Zach Braff Praises Vince Vaughn’s Improvisation in ‘Bad Monkey’

Looking for a new show to binge-watch before summer slips away? Look no further. The first two episodes of Bad Monkey, starring and executive produced by Vince Vaughn, and featuring award-winning executive producer Bill Lawrence, premiered on Apple TV+ on August 14. Based on Carl Hiaasen’s New York Times bestseller of the same name, the series introduces a colorful cast of Florida’s quirkiest characters, which all starts with a mystery involving a human arm fished out of the ocean.

Leading the ensemble is Andrew Yancy (played by Vaughn), a former Miami cop demoted to Keys health inspector. Yancy sees a chance for redemption if he can prove the case is a murder. The journey to justice is far from straightforward. Alongside Vaughn, the show features an impressive cast, including L. Scott Caldwell, Rob Delaney, Meredith Hagner, Natalie Martinez, Alex Moffat, Michelle Monaghan, Ronald Peet, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Scott Glenn. Guest stars like Zach Braff add to the entertaining mix, with Braff portraying the unpredictable “Israel O’Peele.”

In an exclusive interview with HOLA! USA, Braff shared that the best part about playing Israel was working with the stellar cast. “Vince is such a legend, and working with Rob Delaney and Meredith, who are so funny, made it a blast. As an actor, when your scene partners are talented, funny, and interesting, it makes your job really easy because you’re just reacting to them,” he said.

The actors were encouraged to improvise on set, with Vaughn frequently going off-script. “Vince never says the same thing twice, so you really have to keep up with him. He’s so quick-witted and improvisational,” Braff added.

Braff reuniting with Lawrence, the creator of his fan-favorite show Scrubs, was another highlight. “Bill is very open to improvisation. He wants the scene to hit the right beats but gives us the freedom to improvise,” Braff explained.

Natalie Martinez, who plays Dr. Rosa Campesino, echoed Braff’s sentiment about the freedom to improvise. She recounted a memorable experience watching Vaughn and Bob Clendenin (who plays K.J. Claspers) improvise for about 10 minutes. “They just kept going back and forth, and when it was my turn to say my line, I was so captivated that I felt like I was part of the audience,” she said.

Bad Monkey premiered globally on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on August 14, 2024.

Source: HOLA! USA