Here are some candids of Scrubs stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison, both wearing board shorts while snorkeling in Maui, Hawaii on New Year’s Eve. They’re on vacation with their significant others. I guess Zach has been dating British model Taylor Bagley for over two years, but I barely pay attention to him so I didn’t notice. Donald has been with Cacee Cobb, who used to be Jessica Simpson’s BFF and personal assistant, for as long as I can remember. The two got engaged in August.

Neither of these guys is exceptionally attractive without their shirt on, but I have a lot of affection for them. They put out a holiday video (above) where they’re doing a duet of “Baby it’s Cold Outside.” It’s all sorts of awesome. I’m watching it for the umpteenth time and cracking up now. Donald can really belt out a tune and Zach isn’t that bad himself.

Zach used to be known as a major player, but look at how domesticated he looks in these pictures. Especially this one where he’s staring at his girlfriend and thinking about how lucky he is. Look at that dude in the beetlejuice shorts with the dorky smile, of course he’s lucky.

I love funny guys, and these two must be a blast to be around. I’m sure they have a lot of insider jokes and quirky mannerisms that only they “get,” though. This is a bromance for the ages.

Now who would you rather? Faison for me.

Photo credit: Zeus/FameFlynet Pictures, except for the bromance one, that’s from Zach Braff’s Twitter

I never really got into Scrubs when it was network television (it still is, right? It’s on ABC in some form, I think). But I grew to love the show in syndication on Comedy Central, and I’ve probably seen every episode from the first four seasons or so. Therefore, I have a lot of affection for Zach Braff, and really everyone on the cast, but this story is about Braff. Even though I think Zach is an extremely gifted comedic actor, I’ve never really formed much of an opinion of him as a “celebrity”. For the most part, it seems like he keeps his head down and avoid the paparazzi, avoids the club scene, avoids anything negative. Which makes this a really interesting little tidbit from Star Magazine - apparently, Zach does have one problem: a “casting couch” problem. Meaning that while he’s trying to find a costar for his next film, he’s simultaneously looking for a hookup/girlfriend:

Does Zach Braff have a casting couch? The Scrubs actor and director dated costars Mandy Moore and Sarah Chalke. But for his next movie, Swingles, Jennifer Aniston turned down a role when Zach asked for late-night mettings over wine and candlelight.

Now Cameron Diaz, who is also interested in the project, is getting leery of Zach.

“He hits on his costars,” a source tells Star. “He’s getting a bad reputation.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, March 8, 2010]

Yeah, I’m not sure if this is really a “casting couch” situation, is it? I think of casting couches as… well, whatever is going on between Michael Bay and Megan Fox. Is Zach like, “Oh, if you come over and have some wine with me, maybe I’ll give you the part.” Yeah, it seems pretty cheesy, but it also seems pretty harmless. But I don’t know what he’s really like – maybe he’s a total skeeze.

The lovely Liv Tyler may be moving on after her painful divorce from British musician Royston Langdon last year. She told Wonderland magazine in an interview published in February that she was still going through a hard time but had a lot of support from friends. “It takes a long time, but you do kind of wake up one day and you just feel a little tiny bit better… There’s nothing worse than heartache, being lovesick.”

According to The National Enquirer, Tyler has a potential new boyfriend in indie actor Zach Braff. Tyler, 32, and Braff, 34, were spotted out on a date looking cozy. If it turns into more for them we’re sure to hear more about it:

“Liv was emotionally drained after breaking up with Royston, and she decided to wait a while before dating again,” said the friend. “But Zach makes her laugh and hasn’t pressured Liv into a serious commitment. He’s got her believing in romance again.”

The couple enjoyed a cozy dinner on Nov. 14 at Vinoteca wine bar in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

“Zach had his arm wrapped around her and was whispering in her ear,” said an eyewitness. “It was very touchy-feely. It was definitely a romantic night out for them.”

While Liv, 32, is thrilled with her new relationship, close pals have cautioned her about Zach’s love-’em and leave-’em reputation…

“Liv swears Zach is a sweetheart, but her friends have serious reservations and have told her so,” added the friend.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, December 14, 2009]

From what I heard Braff was really awful to Mandy Moore when they were together, and he’s said to be a total player. Gawker even banned stalker reports of him in 2007 because he was all over NY hitting on various women like the semi-famous leech that he is. Tyler seems like a sensitive, vulnerable person and I hope that she listens to her friends and plays the field instead of falling for Braff. The least she could do would be to Google the guy and find out for herself that he’s not to be trusted.

Liv Tyler is shown on 9/22/09. Credit: WENN. Zach Braff is shown outside a club on 11/13/09. Credit: SCJ/Fame Pictures. Liv is also shown out shopping on 11/13 and outside the salon on 11/30. Credit: WENN

The eighth season of Scrubs will premiere next week, moved from NBC over to ABC. There were many questions as to whether Scrubs would even have an eighth season, and the mid-season ABC move isn’t striking a lot of fans as the best idea. Judging from the commercials running on ABC, it seems like the once-great series is running on fumes. Joining the cast for this 18-episode mini-season is Courtney Cox as the new, crazy (somewhat waxy-looking) Chief of Medicine. Zach Braff, Donald Faison, John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes and Sarah Chalke have all returned but it seems like at least one of them might be itching to move on to other projects.

One never knows what the show’s irrepressible creator Bill Lawrence might have up his sleeve, and to be sure he’s pulled off quite a feat to land this 18-episode stay of execution. Of course, the fact that “Scrubs” is produced by ABC Studios might have had a little something to do with it. No matter the reason, it’s pretty terrific to see the return of a half-hour this charmingly performed and superbly written, particularly when we’re suffering such a primetime network comedy shortage.

The show hits the ground in midseason form after eight months and one change of venue, integrating a new crop of interns with seamless aplomb and again demonstrating how to fuse dramatic elements into a sitcom without breaking a sweat.

It rolls onto ABC with a double-barreled (a.ka. a two-episode) premiere assault. First up is an episode that introduces the heartless and unethical Dr. Maddox, played by none other than new recurring player Courteney Cox (who surely knows her way around a comedy series and turns in sharply over-the-top work here). She’s surrounded by the usual cast of returning “Scrubs” players led by the underrated Zach Braff along with Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, the incomparable John C. McGinley and Judy Reyes — long one of TV’s most talented and colorful casts. The opening installment sputters a bit before finding a rhythm in Episode 2 that guest stars Glynn Turman as a dying patient coming to terms with his mortality.

What remains great about “Scrubs” is its politically incorrect tone, one that’s so smooth the offending line is already in the rear-view mirror before you have a chance to work up a good dose of outrage. While universal health care may still be a political pipe dream, laughter remains a medicine we can afford. And “Scrubs” supplies plenty of that without demanding so much as a co-pay.

[From Reuters]

When Scrubs is good, it’s very, very good. When it’s bad… well, it gets moved to ABC as a mid-season replacement. One of my peeves is when a good television show doesn’t know how to bow out with grace. I feel for the writers and the producers – I think getting bumped from NBC was probably a huge disappointment, and they’re probably just trying to tie up the plot lines for the die-hard fans. I hope that after this mini-season, all the actors involved get good projects, especially Donald Faison, who was always my favorite.

Even though ABC picked up NBC cast-off Scrubs for an eighth season, the future of Sacred Heart Hospital is up in the air as the main character, played by Zach Braff, won’t be coming back for a ninth season. Season 8 of the hit sitcom begins in January and has made a jump from NBC, where it been a staple, and garnered Emmys for NBC, since 2001, to ABC. The season is in the can and Braff, Judy Reyes (Carla Espinoza) and the show’s creator Bill Lawrence have decided not to return for a ninth season.

Actor ZACH BRAFF has confirmed his exit from TV comedy SCRUBS, confessing he feels free now that he’s quit his role as DR. JOHN ‘J.D.’ DORIAN.

And Braff can’t wait to branch out of TV and try new movie roles, because he always felt restricted while contracted to the programme.

He says, “(I left Scrubs because) there’s so much I want to do with my life. (It was) the most amazing experience of my life, but when you work on a television series, they own you.”

[From Contact Music]

Zach has made a pilgrimage to Tel Aviv, Israel and earned his pilot’s license since finishing the show, both things he wasn’t able to do before for insurance reasons. He appears to be loving the new found freedom and expanding his horizons, which you can’t fault anyone for. I bet, too, though, the freedom to do movies has alot to do with the decision as well.

My family are all extreme Scrubs fans. Quotes from the show are peppered into our day-to-day conversation all the time, even inappropriately by the youngest of us. And as such huge fans, I took a poll as to whether the show should even try to go on without Braff and it was a consensus, without JD, there is no Scrubs, and without Carla, there isn’t even a Sacred Heart. It’s always a shame when the spark is taken out of a show and the networks try to drag them out a few more seasons. It ruins the magic of the show forever. I really hope ABC brought the series to a close befitting the much loved show with Season 8 and they don’t try to drag Donald Faison and John C. McGinley into something embarrassing for both of them.

Zach Braff is shown on 10/18/08 at the “Oceana’s 2008 Partners Award Gala” in Pacific Palisades, CA. Credit: Dimitri Halkidis / WENN

Tony Romo had a bunch of reasons to dump Jessica Simpson: her dad was supposedly interfering in his football career, his career was rumored to be suffering from all the media attention, and she gave way too much information about their relationship in a recent interview with Glamour magazine, calling him her “future husband.” Tony and Jessica seem to have reunited for now, though, because he accompanied her to her sister’s wedding over the weekend.

But the main reason Tony should have dumped Jessica is because she’s said to have been cheating on him behind his back with two different guys. The National Enquirer has a new exclusive claiming that she’s been with both mock-worthy emo rocker Jared Leto, and actor Zach Braff since getting together with Tony.

[Jessica Simpson's] fling with Zach Braff began after a recent party hosted by Diddy, when the mogul received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“They spent that night together and several others,” the source said.

“Then she turned to Jared [Leto] for several more romantic trysts! And this was happening right under Tony Romo’s nose!”

At one point she was juggling all three guys, according to the source.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, June 2, 2008]

Jessica Simpson is rumored to have cheated on her ex-husband, Nick Lachey, with several guys including Maroon 5′s Adam Levine, her Dukes of Hazzard co-star Johnny Knoxville, and his friend, Bam Margera. So if this is true it’s not out of character for her. It’s possible her relationship with Tony has had it’s share of splits that have been kept from the public and that if she did hook up with these guys it was at a time when she was estranged from the quarterback.

Simpson just returned from a vacation in Los Cabos, Mexico with her mom, dad, and some girlfriends. Her maybe-boyfriend, Tony Romo, did not go. Thanks to Splash for these photos from yesterday.