Categories: Entertainment

Zach Braff Recalls Tarantino Joking: ‘You Stole My F**king Grammy!’

Zach Braff was wholly unprepared to defeat Quentin Tarantino at the 2004 Grammys.

The “Garden State” actor-writer-director was certainly honored when his collection of alternative music for the film was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture. But he genuinely didn’t think he’d beat Tarantino’s “Kill Bill Vol. 2” — until he did.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Braff told The Ringer for an oral history of the soundtrack Wednesday.

“Tarantino jokingly said, ‘You stole my fucking Grammy, man,’ and then gave me a big smile and a hug,” he said. “He was super sweet and supportive. I was the kind of film-school kid that would have put a ‘Reservoir Dogs’ poster on my wall.”

Braff had graduated with a film studies degree from Northwestern University and, after nabbing his lead role in the beloved comedy series “Scrubs,” acquired $2.5 million in financing — and landed Natalie Portman as his co-star — for his 2004 directorial debut.

“Garden State” grossed $35 million worldwide while the soundtrack went platinum.

Braff nonetheless recalled feeling like an underdog at the 2004 Grammys. Tarantino had delivered yet another masterful soundtrack for the final chapter of his “Kill Bill” saga and had arguably redefined movie soundtracks a decade earlier, with “Pulp Fiction.”

“I certainly didn’t think there would ever be a chance where I would beat Quentin Tarantino at anything,” Braff told The Ringer. “My father wanted to come, and I was like, ‘Dad, there’s no way I’m gonna win a Grammy. Tarantino is winning the Grammy.’”

“And then we fucking won!” he added.

Quentin Tarantino and Zach Braff embrace at an award ceremony in 2005.

George Pimentel/WireImage via Getty Images

The “Garden State” soundtrack struck an undeniable chord with millennials at the time. With iconic indie rock songs like “Caring Is Creepy” and “New Slang” by The Shins, Frou Frou’s “Let Go” and the cover of “Such Great Heights” by Iron & Wine, the film’s album sold 1.3 million copies.

Braff recalled hearing that New Yorkers who saw the film at one downtown theater routinely headed directly to a nearby Virgin Records store to pick up the soundtrack. The record store “got so tired of it, they put a cardboard sign in the soundtrack section saying, ‘We do not have the ‘Garden State’ soundtrack. Please don’t ask.’”

The film even garnered the attention of Steven Spielberg, who Braff said wrote a letter welcoming him to Hollywood. Braff, who has since framed that letter and put it on his wall, told The Ringer that he never expected “this would happen to this movie.”

“Whether it’s the soundtrack or the film itself, it’s rare that a day goes by that someone doesn’t ask me about it. It was a seminal movie for a lot of people at a time in their life when they really needed to see it.”

News Today

Recent Posts

Kareena Kapoor’s Next Untitled Film With Meghna Gulzar Gets Prithviraj Sukumaran On Board

Kareena Kapoor is working with Raazi director Meghna Gulzar for her next film. The project,…

2 weeks ago

Purdue basketball freshman Daniel Jacobsen injured vs Northern Kentucky

2024-11-09 15:00:03 WEST LAFAYETTE -- Daniel Jacobsen's second game in Purdue basketball's starting lineup lasted…

2 weeks ago

Rashida Jones honors dad Quincy Jones with heartfelt tribute: ‘He was love’

2024-11-09 14:50:03 Rashida Jones is remembering her late father, famed music producer Quincy Jones, in…

2 weeks ago

Nosferatu Screening at Apollo Theatre Shows Student Interest in Experimental Cinema – The Oberlin Review

2024-11-09 14:40:03 A silent German expressionist film about vampires accompanied by Radiohead’s music — what…

2 weeks ago

What Are Adaptogens? Find Out How These 3 Herbs May Help You Tackle Stress Head-On

Let's face it - life can be downright stressful! With everything moving at breakneck speed,…

2 weeks ago

The new Mac Mini takes a small step towards upgradeable storage

Apple’s redesigned Mac Mini M4 has ditched the previous M2 machine’s SSD that was soldered…

2 weeks ago