MADE IN NEW JERSEY WHY AMERICA LOVES ZACH BRAFF.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Writer

Here are some things you should know about Zach Braff.

He's on a TV show that's both hip and a hit (NBC's ``Scrubs'').

His movie starring/writing/directing debut (``Garden State'') was a critical and commercial success.

He dated Mandy Moore. Didn't work out in the end, but -- we repeat -- he dated Mandy Moore.

He's a hero to discerning music fans and recording artists alike for his astute, award-winning soundtrack choices.

And in his new movie, ``The Last Kiss,'' opening Friday, Braff is torn between two beauties played by ``The O.C.'s'' nubile Rachel Bilson and Australian ``it'' girl Jacinda Barrett (``Poseidon,'' the upcoming ``School for Scoundrels'').

And he still looks like Zach Braff.

``Zach is that rare combination -- a great comic actor who has real dramatic complexity and ability,'' gushes ``The Last Kiss'' director Tony Goldwyn, before acknowledging the more salient point. ``And, beyond that, he's a movie star who, like Tom Hanks or Dustin Hoffman, is incredibly accessible to an audience. He's a real guy, he's not an idealized, beautiful movie star.''

Braff says he was thrilled to work on something he felt had real merit during his summer break last year from ``Scrubs.'' ``The Last Kiss'' is the American remake of the popular Italian film about four lifelong friends at romantic turning points in their lives.

``I turn down the big, stupid, romantic comedy studio nonsense that just gets made and released 10-a-weekend,'' says Braff, looking all common man in jeans and a wrinkled hoodie. ``I just don't have any interest in that. I make a nice living doing `Scrubs,' I don't need to take somebody's paycheck just to do a movie -- which is a great, fortunate and rare position for an actor to be in.

``I sought `Last Kiss' out because it was real, and I couldn't believe that a studio was going to release it. It was just so honest and gritty. ... I'm so sick of movies where the protagonist is a perfect guy and the only bad things that happen are because of outside forces. I just think that that's so safe, and there's nothing safe about this.''

In the movie's main story line, Braff's Michael is both thrilled and alarmed that the woman he's lived with for many years, Jenna (Barrett), is expecting their baby and talking about marriage. When University of Wisconsin coed Kim (Bilson) expresses interest, Michael finds it difficult, then impossible to resist. But he really loves Jenna. Then what?

``There will be some people coming out of the movie hating me, and some will come out going, `I've been there; I can relate to what he went through,' '' the 31-year-old Braff admits. ``I can relate a lot. I mean, every different age has its own level of freak-out, I think.

``There are all different stages of our own development, and we never stop

learning. Turning 30, for me, was the realization

that, wow, I can't deny it anymore, I'm a full-on adult now. And you can't help but think about marriage and having kids because it's happening all around you.''

Declaring himself single at the moment, Braff says that the ladies' man -- make that ladies' average guy -- label he gets from certain media doesn't reflect reality.

``First of all, let me say that I wish I was leading a fraction of the life that the tabloids have me living,'' he says with a grin. ``So much of that is nonsense. But I think we all go through some phase in our early 30s ... of she's the one, I feel it, but am I ready to be with the last girl I'm ever going to kiss?''

And, like anyone else, Braff has folks back home -- which in his case is New Jersey -- who probably ask when he going to meet Ms. Right. Only in his case there's an extra dimension to that situation. ``Garden State'' wasn't technically autobiographical, but look at what Braff's character and his old man do in that movie.

``My mother and stepfather are both Ph.D. psychologists. My stepmother is a therapist, and now my father, who is a lawyer, and my stepmother are doing marriage counseling together. And my stepsister is getting her degree,'' says Braff.

``It sounds funnier than it is, but in actuality they all give me great advice. It is wonderful to be able to go to your family when you're upset about something and have them not only talk to you as people that love you, but people that have actually studied it a little bit, heard people's problems all day long and have a reference point.''

But the fact Braff didn't enter the family business might have something to do with growing up in Maplewood, N.J., and attending Columbia High School there. The place has produced an extraordinarily large number of show-business luminaries, among them hip-hop queen Lauryn Hill, actors Elisabeth and Andrew Shue, super-producer Joel Silver and even Ahmed Best, the guy who did the voice for detested ``Star Wars'' character Jar Jar Binks.

So even geography worked in Braff's favor.

``It isn't just my town,'' he points out. ``If you do a Google search for Famous Entertainment People New Jersey, you will not believe the list. It's, like, freaky. It is way tipped in that state more than any other state. My high school, coincidentally, had a lot of people.

``I think it has to do with the proximity to Manhattan. You can see the skyline from my town, and there's something about getting on that commuter train and going to follow your dreams.''

Braff's dreams took him in the other direction, however, to film school at Northwestern University. Although he took a few theater classes there, he wasn't pursuing an acting career.

``I wanted to learn every possible thing I could about filmmaking,'' Braff explains. ``I felt that the best directors could handle all of the technical things but also knew how to talk to actors. And I love photography. I'm an amateur photographer myself, so I wanted to parlay that into being a filmmaker.''

An inspiring professor sparked an interest in Shakespeare, however, and Braff's first job upon graduating was in a New York production of ``Macbeth.'' Sporadic film and television work followed until he made a lasting impression as ``Scrubs''' hapless intern Dr. John ``J.D.'' Dorian.

The show begins its sixth year sometime later in the new television season. Braff isn't quite sure when -- November or January are his best guesses -- but ``Scrubs'' will run back-to-back episodes on the night it airs. He expects this to be his last year of ``Scrubs.''

``I'll miss it,'' he admits. ``It's my family, and it was my big break. It's a lot of fun, and it's been such a fun group of people to work with. But I think you've got to start a new chapter after six years.''

Making his own movies is still the primary goal. He plans to direct an American version of the Danish film ``Open Hearts,'' and is writing an adaptation of the

children's book ``Andrew Henry's Meadow'' with his brother Adam. He'll next appear in the workplace comedy ``Fast Track,'' and may revive the sarcastic, crime-solving journalist Fletch in a new film franchise.

And, with any luck, he'll do it all while still looking like Zach Braff.

``I know this from `Scrubs': One of the reasons people like me as an actor is that they'll say, `You remind me of someone I knew in high school,' or, `You remind me of a friend of mine,''' the actor shares.

``I think people can relate to me because I am just like them. I don't look like Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise ... . So I think that one of the things I have going for me is that people do feel like I'm a regular Joe, and I can be a good

everyman.''

Bob Strauss [phone]

bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) GROWING PAINS 

ZACH BRAFF GRAPPLES WITH 30s ANGST IN `THE LAST KISS'

(2 -- 3) no caption (Zach Braff)