Zach of Scrubs

Latest Update News About Zach of Scrubs, An audience of mostly teens, twenty-somethings and the young at heart kept their eyes on the sienna red curtains in the SOPAC theater as they waited for actor/writer/director Zach Braff and EXTRA TV correspondent AJ Calloway to emerge on Saturday afternoon.

The two celebrities, both originally from South Orange, were greeted with welcoming applause for their homecoming and for all they have accomplished since leaving home. Budd Mishkin, host and reporter for NY1′s weekly profile series, “One On 1 with Budd Mishkin,” expertly interviewed these 1993 Columbia High School alumni as part of the afternoon Film Talks series at the SOPAC Spring Gala.

Braff and Calloway shared their South Orange memories, career histories and future aspirations. They joked and bantered with each other the way that people who have been friends for a long time do throughout the event. At one point, Zach asked AJ, who interviews entertainers such as Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz and Will Smith, if he ever gets nervous about talking to any of his subjects besides him, which got a laugh.

Braff is best known for his eight-and-a-half year role as Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian on the television show “Scrubs.” He’s also well known for his 2004 film, “Garden State,” which he starred in, wrote and directed. “Acting and directing and production were a lot of pressure… not for the faint-hearted. Other people were drinking Red Bull (while making the film), but I drank chamomile tea. It calmed me down. The film was done in 26 days,” said Braff. He has positive feelings about growing up in New Jersey which he wanted to convey in Garden State. “I wanted to make Essex County proud. Anyone who lives in New Jersey hears the worst things about it,” he said, referring to its image as a chemical wasteland and a place inhabited by the mob. In “Garden State,” Braff wanted to show the beautiful side of New Jersey that he knew.

At age 18, he was cast in Woody Allen’s film, “Manhattan Murder Mysteries.” While eating a poppy seed bagel in Maplewood’s Bagel Chateau, he received word that he had gotten the part. Mia Farrow was originally supposed to play the role of the mother in the film, but it went to Diane Keaton instead. Since it was believable that he could pass as Keaton’s son, he was chosen.

Growing up, Braff’s dad―a huge movie buff―loved Woody Allen’s films and often showed them at home. Indeed, acting was an art Braff grew up with, as his dad was always active in local community theater. Zach loved being involved in theater as a kid and worked backstage in productions as much as he could. In 1989 when he graduated from South Orange Middle School, he wrote in his yearbook that he liked girls and cars and disliked mean people. And that he wanted to be a director of a TV show. He was on his way, even then.

The road to “Scrubs” required some grunt work. After working as a waiter in Los Angeles for a while with nothing to show for it but tips, Braff thought he should return to New York. An agent discouraged him from leaving and asked him to go for just one more audition. He stayed and got the part. Budd Mishkin asked him, “When did you exhale?” “When I got my first pilot check (for “Scrubs”). Pilot money is good money. I could graduate to a big latte. I didn’t have to wait on tables anymore.”

Braff has fond memories of “Scrubs.” He’s close with the cast members and is thrilled that the show lasted for such a long time. Now he’s doing an Off-Broadway play, “Trust,” which will open in August. Perhaps he will do a TV series some time in the future, he says, but at this point, working in theater and film give him a flexibility that he finds appealing.

AJ Calloway finds his job as an EXTRA TV Correspondent perfect for him and has no plans to leave the world of television any time soon. As a teenager, he was already an entrepreneur. If someone needed snow shoveled, he’d find a person to do it. He was busy promoting fundraising events for various organizations he was involved in by the time he was in high school.

He went to Howard University, where he started an event promotion company. He then went to Atlanta, where he met a girl who brought him to New York City (and he stayed there, still doing events). An executive from BET encouraged him to audition for that network. In 2000, he ended up getting a job on the music video show “106 & Park,” which became the top program on BET. After five years there, he was ready to move on. He’s been with EXTRA since 2005, interviewing celebrities and newsmakers.

One of his most memorable EXTRA interviews was with Muhammad Ali. “Before I asked him anything, he leaned over and said, ‘AJ, where the pretty women at?’ I was amazed!,” said Calloway. He’s not jaded by the fact that he chats with bigger-than-life personalities and told a story of his being the only person to ever interview Oprah Winfrey coming out of a port-a-potty. He was in Chicago to cover the election and was on one side of a field. A port-a-potty was at the other end. A Christian broadcast network wanted to interview him when he saw Oprah come out of a tent to use the bathroom. AJ borrowed a cameraman and microphone from the Christian network. Oprah came out of the bathroom, and he stopped her. “You caught me. I don’t always use a port-a-potty, but this is a nice one,” he recalled Winfrey saying. Obama had just won the election when AJ met Oprah. He got a good 25-minute interview with her.

In addition to his job at EXTRA, Calloway goes to inner city schools to speak with students to promote good social values.

Calloway and Braff described themselves as young boys. Calloway, who went to South Mountain School, said that he was a good kid. His name was Albert back then. Braff mentioned Marshall and Jefferson as the elementary schools he attended: “I was pretty nerdy. I was a class clown. I didn’t have any interest in sports, so I worked backstage in productions at Jefferson.”

Braff has special memories of the Livingston Mall, Sonny’s Bagels and Flood’s Hill. Calloway mentioned the Essex Green mall.

“I would raise a family here. It’s diverse, it’s beautiful; hop on a train and you’re in the city,” said Braff. AJ agreed and added, “It’s special to have the diversity. It’s in the water.”

Calloway’s mom was in the audience to applaud her son. Someone else was there who gave a funny punchline to the conclusion of the interview. A member of the audience asked Zach who he went to the prom with. “Heather Green,” he said. Who knew the mother of his prom date was sitting in the front row? “Heather White!” she called out. It was one of those moments that make celebrities human.