Zach Braff’s Experience With Childhood OCD | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

I'm really happy because we've I think. you did my various late night shows you. were on like 11 or 12 times yeah and. always a reliably great guest and uh and. and I thought. in that format I couldn't really get to. know you because it's it's it's a very. different situation there's a band and. it's you've got seven minutes with Zach. and then we move on you know we go and. uh I thought I I'd really like to get to. know this guy and I started to do.

looking into your past and I was really. surprised by a couple of things which is. I didn't realize you grew up in this uh. it's sort of a religiously schizophrenic. situation where your dad is Jewish and. your mom is Protestant no she converted. well before they got married because he. was super into Judaism at the time and. um and he wasn't going to marry a. non-jewish woman so she converted. she was Protestant when she met him yes. yeah and he said I love you um but you.

would definitely need to convert for. this to go further and she she didn't. really have much connection to her. religion and she was interested and she. was very in love and she said okay I'll. do it I love you and and I don't I'm not. really connected to my own religion so. I'll I'll do it and then she as what as. what happens with some people she got. super into it and like made my dad more. more religious like she made the family. kosher and uh this is not uncommon this. hat this is quite I mean I've heard of. this and I've known people that have. gone through this where someone converts.

and then be almost because it's new to. them they they go farther yeah because. also I think some some of those people. are looking for a a thing a looking for. a passionate uh group or or or or or. religion and then when someone provides. it with them in a really educated way. they go all in they're like this is. amazing I haven't had this so it was. kind of funny that then we were then we. were like really religious and Coach. well sir I wasn't born yet but by the. time I was around we were kosher and um.

you know as far even as extreme is like. doing separate dishes for meat and dairy. and like like for real kosher and um and. it's it surprised me as someone who was. raised Catholic when I've had. uh I mean years ago I remember talking. to a friend who's another comedy writer. who was very Orthodox and he had just. moved into a new apartment and there. were things that are that took me by. surprise he's I remember talking to this. friend of mine once and he said yeah I. can't talk right now there's a rabbi. here with a blowtorch what and I said.

what and he said well he's in the. kitchen and there's a special Rabbi that. comes who uh uses a blowtorch to burn. out any trace of I'm guessing pork or. shellfish or anything that could. possibly they call it trafe which is uh. I don't know if it's Yiddish or Hebrew. for things that are not Kosher I was. told we never did this but that if we. messed up we the plate would have to be. buried in the backyard like if if you if. you put meat and cheese on that on that. plate it was it was done so that way.

we're gonna have to we know no one's. ever followed through on this and I. don't know if I I'm I'm I'm naive if to. know if if people who are super. religious Orthodox really do that but. that was sort of in the back of my. childhood brain was like don't mess up. or this poor Plate's gonna get buried. wait a little bit she's got on that. plate and then suddenly it gets fired in. the air and a bunch of rabbis with. shotguns shoot it to Pieces rabbi's been.

shot because doing uh I just love him. they were just like and that's they were. specialized that's what they did they. had guns they were ready to go and they. would shoot these these trays I love. traits I've heard that before I've never. heard that one I wish that was my rap. name. I am rapping and I'm DJ trades I don't. know if you I think I could more likely. go to a an Israeli rapper than you.

I rap about all the things that are. traif and that we can't eat what was. funny is that my what was funny that so. my mom then they got divorced when I was. around eight and my my new stepfather. was not into this at all so and then my. mom again being in in love and and. accepting a new life was like yeah. forget about all that what. what a whip. because I was enjoying custody so we. would go my sister and I uh I have two.

older brothers who who opted out but my. sister and I would go uh a week with one. and then a week with the other and we. were with my mom we were not Kosher and. not religious and we were with my dad he. was strict kosher and religious it was. it was a trip that's unbelievable yeah. it was pretty crazy and so and then when. I was when I turned 13 I had a bar. mitzvah and I I did this sort of Jiu. Jitsu move on because he was all about. how now you are a man. and I said well if I'm a man now.

I would like to eat a cheeseburger wow. how'd that go over he to his credit he. he he he he knew he's by the way I don't. mean to say that he was an incredibly. loving man he was just a religious man. um he and so he he he got it I mean he. smiled at the Jiu Jitsu move right but. then he knew I was battling this thing. of like Mom's house one week his house. and so it became like when you're in my. home I want I asked that you respect.

being kosher but but out in the world. and whatever you are a young man now and. you can do whatever you want. it's so interesting because I would uh. so many people that if your name comes. up I think the first thing they would. think is because they they know you as. you know primarily as this performer uh. on screen and you're a very likable and. chippers seeming and I happen to know. that a lot of anxiety when you were. young yeah was that do you think it was.

that stem from the divorce or do you. think that was just a natural condition. I think I definitely was a very anxious. child I got diagnosed with OCD as a very. young I was doing a lot of the tapping. stuff that that people suffer from yeah. and um it would it would manifest in a. weird way like the example I give to. people who had never had experienced any. of this at all is you're a child and you. say if you don't kiss that teddy bear. six times before you leave the room. something bad could happen to the family. and then you're even as a young in your.

young brain you go I know that's not. real probably but just to be safe let me. do it exactly do I want to risk it why. risk it right it's like superstitions. from for for regular people like you. don't you don't walk under a ladder you. don't do this you don't do that but it's. for in a child's brain it's like why. would I possibly why would I possibly. risk it but then then the kisses of the. teddy bear you didn't quite get right it. looks felt like did I do six total I. think I miscounted the bear doesn't look. satisfied. the bear is seeing someone else.

the bear yeah the bear love has gone out. of this once the sex goes it's over says. the bear that's hilarious I never. thought of it like that like the bear. was like give me more yeah but um but. anyway. um so there was a lot of that tapping. stuff and and and yeah I think of course. the divorce was stressful and and joint. custody is stressful and you know you. would get settled in one home and then. then Sunday you'd have to switch to a. completely different environment right. and my sister and I would be quite upset.

um because both my environments were so. different and then it would take to like. Wednesday to kind of get acclimated. right and then and then you moved Sunday. so there was a lot of. um stress uh I don't I don't mean to. blame that on my my parents entirely. um I think some of it is is genetic and. I was an anxious boy yeah I I relate to. that just because I think I had uh and. and you know my parents stayed together. uh I tried to get them to separate uh.

I'm still working on it my dad just. turned 94. my mom's 91 and I still I. think it's time now that they I said. look just try living separately for a. while I think they should see other. people uh but are you close what's that. close to getting dude I think I'm pretty. close several times I've driven my. father to a motel uh but he won't get. out of the car but. um you drove me well I say look it's. nice that's a that's a Comfort Hotel.

singular newly single at 94 sounds. pretty bad yeah any hotel that still. says free HBO yeah on the sign you know. they haven't changed that sign since. 1983.