Zachary Israel Braff[4] was born on April 6, 1975[5] in South Orange, New Jersey, and grew up there and in neighboring Maplewood.

[28] During his childhood, Braff was a friend of future Fugees member Lauryn Hill at Columbia High School in Maplewood.

[29] Braff attended Stagedoor Manor, a performing arts "training center" for youth actors ages 10 to 18.

In 1998, Braff had a part in a George C. Wolfe production of Macbeth for New York City's Public Theater.

(short for the character's full name, John Dorian) on the medical comedy television series Scrubs, which debuted in 2001.

[38] On April 24, 2013, Braff started a Kickstarter campaign to finance the film Wish I Was Here, based on a script he wrote with his brother Adam.

[46][47] In 2020, Braff directed the short film In The Time It Takes To Get There, starring Alicia Silverstone and Florence Pugh.

[48] In 2021, Braff was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award for directing the Apple TV+ comedy show Ted Lasso.

[49] He also received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the Ted Lasso episode "Biscuits".

[50] Braff wrote, directed, and produced the drama film A Good Person starring Morgan Freeman and Florence Pugh, it was released on March 24, 2023.

[51] Braff was expected to direct Open Hearts, a remake of the 2002 Danish film Elsker dig for evigt (Love You Forever).

Braff has also done voiceovers for commercials, including a PUR water campaign, Wendy's in 2007 and 2008, and in Cottonelle as the voice of the puppy.

In 2005, Braff was featured on Punk'd when he was tricked into chasing and then beating a supposed vandal who appeared to be spray-painting his brand new Porsche.

He also starred in the Canadian indie film The High Cost of Living with Québécois actress Isabelle Blais in 2010.

[66] Braff returned to the Public Theater in 2002, in a part in Twelfth Night, staged in Central Park.

[33][67] In mid-2010, Braff took a lead role in Trust, at the Second Stage Theatre, a contemporary Off-Broadway theater company.

The play co-starred Sutton Foster, Ari Graynor, and Bobby Cannavale, was written by Paul Weitz and directed by Peter DuBois.

His play, All New People, is set on Long Beach Island and centers on Charlie, a 35-year-old from Braff's home state New Jersey.

[73] In 2009, Braff opened the Mermaid Oyster Bar in New York City with chef and high school friend Laurence Edelman, as well as Danny Abrams.

[76] Guests on the podcast include their co-stars Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, Neil Flynn, John C. McGinley, Christa Miller, and Ken Jenkins as well as the show's creator, Bill Lawrence and director Michael Spiller.

[77][78][79] He has also had relationships with model Taylor Bagley, from 2009 to 2014 and actress Florence Pugh, which generated controversy due to their 20-year age gap,[80] from 2019 to 2022.