This Is Why Zach Braff Got Dumped By Hollywood

Zach Braff was one of the most successful stars of the 2000s.
He starred on NBC's acclaimed comedy/drama Scrubs as young Dr. Dorian, for which he earned
an Emmy nomination.
And in 2004, Braff made a big splash as a writer-director with the drama Garden State.
Since then, Braff has been working on both TV and in movies, but we still don't see him
as much as we used to.
"What planet am I on?"
Here's why Braff hasn't been gracing screens as often as he once did.
Leading man letdown
Thanks to Garden State and his romantic arcs in Scrubs, it seemed like Zach Braff might
be a good match for the romantic comedy realm, but two solid attempts at turning him into
a go-to heartthrob fizzled out.
The first was The Last Kiss in 2006, which failed to recoup its production costs.
Then 2007's The Ex made a measly $3 million at the domestic box office.
"An epiphany is when you realize something that you really needed to realize."
And that's not the only line of work that's proven to be problematic for him either.
Production problems
In 2009, Braff was expected to star alongside Cameron Diaz in Paramount's Swingles, which
Braff was hired to direct.
It would've been about a newly single guy who recruits a wingwoman to help him navigate
murky romantic waters, but the movie was never made.
That wasn't the only would-be cinematic effort that fell short for Braff, either.
He was also expected to do an English-language remake of the 2002 Danish film Open Hearts.
At one point, Sean Penn agreed to star, but then the lead actress withdrew while Braff
was scouting filming locations.
And then the whole thing fell through.
Turning to theater
Braff may not be on that many screens anymore, but maybe that's because he's busy writing
and acting on stage.
In 2011, his play All New People premiered in New York.
The play centers on a man trying to commit suicide only to be repeatedly interrupted
by his friends stopping by.
The show did well enough to travel to other locales like Scotland and London's West End.
To solidify his status as a man of the theater, in 2014, Braff starred for four months in
the Broadway musical adaptation of Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway as well.
Wish I Was Here … or not
After so many setbacks on the big screen, Braff had to turn to Kickstarter to help crowd
fund his next creative endeavor, a sensitive family dramedy called Wish I Was Here.
And while financiers wouldn't fork over the funds he'd need to make it happen, he managed
to raise over $3 million from fans who were willing to back the prospective project.
Screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Wish I Was Here landed a $2.75 million distribution
deal with Focus Features but ultimately did not secure the kind of critical praise his
former effort did and barely made enough money to recoup its costs.
Soon after, Braff vowed to never use crowdfunding again.
No need
Braff was earning $350,000 an episode for Scrubs toward the end of its run, making him
one of the highest paid actors on primetime TV at the time.
Which is to say nothing of his cut of the fortune generated by Scrubs reruns.
In other words, Scrubs made Braff rich enough that he really doesn't have to work on movies
or TV shows if he doesn't want to.
He even admitted as much when he said, "Scrubs put me in a position where I could say no."
"Now if you'll excuse me it's time for my nightly ritual: pleasure myself, weep and
repeat."
Director for hire
In 2017, Braff returned to the director's chair for the remake of the 1970's hit Going
in Style, penned by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Theodore Melfi.
So, unlike most of his directorial efforts, he didn't write this one.
The film is a heist comedy about a group of cash-strapped senior citizens who rob a bank,
and boasts stars like Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin as its leads.
"There I am looking like I'm directing."
While the trailer and all-star cast suggested a lot of potential, the movie was ultimately
met with mixed reviews.
Staging a comeback
Braff has been working to get back on TV, but it hasn't been an easy road.
In 2008, he directed a potential drama called Night Life, written by his brother Adam.
Four years later, he sold a concept to ABC called Garage Bar, a comedy about what happens
to a group of old friends when one becomes a successful musician, but it sputtered out.
And in 2015, MTV ultimately passed on the Braff-directed darkly comic murder mystery
Self Promotion.
Still, Braff kept digging.
In early 2017, ABC ordered a full first season for the comedy Alex Inc., in which Braff stars
as a guy who runs a business startup.
With this return to television, this will be Braff's first steady TV gig since leaving
Scrubs in 2009.
Early reactions to the trailer suggest Alex, Inc. could be "another winning formula" for
Braff but only time will tell if it's really is the thing that finally gets Braff back
in the game.
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This Is Why Zach Braff Got Dumped By Hollywood

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