The Brutal Side of Making It In Show Business - Zach Braff - #1107
6/6/20261 hr 19 min
Zach Braff is an actor and director. How do you make it in Hollywood? Zach Braff might have the answer. From leading one of the biggest TV shows of the 2000s to directing iconic episodes and acclaimed films, he's spent decades mastering the industry. So how did he build a career that lasted decades in one of the toughest industries on earth, and what has he been up to since? Expect to learn what it was like bringing back Scrubs's newest season, what it takes to make it in Hollywood, how to stay locked in and avoid distractions, why some great actors haven’t broken through to stardom, what it takes to stay ambitious, what reinvention looks like in a career that’s already peaked in the public eye, and much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at https://chatgpt.com Timestamps: (0:00) What Makes Theatre So Special? (2:08) The Doctor Career Zach Never Had (6:45) The Unsung Heroes of Movie Sets (11:18) Returning to Scrubs (15:30) Why Reboots Shouldn’t Rely on Nostalgia (18:25) What Scrubs Means to Zach Today (21:04) Can One Great Role Become a Trap? (29:00) Turning Your Biggest Weaknesses into Strengths (35:39) The Hidden Costs of Success (42:33) Why Going All In Changes Everything (51:57) The Surprising Appeal of Being an Influencer (56:54) What Are Detectives Like Behind Closed Doors? (01:01:35) The Most Effective Detective Strategies (01:05:09) Has Television Lost Its Edge? (01:10:41) Why Game of Thrones Became a Phenomenon Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsChris Williamson· Host0:00
As somebody that's basically a philistine and has seen maybe two or three theater shows in his entire life- Yeah ... of a career of being a spectator, and obviously a person who kind of understands the art form as well, what are the ones that stand out to you as, oh, this is-- That was really, really special?
Zach Braff· Guest0:14
Well, I'll tell you, Les Misérables, which is, which, which, which is a probably a very common answer for people. I was, like, thirteen years old, and I had never really been moved to tears by art before. I had never seen something, as, as a young person, so beautiful in my life. I was so moved by the music. I was so moved by the, the stagecraft. I was-- The story was thrilling. So that was a really seminal moment in my young life. You know, my dad had been bringing me to see all the play... Yeah, I lived in North Jersey, so my dad would bring me in, you know, took forty-five minutes, and we... He loved theater. He, he got me into it, so he would bring me to see all these plays. A lot of them were sillies, a lot would go over my head, um, but I loved it. And then Les Misérables was the first one where I was at the right age to, to feel emotion, to have tears streaming down my face. And that's when I was like: "What is this? [chuckles] This art form is, is something that is so powerful." And so then I went on to see, like, so many productions that both, both musicals and dramas and comedies, where there was just so much joy for me in seeing it happen live and having it be different every single time.
Chris Williamson· Host1:25
Hmm.
Zach Braff· Guest1:25
And the shared experience with people around you who are also swiping a tear or laughing,