Zach Braff

Zachary Israel Braff, born April 6, 1975, is an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his role as Dr. John "J.D." Dorian on the television comedy-drama series Scrubs (2001–2010, and its 2026 reboot series). His performance earned him a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2005 and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards between 2005 and 2007.

Braff grew up in South Orange and Maplewood, New Jersey. His father, Harold Irwin "Hal" Braff, was a trial attorney, professor, and trustee, while his mother, Anne Hutchinson Maynard, worked as a clinical psychologist. Raised in a conservative/orthodox Jewish environment, Braff desired to become a filmmaker from early childhood. He attended Stagedoor Manor and studied film at Northwestern University's School of Communication, graduating in 1997.

Braff's early acting work included roles in the un-aired television pilot High, an episode of The Baby-sitters Club, Woody Allen's film Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), and a stage production of Macbeth in 1998. He achieved his major breakthrough when he was cast as the lead character in Scrubs in 2001. Beyond acting, Braff directed several episodes of the series, including its 100th episode, and served as an executive producer during its ninth season.

In 2004, Braff made his feature directorial debut with Garden State, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. Filmed in New Jersey on a $2.5 million budget, it grossed over $35 million at the box office, achieved a cult following, and won Braff a Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album in 2005. He later directed, wrote, and starred in Wish I Was Here (2014), partially funded through Kickstarter, and wrote, directed, and produced the drama film A Good Person (2023).

As an actor, Braff starred in feature films such as The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000), The Last Kiss (2006), The Ex (2007), The High Cost of Living (2010), and In Dubious Battle (2016). He has also performed voice-over work, voicing the titular character in Disney's animated film Chicken Little (2005) and Finley in Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), as well as lending his voice to video games and commercial campaigns.

Braff has maintained an active presence in theater and television directing. On stage, he appeared in Twelfth Night in 2002, starred in Off-Broadway productions like Trust (2010), wrote and starred in the play All New People (2011), and starred on Broadway in Bullets Over Broadway in 2014. In television, he directed episodes of Ted Lasso—earning Directors Guild of America and Primetime Emmy nominations—and Shrinking.

In addition to his creative projects, Braff co-opened the Mermaid Oyster Bar in New York City in 2009 and served as executive producer on documentaries such as Heart of Stone and The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz. In 2020, he launched the Scrubs rewatch podcast Fake Doctors, Real Friends alongside co-star Donald Faison.