Latest news with #ZachBraff
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shrinking Boss Bill Lawrence Tees Up Reunion With His ‘Hero' Michael J. Fox, Shares Favorite Spin City Memory
You know the old saying, 'Don't work with your heroes'? Well, perhaps it actually should have been 'Don't work with your heroes… unless your hero is Michael J. Fox.' On Saturday, I moderated the Bill Lawrence & Friends panel at ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas — a panel that also featured Zach Braff (Scrubs), Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town), Brett Goldstein and Phil Dunster (Ted Lasso), and Charly Clive (Lawrence's forthcoming HBO show) — and I asked Lawrence about his reunion with the Spin City star, who has already filmed scenes for Season 3 of Apple TV+'s Shrinking (premiere date TBA). More from TVLine Brett Goldstein Reveals How His Role in Bill Lawrence-Donald Faison Pilot 'Space Turk' (?!) Led to Ted Lasso Scrubs 2.0: Zach Braff Inks Deal to Return for ABC Revival — Who Else Is Expected Back? Casting News: GH Brings Back Kelly Thiebaud, Love Story Adds 3 and More 'He's one of the greatest people I've ever met, he's one of my mentors — and man, what an inspiring dude the way that he is living his life, so to get to work with him….' Lawrence pauses, then continues: 'I didn't expect to have career highlights at this point in my career, and I was on set about 10 days ago watching Harrison Ford, Mike Fox and Candice Bergen — oops, spoiler! — acting together. For me, that was my childhood.' Additional details surrounding Fox's guest stint — which marks his first acting gig in five years — are being kept under wraps, along with any information about who Bergen is playing. But the fact that Fox is sharing scenes with Ford — whose character, Dr. Paul Rhoades, also lives with Parkinson's disease — is certainly telling. As a follow-up, I ask Lawrence if he has a favorite memory of Fox from their time working together on the aforementioned Spin City. What followed was an anecdote from the very beginning of the ABC sitcom's 1996-2002 run: I remember when Mike first made me feel comfortable. I was lucky enough to have a mentor [Family Ties mastermind Gary David Goldberg] with whom I co-created Spin City. I was 25 years old, and Mike Fox was saying things I wrote, and I was so scared to give him notes. What finally broke the ice — and I think he did this on purpose — was there was a joke that I was convinced was going to be f–king funny. Mike's like, 'Dude, not funny,' and I'm like, 'It's gonna be funny,' and he's like, 'All right, I'll do it.' It's the first scene with a huge audience, it's crackling with electricity, and we get to that joke, and he says it, and there's f–king crickets. And instead of going on with the scene, he just looked over at me and goes, 'You f–king happy now?' [Laughs] He was letting me know that it was OK [to give him a note], and it gave me so much confidence. But he was also letting me know that those of us who write don't have to have that kind of egg on our face if it goes south, so one of the things we always tell everybody [on my shows] is if you do something silly and big and bold and go for it, and it doesn't work, I promise it won't be on the show. But yeah, I hope you guys like seeing Mike on TV again. He's my hero. Ted Lasso Season 4: Everything We Know View List Best of TVLine Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa' Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)
Perth Now
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Zach Braff quit job after landing Scrubs role
Zach Braff quit his job as soon as he was cast in Scrubs. The 50-year-old actor shot to fame playing Dr. John 'J.D.' Dorian in the medical sitcom - which ran from 2001 to 2010 - and although he was initially only hired for the pilot episode, he was happy to quit his steady work as a waiter because after living "frugally" for so long, he knew he could survive on just that one paycheque. Speaking at the ATX TV Festival, People magazine reports he said: 'I got Scrubs after six auditions. I was driving home and I put the Motorola StarTAC on the passenger seat, my phone rang and it was Bill [Lawrence, creator] and he said 'you got it' and I was so thrilled and my life was going to change. 'Even if it was just the pilot, my life was changed forever because I was living so frugally." Zach called him mom, dad, and the manager of the restaurant to tell them he had secured the job - but he was told he still needed to work that evening. He said: 'The manager said 'I am so happy for you, but you have to work tonight.' And I got hammered, and I was the worst waiter ever. I quit the job, and my Mom said, 'Why did you quit? What if it's just the pilot?' "I had been living so frugally and said, 'Do you know how long I could live off of the money of this pilot?' Like I had it dialled to live off like $12,000 a year, so from the pilot I was like, 'I'm rich!' " Zach recently confirmed he will be returning to the role in a Scrubs reboot, with creator Bill Lawrence previously explaining old faces will be joined by new cast members. He told Deadline: "We've been talking about a lot, and I think the only real reason to do it is a combo. "A: people wanting to see what the world of medicine was like for the people they love, which is part of any successful reboot. But B: I think that show always worked because you get to see young people dropped into the world of medicine, knowing young people that go there are super idealistic and are doing it because it's a calling. "There's no cliché 'rich doctors playing golf' — that's not what it is anymore. So I think that, no matter what it is, it would be a giant mistake not to do as a combo of those two things."
Geek Tyrant
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Zach Braff Talks About How J.D. is Different in the SCRUBS Series Reboot - "It's Very, Very Hard to Be a Doctor Today" — GeekTyrant
Actor Zach Braff has had a solid career both in front of and behind the camera, but it all started with the beloved TV series Scrubs , which he's about to return to. The show is coming back, and with its original creator, Bill Lawrence, behind it, it seems like it's bound to bring back some of the original charm, however, Braff says he feels like he needs to approach his character in a whole new way. Braff and Lawrence appeared at the ATX TV Festival (via TVLine), where they talked about bringing the show back in a way that recaptures the heart of it, while acknowledging that being a doctor is much different compared to when J.D. first joined Sacred Heart when the show started 24 years ago. Braff got into it, stating: 'When Bill and I shoot the shit about it, [we ask ourselves] how do you still have the spirit of the [original] show — the humor and the heart of the show, and the fantasies and all the fun stuff that we all loved? 'The show was about a young doctor coming into this new world, so what is it like [to be] a doctor who is 50 and has been beaten down by the system? It's very, very hard to be a doctor today.' It's been 15 years since the show ended its first run, and Braff talked about playing an older version of his character, saying: 'And what is [JD's] life like now? Obviously, you can still have the bromance, and the love, and the friendship. But coming at it from the opposite angle, what is it like for a guy who has been through this system and dealing with all that stuff for so long?' When you go hard on a medical drama and really get down to the trauma and fatigue, you get a show like The Pitt , which is fantastic, but it's so tonally opposite from Scrubs. So if they're looking to be fun, but still be realistic, they'll have to find that sweet spot. The returning series is still in early stages, but we should be hearing more as it presses forward. Are you looking forward to the Scrubs reboot?
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zach Braff Joins ‘Scrubs' Reboot in Development at ABC
Zach Braff may soon be scrubbing back in at Sacred Heart. The actor is on board to reprise the role of J.D. in a reboot of 'Scrubs' being developed at ABC. The reboot was first reported to be in early development in December, with original series creator Bill Lawrence serving as executive producer but not showrunner. More from Variety Disney's Upfront Went Hard on Sports - With an Off-Key Manning Brothers Musical - but Hardly Mentioned ABC Jimmy Kimmel Takes On Bob Iger, Netflix and Gen Z's YouTube Habits in Upfronts Monologue: 'When You Have Kids, You'll Come Crawling Back to Disney Like Dogs!" ABC Unveils Fall 2025 Schedule: '9-1-1: Nashville' Joins Its Mothership on Thursday; 'Shark Tank' Moves to Wednesday As 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune' Takes Its Place Lawrence, Braff and other 'Scrubs' alum have discussed the idea of a reboot for years, but it couldn't go into motion until after negotiations between Disney, which owns the IP, and Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence has an overall deal. While working on 'Scrubs' at Disney-owned 20th Television, Lawrence remains under his deal at WBTV, where he produces the Apple TV+ comedy series 'Shrinking,' 'Ted Lasso' and 'Bad Monkey.' 'Scrubs' premiered in 2001 on NBC, which aired the series for seven seasons before cancelling it. It was then renewed by ABC for an eighth season, which was intended to end the series, though the network later greenlit a ninth season subtitled 'Scrubs: Med School' in which only John C. McGinley and Donald Faison stayed on as series regulars. Braff appeared in six out of 13 episodes. Alongside Braff as J.D. aka John Dorian, the original cast of 'Scrubs' included McGinley as Perry Cox, Faison as Chris Turk, Judy Reyes as Carla Espinosa, Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid, Ken Jenkins as Bob Kelso and Neil Flynn as the janitor. The series was a single-camera sitcom set at Sacred Heart Hospital and narrated by J.D. as he and his friends advanced in their medical careers. Braff is the only cast member currently confirmed to be attached to the reboot. He previously spoke about his enthusiasm to join a 'Scrubs' reboot in a Variety interview about the 20th anniversary of his film 'Garden State': 'The idea of getting back together with my friends and doing like 10 or 12 episodes of maybe one or two seasons, and just laughing with everyone? That sounds like a dream,' he said. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Scrubs fans delight as Zach Braff finally signs on for reboot after tense negotiations over his deal
Scrubs made its biggest stride yet toward returning after its most identifiable star signed on. The rebooted series, which is set to air on ABC, has signed on original star Zach Braff to return as John J.D. Dorian, sources told Deadline on Wednesday. The move helps put in place the most important member of the original main cast, after the show also enlisted original creator and showrunner Bill Lawrence. Representatives for ABC and 20th Television, which is producing the show, haven't commented on the reported development. The return of Braff, 50, signals the series is more likely than ever to make it to air, as his participation make make it easier to lock in other members of the original lead cast. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. According to the publication, the negotiations to talk Braff into returning had some major hiccups along the way. One sticking point was the actor and filmmaker's wish not to shoot the reboot in Vancouver, Canada, as was being proposed, presumably as a cost-cutting measure. However, Braff reportedly insisted on keeping the series in Los Angeles. Scrubs' first eight seasons were primarily filmed in a decommissioned hospital located in Los Angeles' North Hollywood neighborhood, while the show's ninth and final season moved to neighboring Culver City. Braff also reportedly clashed with producers over money issues, and sources claimed that the dual issues created an impasse big enough that it could have scuttled the entire project. However, the parties eventually found a compromise that was agreeable enough for everyone, though it hasn't yet been announced if Braff was successful in moving production back to Hollywood. His desire to keep the show filming in LA comes in the context of fears of disastrous tariffs after President Donald Trump announced a plan to institute 100 percent tariffs on films made outside the US, though it's unclear if he intended television shows to suffer the same fate. Southern California's iconic industry capital has struggled in recent years as productions have been lured to other states and international destinations to shoot films and TV shows by lucrative tax credits and cheaper operating costs. Other complications for the Scrubs reboot have been tied to the show's creator. In August, Braff revealed that negotiations were taking so long on the reboot because of Bill Lawrence's exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros TV, which would forbid him from making a show with 20th Television and ABC under normal circumstances. Lawrence, who was also showrunner on the original series, has created the ongoing Apple TV+ shows Shrinking, Bad Monkey and Ted Lasso — which is set to return for a fourth season — as well as an upcoming comedy starring Steve Carell for HBO as part of his current deal. Even after negotiations with Warners allowed Lawrence to develop the scrubs reboot on the side for Disney-owned 20th TV and ABC, he'll still have to sit out writing or showrunning duties due to his extreme time commitments on his other shows. Scrubs originally aired on NBC for its first eight seasons, before moving to ABC for its ninth and final season. Although there were bumps along the road to getting Lawrence and Braff back on the show, the two have continued to display a strong professional relationship in recent years. Now that Braff's participation is secured, the production is in a stronger position to get the original main cast members to return. Those include Donald Faison, who played J.D.'s best friend Christopher Turk, as well as Sarah Chalke (Elliot Reid), Judy Reyes (Carla Espinosa) and John C. McGinley (Perry Cox). Lawrence previously said he envisions the returning series as a hybrid of reboots and revivals, with the cast comprised of a mix of actors from the original series, along with new characters. It's unclear if his plans for the show still involve all of the original cast members returning, and even if they do their roles may be necessarily diminished in order to give screen time to Scrubs' newer generation. Braff — who has directed multiple films, including Garden State — worked as a director on an episode of Ted Lasso, which earned him Emmy and Director's Guild of America nominations. He also had a guest spot on Lawrence's Courteney Cox–starring comedy Cougar Town, and more recently, he returned to direct episodes in the last two seasons of the Jason Segel and Harrison Ford–starring Shrinking on Apple TV+. Braff also appeared in a multi-episode arc with star Vince Vaughn on Bad Monkey, and he's set to direct on Lawrence's HBO series with Steve Carell. His most recent feature as director — and writer — was 2023's A Good Person, which starred his then-girlfriend Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman.
