PRIME TIME( Clockwise) Zach Braff posing with the cast; in scenes from his new ABC comedy Alex, Inc.; working behind the scenes on the show asproducer and director. |
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Blumberg, a family man who quit his job to launch a podcasting company. Blumberg went meta and made the podcast about a guy who knows nothing about starting a business.
“ He’ s got a wife and two kids, and it’ s this random audio reality show, where he recorded everything that was happening,” says Braff, whose character is named Alex Schuman.“ It was fascinating, and the show became popular, and, as a result, his business became successful.
“ What Ilike about Alex, Inc. is the whole family can watch together,” Braff adds.“ It deals with this new lifestyle of a dad starting his own company, and mom’ s a public defender. It’ s how their lives change as he goes off on an adventure, and how the kids’ lives change. It’ s also
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about the characters in his workplace and how those relationships evolve.”
Braff not only stars in Alex, Inc., but is a producer, and directed four of its 10 freshman-season episodes. Once he reached the point where he’ d worn multiple hats several times, there was no going back.“ Not being the one who sets the look, I couldn’ t imagine that,” Braff says.“ I had aclear sense of the tone I wanted. You can’ t possibly direct all of them and star in it, that’ d be physically impossible, but... Ijust really like being the boss.”
So far in his career— Braff turned 43 on April 6— he’ s acted in films, on stage and on TV, done voiceovers, and written, produced and directed movies, plays, television and music videos, and even produced documentaries
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. He ranks as a pioneer of crowdsourcing to finance a movie. Is that wanderlust? Aspiring to try it all?
“ I’ d probably be a whole lot more successful if I just picked one thing and did it,” Braff says, laughing.“ I get excited about a lot of different projects. I wasn’ t planning on network TV again, but I heard StartUp, and Alex, Inc. happened. When I wrote All New People, I was procrastinating. I was supposed to be writing amovie, and said,‘ I wish Icould write a play.’ To my amazement, people wanted to produce it, and we did it on Broadway. I thought it was over, then London wanted to do it. So, Iwent to London and did it.
“ I don’ t know,” Braff concludes.“ I just go where the wind takes me, Iguess.” ■
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CAST: COURTESY OF ABC / BOB D’ AMICO; ALEX, INC. SCENE: COURTESY OFABC / ELIZABETH FISCHER; BEHIND THE SCENES: COURTESY OFABC / ADAM ROSE |
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44 MAY 2018 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE |