Zach Braff's Real Name: Zachary Israel Braff

Quick answer: Zach Braff's documented full name is Zachary Israel Braff. He was born on April 6, 1975, in South Orange, New Jersey. He is an actor and filmmaker known for Scrubs and for writing, directing, and starring in Garden State (Biography.com).

Real name and early life

A Biography.com profile gives his full name as Zachary Israel Braff, born April 6, 1975, in South Orange, New Jersey. The Library of Congress heading is "Braff, Zach, 1975-." When he was 11, his parents enrolled him in Stagedoor Manor, a theatrical camp in upstate New York, the profile says. The same camp has also been attended by other later-known actors, the profile notes, and a talent manager spotted Braff there. At 14 he appeared in a television pilot, High, opposite Gwyneth Paltrow; the show did not air. He also appeared in the television movie My Life as a Girl before leaving for college. Three years later he played Woody Allen's son in Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993). He then attended Northwestern University's film school, where he wrote and directed short films before graduating.

Career highlights

He returned to acting in 1999 with a lead in the independent film Getting to Know You, followed by roles in Endsville, Blue Moon, and The Broken Hearts Club (2000). In 2001 he was cast as Dr. John "J.D." Dorian, the central character on the new medical comedy Scrubs. Biography.com says the series was an instant hit and aired from fall 2001 to spring 2010, making him widely known. He also directed several episodes and served as an executive producer in the final seasons.

In 2004 he wrote, directed, and starred in Garden State, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in drama. Later credits listed by the profile include voicing the title role in the animated Chicken Little (2005), The Last Kiss (2006), and The Ex (2007), as well as a guest appearance on Arrested Development and voice work in the Chicken Little and Kingdom Hearts video games. He also appeared in a web-based Scrubs spinoff, Scrubs: Interns. Biography.com's "best known for" line also points to a role in the 2013 film Oz the Great and Powerful.

Name notes for searchers

Zachary Israel Braff is the documented full name; he has been billed as Zach Braff. Searchers looking for either form are usually aiming at the same person.