A few years ago Zach Braff decided to take his broken heart and turn it into art (to paraphrase the late Carrie Fisher). His sister Shoshana died of complications from an aneurysm in 2018 at age 46, and a few months later he lost his father, Hal, to cancer at 84. "I knew I wanted to write about grief," explains the actor, director and writer. "Then the pandemic hit."
Shortly after Braff started putting pen to page in 2020, Nick Cordero, his close friend and former costar in the Broadway show Bullets Over Broadway the Musical, caught COVID-19 and was hospitalized with severe complications. Cordero had just moved into the guesthouse of Braff's L.A.-area home with his wife, Amanda Kloots, and their newborn son Elvis, so Braff had a horrifying front-row seat as his friend's health rapidly deteriorated because of the virus. "I was watching his wife, with her brandnew baby, deal with this tragedy and deal with him eventually dying," continues Braff, 48. Kloots, now a cohost of The Talk, became one of his storytelling inspirations. "I was like, 'God, how does she start over?"" he says. "This is what came out of me."
"This" is the poignant dramedy A Good Person (in theaters now), starring Braff's ex-girlfriend Florence Pugh, 27, as Allison, a New Jersey pharmaceutical rep who develops a painkiller addiction after she's the driver in a car crash that kills her fiancé's sister. When she finally seeks treatment, she forms a tentative friendship with her would-be father-in-law Daniel (Morgan Freeman), a recovering alcoholic. Instead of adapting what his loved ones went through, Braff chose to focus on addiction, because, he says, "it's such an American story."
This story is from the April 10, 2023 edition of People US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 10, 2023 edition of People US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Janelle James
THE EMMY NOMINEE, 45, STARS IN ABC'S HIT SERIES ABBOTT ELEMENTARY
THE G.R.O.A.T
TO CELEBRATE PEOPLE'S 50TH BIRTHDAY, WE GATHERED THE ALL-STAR DISHES OUR READERS AND EDITORS LOVED THE MOST
Shailene Woodley Spills the Tea on Aaron Rodgers Split
Shailene Woodley is offering rare insight into her breakup with ex-fiancé Aaron Rodgers.`
Jay-Z Fires Back at Claim He Raped 13-Year-Old Girl With Diddy
Jay-Z is speaking out after being accused of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl in a civil lawsuit that also names Sean “Diddy” Combs as a defendant.
Katie Holmes Denies Suri Inherited Trust Fund From Tom Cruise
Katie Holmes is setting the record straight on reports about her daughter Suri's inheritance.
PARIS JACKSON All About Her Engagement
Wedding bells will soon be ringing for Paris Jackson.
Amber Heard Is Expecting Baby No. 2!
Next year will bring a big change for Amber Heard.
Barry Keoghan Responds to Rumors Amid 'Break' With Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan have gone their separate ways.
OLYMPIC GYMNAST STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK 'I Never Let This Stop Me'
DESPITE TWO EYE CONDITIONSTHE MEDALIST-AND DWTS FINALIST-IS STILL A WINNER
AUNJANUE ELLIS-TAYLOR A Film Star Finds Her Power
THE OSCAR-NOMINATED ACTRESS FIGHTS FOR ROLES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCEAND STAYS TRUE TO HER SOUTHERN ROOTS