By Kristin Lusis
On May 4, The News along with other college students from around the country spoke with Zach Braff, of “Garden State” and “Scrubs,” about college, his influence on music and his role as a new parent in the romantic comedy “The Ex,” to be released this Friday.
Q: Do you ever worry about being typecast in (comedic) roles like this because your character, as you said, is very similar to that of your “Scrubs” character?
A: I don’t think “Garden State” was anything like “Scrubs.” I don’t think “The Last Kiss” was anything like “Scrubs.” I mean, I do lots of different things and this is the first broad comedy movie I’ve done. So I think it’s the first thing that you could definitely say is in the spirit of “Scrubs.” It’s not my concern at all.
Q: What made you decide to join the cast of “The Ex?”
A: It was really the script. I get sent a lot of comedy scripts, but I don’t laugh when I read them. You read it and you go, I guess this could be funny if they get good people. Or I guess this could be funny if they do x, y, z to it. But this was a script that I was like laughing out loud when I was reading it. And I just thought they don’t need to do anything to this script. It’s just so rare that you get a script that doesn’t need any work. … It’s my sensibilities. It’s the sort of “Scrubs” kind of humor which makes me laugh a lot.
Q: I noticed that you went to Northwestern University and you were in a fraternity. Do you still participate as an active alumnus with your fraternity?
A: No. It was really a way to meet girls in college. I only participated in my freshman and sophomore year. It was a great way to meet – I mean, I joke to meet girls, which it was, but also a great way to meet guys. It was just an awesome way to become friends with a huge group of people really fast. And I really had a good experience there.
Q: What was your favorite summer trip or activity that you did when you were in college?
A: I didn’t really take much trips. I used to live in Manhattan every summer. And I was so ambitious – I was already working on my career trying to work as a production assistant on music videos and stuff. But I think if I was in college again I would get a bunch of my friends and get an RV and do a cross country trip.
Q: Are there any musicians we should be looking out for in this next movie? Will you be promoting any musicians or working with the soundtrack like you did for “Garden State” and “The Last Kiss?”
A: I didn’t do it for “The Ex,” if that’s what you mean. But I will be doing it for [my next film] “Open Hearts.” I think everyone should go on MySpace. There’s this girl Schuyler Fisk. She doesn’t have an album out but you can hear her music on Myspace. And she’s incredible. I think that she’s going to be a big talent. And other than that I like Regina Spektor right now. I just got turned onto this girl Ingrid Michaelson that a thousand people have told me to listen to and I’ve been procrastinating and I finally listened to her. I just put her on my Myspace page because she’s pretty good too.
Q: I know a lot of people look up to your music tastes even though you may not think so. How do you know what bands to check out?
A: Well that’s very sweet of you. I really don’t know anything about music other than … I know what I like and it’s great. If I can be a catalyst for some amazing musician to help get exposure then I feel honored. Because I’m sure you all have run into this experience where you see an artist in any art form that you love and you just can’t believe that no one knows about them. And out in L.A. or New York I’ll go see a musician and they’ll like blow me away and then I find out like they’re not signed or anything. And it just shocks me.
