2002 Danish film about a woman whose life is upended when her husband becomes paralyzed after a car accident. Sounds serious, for sure, but with Zach Braff behind the camera, pushing the pen and walking the talk, audiences can rest easy knowing that this incomparable star will engage us from start to finish. After that, who's to say? This humble, unpredictable and prodigious celebrity will no doubt keep us guessing while we eagerly anticipate his next project – be it in front of the camera, behind it, or simply relaxing somewhere in the background with his thoughts on whatever approach he'll surprise us with next. That's the sheer genius of a sheer genius.