Zach Braff

Zachary Israel "Zach" Braff (born April 6, 1975) is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, and director. Braff first gained recognition in 2001 for his portrayal of Dr. John Dorian on the TV series *Scrubs*, a role that earned him his first Emmy nomination. He remained with the show for eight years, with his final episode as an actor airing in December 2009. Although he left the cast, Braff continued to serve as an executive producer for the series.

In 2004, Braff made his directorial debut with *Garden State*, a coming-of-age film. He returned to his home state of New Jersey to shoot the film, which was produced on a budget of $2.5 million. The film earned over $35 million at the box office and additional revenue from DVD sales. It received positive critical reception and marked Braff's first major financial success and critical acclaim in film. Braff wrote the film, starred in it, and curated and produced the soundtrack, for which he won a Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album in 2005.

Braff has also appeared in the films *The Last Kiss* and *The Ex*, and provided voice work for *Chicken Little*. His film debut came in 1993 with a supporting role in Woody Allen's *Manhattan Murder Mystery*. Braff has stated that he plans to continue writing and directing films in the coming years.