Zach Braff Recalls Awkward Vegas Night When Michael Fassbender Thought He Was Dax Shepard

Zach Braff recently visited the Armchair Expert podcast to share a cringeworthy tale of mistaken identity involving Michael Fassbender. During a night out in Las Vegas with his longtime best friend and Scrubs costar Donald Faison, Braff experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.

The actor had briefly lost track of Faison in a crowded club and was attempting to reunite with him in the DJ booth. Suddenly, the Oscar-nominated Fassbender approached Braff and gripped his shoulders to deliver some high-intensity praise.

Braff described the star of Shame as being incredibly charismatic during the unexpected encounter. “He grabs me, and before I can say anything, he says, ‘I love you.’ I go, ‘Oh my God.’ He goes, ‘I love your work. I love everything that you do… The s— you make is f—ing awesome. I wish we could work together.’”

At that precise moment, Braff felt his confidence soaring as he soaked in the compliments. Faison was watching the entire exchange with a sense of pride, acting as the ultimate hype man for his friend.

The bubble burst quickly when Fassbender finally identified the specific project that had moved him so deeply. “Donald’s looking at me like, ‘Yeah, boy.’ Proud. And then [Fassbender] goes, ‘I mean, f—ing CHiPs, dude,’” Braff told host Dax Shepard.

The issue is that Dax Shepard wrote and directed the 2017 film adaptation of CHiPs, not Zach Braff. Shepard and Braff have frequently joked about their physical similarities and how often the public confuses them.

Braff admitted that his heart sank the moment he realized the praise was actually intended for the man sitting across from him. “I just felt my heart sink because now, not only is it about Dax, but I don’t know how to get out of this encounter,” he noted. The situation became even more awkward when Faison stepped in to clear up the confusion.

“Donald, being like my wife/wingman, is like, ‘No, man, this is Zach Braff…’ [Fassbender’s] face dropped, as embarrassing as it was,” Braff recalled. Fassbender immediately began to retreat from the conversation to save face after the blunder was exposed.

However, Faison insisted on listing Braff’s most significant achievements to the departing actor. “And then he starts to kind of back away like, ‘Oh man, you guys have the best night!’ And Donald goes, ‘No, no, no, you come back here.’ Like a proud wife,” Braff joked.

Faison proceeded to name-drop iconic projects like Garden State, The Last Kiss, and A Good Person. Braff eventually had to beg his friend to stop the presentation and let the embarrassed Fassbender leave.

“He’s just nodding and nodding, and then I’m like, Donald, let’s set him free, please. He backed away, and that was it. I didn’t even make it out of the club. I was so embarrassed,” he concluded. The bond between Braff and Faison remains a highlight for fans of their sitcom, Scrubs.

That connection was recently on display during the Scrubs revival, which premiered this past February. The tenth season brought back beloved cast members, including Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, and John C. McGinley. Braff himself directed the season premiere, continuing his successful career behind the lens.

The revival has been a ratings success, and the season finale is scheduled to air on April 15. Aside from this, Braff recently wrote and directed the drama A Good Person, starring Florence Pugh. He also continues to co-host the popular rewatch podcast Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Faison.

Faison has remained busy, recently appearing in the series Extended Family alongside Jon Cryer. Meanwhile, Michael Fassbender recently starred in David Fincher’s The Killer and the sports comedy Next Goal Wins. He is currently attached to several upcoming projects, including the thriller Hope and a new espionage series.

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