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What Is Scrubs Star Zach Braff Doing Now?
He doesn't just play a doctor on TV!
When you think of Zach Braff, it’s likely that you think of him wearing scrubs, seeing as he’s best known for playing John Michael "J.D." Dorian, M.D., on Scrubs, the beloved NBC/ABC television series that ran from 2001–2010, which merited the actor a 2005 Emmy nom and three Golden Globe noms over the years. But Braff is more than just a scrub-adorned jokester, he’s also a critically acclaimed writer, director, and producer, with plenty of high-profile credits under his drawstring, and he’s still working hard to this day.
Before Scrubs, Braff only had a few minor parts, including 1993's Manhattan Murder Mystery and a CBS Schoolbreak Special in 1994. When he did land the role of J.D., he immediately quit his waiting job, but quickly realized Scrubs wouldn’t begin filming for a while. While no longer waiting tables and waiting for the next big thing, Braff began writing Garden State, which he famously directed and acted in alongside Natalie Portman, eventually earning him an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in 2005.
RELATED: Where to Stream the Classic Medical Comedy Scrubs - on Peacock
With Scrubs now streaming in full on Peacock, let’s take a look at what Braff has been up to since the hit series ended.
What Acting Roles Has Zach Braff Had Since Scrubs ended?
It’s safe to say that Scrubs has retained plenty of love over the years, so much so that Braff and his costar and best friend Donald Faison (who’s starring in the new NBC series Extended Family) started a weekly comedy podcast, Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald, in which they hilariously revisit the hit show, one episode at a time.
And that’s not it for the dynamic duo; since the last Super Bowl, Braff and Faison have been the ubiquitous faces of a popular T-Mobile ad campaign, playing singing neighbors while selling 5G home internet to the masses.
RELATED: Scrubs Cast Reunites 10 Years After Show's Finale
“I really wish we lived next door to each other and we could sit on our front porches and talk. It was the perfect concept for us,” Braff told The Hollywood Reporter about working with Faison again. “We love to sing. We love to be silly. We love to spoof things. They couldn’t have designed a better ad for us.”
As for more serious fare (mostly), Braff provided the voice for Freck in a 2022 episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and had roles in films including Real Shriver in A Little White Lie (2023), Leon Kovi in Moonshot (2022), and Paul Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen (2022). On the horizon, according to IMDb, we can expect to see him acting again soon alongside Vanessa Hudgens and William Fichtner in French Girl.
Is Zach Braff Still Directing and Producing Films and Television?
Braff was involved behind the scenes of Scrubs as well, directing several episodes, including the show’s 100th episode, "My Way Home." He was also an executive producer on Season 9.
But Braff’s behind the scenes TV credits don’t end there, he was also an executive producer and director on Alex, Inc. (2018), where he played the titular Alex Schuman; he directed an episode of the miniseries Solos (2022; and directed an episode of Shrinking, starring Harrison Ford and Jason Segel. Braff also tallied his second Emmy nomination as well as a Directors Guild of America Award nom for directing “Biscuits,” the second episode of the inaugural season of everyone’s favorite coaching comedy, Ted Lasso.
RELATED: Everything to Know About NBC's New Comedy, Extended Family
What movies has Zach Braff made since Garden State?
On the film side of things, after Garden State (2004), Wish I Was Here (2014), and Going in Style, Braff debuted his fourth feature film as a director, A Good Person, in March of this year. Like Garden State and Wish I Was Here, Braff wrote, directed, and produced the 2023 film, although he didn’t star in this one too. The film, starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman (who also worked with Braff in Going in Style) is already generating awards buzz for this year.
Catch Braff and Faison in Scrubs, streaming now on Peacock. And be sure to check out Faison’s new show, Extended Family; the first episode will premiere Saturday, December 23 at 8/7c on NBC and stream next day on Peacock. The time period premiere for Extended Family will be Tuesday, January 2 at 8:30/7:30c on NBC. From there, the show will air Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC and stream next day on Peacock.
