The multi-talented actor and director speak with Soundsphere about the long-awaited return of Scrubs, and his incredible career in entertainment…
Zach Braff couldn’t be happier that his goofy “Scrubs” character, J.D. Dorian, has sprung back to life –the heartwarming comedy series has returned after 16 years. The sitcom’s original cast members, Donald Faison (who plays Christopher Turk), Sarah Chalke (Dr. Elliot Reid), John C. McGinley (Dr. Perry Cox) and Judy Reyes (head nurse Carla Espinosa) are also in the reboot.
SCRUBS – ABC’s “Scrubs” stars Zach Braff as John “J.D.” Dorian. (Disney/Brian Bowen Smith)
Forever friends…
“We’ve stayed close, all this time!” Braff told Soundsphere. “That was one of the reasons that I think we really wanted to do it. It was a no brainer because (creator/executive producer) Bill Lawrence is one of my closest friends; Donald–I’m godfather to his children, he was married in my backyard! And John McGinley and I sauna together! We were all really good buddies. So when it became time to say ‘hey, do you want to get the band back together?!’ Everyone was like, ‘Absolutely!’”
When the legacy series ended after nine seasons, Braff continued to feel a strong sense of nostalgia for “Scrubs,” launching the iHeart podcast, “Fake Doctor, Real Friends,” with Faison in 2020. Episodes featured an inside discussion about a particular episode, chats about their off-camera friendship and special guest appearances.
With the podcast getting 100 million downloads with over 200 episodes, spending weeks on the podcast Top 10 charts, Braff was thrilled the fans still felt passionate about their show.
It’s no wonder then, how fans have embraced the new reboot, receiving over 11 million viewers for its premiere. Already there’s strong buzz “Scrubs” will return for yet another season, with several Emmy nominations.
Personal growth…
The much loved actor reflected on how much life has changed since his character, J.D. Dorian, first set foot in Sacred Heart Hospital during the original series.
“The last time I worked on ‘Scrubs’ I was so wide eyed, I was waiting tables when I got the part,” he acknowledged. “And now I’ve had 25 years of experience, and I directed the pilot. I went from–and it’s analogous to the character– being the wide eyed intern to now the executive producer of the show!”
Ironically, Braff had actually wanted to become a doctor in real life.
“Becoming a doctor was on my radar! When I was in high school, they had a Volunteer Rescue Squad in my town of EMTs, and there was a program for kids in the school to volunteer on the ambulance service. And I did that, and was so fascinated by it that I thought, ‘wow, maybe, maybe I could get into this.’ But I was just not a good student. I was not good enough at biology and chemistry to dedicate my life to it!”
While the cast started as interns in the original series, they have all progressed, and are now doctors.
“That was really important to me; one of the first conversations I ever had with Bill about this revival was saying I want to keep the humor and the silliness, particularly with Turk, because that is how Donald and I are in real life,” said Braff.
ABC’s “Scrubs” stars Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid, Zach Braff as John “J.D.” Dorian, and Donald Faison as Christopher Turk. (Disney/Brian Bowen Smith)
“But I also want JD, when he drops in, to show that he’s an amazing teacher and mentor to his interns. I want that to be real, to reground the show in how it was in season one, base it in reality, have the comedy come from realistic situations, obviously outside of the fantasies.”
He continued: “That was interesting to me because he had a line in the pilot episode, where Dr. Cox says ‘these interns need someone to do for them what I did for you.’ That really is the whole theme for me, my character, this season.”
New fans…
Even if you have never seen the OG “Scrubs,” viewers can still jump into the new series.
“It’s about people that are struggling and flawed, but ultimately they’ve dedicated their lives to trying to save lives and make a difference for people,” Braff enthused.
Working on “Scrubs” has been life changing for Braff; after directing seven episodes (including the show’s landmark 100th episode), he made his feature film debut as a director and writer on the 2004 comedy-drama “Garden State,” in which he also starred. The film’s soundtrack sold more than one million copies and earned him a GRAMMY® Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album.
Of course, Braff’s love of music continues to stay with him.
“I listen to music nonstop, and in my car when I’m driving around and I’m always trying to find new music. We have great music supervisors on the show that really helped me and who send music my way. What I’m listening to now on my Spotify is a new band called Monrovia.”
When asked if Braff loved acting, directing or producing more, he said that acting was probably his favorite thing to do.
“I really love to perform but directing is a close second. I just love all aspects of filmmaking. I love photography, I love actors, I love music, I love set design and being a director, it’s the best job because it’s all of those things combined. And the best part is you get to work with the most incredibly talented craftspeople at all those things and say, ‘hey, you’re the best at this. Will you? Let’s collaborate!’ I’m just such a nerd about all of those things, and filmmaking is the best job, because it’s the overlap of all of those things.”
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