By Erin DostalThe Daily Northwestern

Zach Braff admits he wasn’t always the perfect student when he was an undergraduate at Northwestern.

In fact, Braff told a sold-out crowd of about 1,000 people at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on Monday night that he used to sit in the balcony and drink during one introductory geography course.

“It was topography … a horrible subject,” he said. “I got a ‘D.’ “

Braff, who graduated from the School of Communication in 1997, is best known for the movie “Garden State,” which he wrote and directed, and for playing John “J.D.” Dorian on the NBC sitcom “Scrubs.”

Monday’s event was coordinated by the School of Communication.

After an introduction from Communication Dean Barbara O’Keefe and theatre Prof. David Downs, Braff sauntered on stage and answered questions while perched on a wooden stool. The entire event was a question-and-answer session.

“I’ve never spoken to this many people in my life,” he said. “This is exciting.”

Braff, who lived in Bobb-McCulloch and was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, said he first became interested in theater when he was 8 years old and saw his dad’s performance in a community theater production.

“To me, theater was like a magic trick,” he said, adding that the set changes and the lights fascinated him from an early age.

Downs, one of Braff’s former professors, praised Braff’s talents.

“He’s not just smart, he’s intelligent; he’s not just funny, he’s witty,” Downs said. “He has the drive of a hustler, combined with the true soul of an artist.”

Weinberg freshman Karina Walker said she enjoyed the session.

“It seemed like his humor was really consistent with ‘Scrubs,'” she said. “He was able to make any question into something funny.”

Although he is known for his humor and his quirky films, Braff said the next movie he plans to direct will be a “dark drama,” which he said he expects to be less successful than his comedies.

People don’t want to watch pain because they already have it in their lives, he said.

Braff said he enjoyed attending NU, but that he wished he had stressed less about grades and his social life and just had more fun.

“Take this school up on all that it has to offer,” he said.

Braff said he wasn’t prepared for everything he faced at NU – especially the weather. He said he didn’t realize during his tour as a prospective student that Chicago is the “coldest place on the planet.”

Even with a coat made to sustain temperatures of “negative 65 degrees,” he said, “I was still cold.”

Braff said one of his favorite aspects of college was dating. The audience laughed as Braff explained.

“This is the easiest and best time to date,” he said. “This entire place is geared toward running into strangers at all times.”

Braff said he tried to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible at NU – for instance, taking a linguistics class just because he could.

Turning to his experiences after graduation, Braff described Hollywood’s downsides. He likened auditioning for TV shows to the Olympics, saying people can train as much as they want but can still choke when performing for studio executives.

For film and theater majors especially, Braff offered advice, comparing the toughest people in Hollywood to the kid who sets the curve in every class.

“You really have to be ready to get a lot of ‘no’s before you’re going to get a ‘yes,’ ” Braff said. “(You have to go) full-out, all-out … there’s too many people who want it badder than you.”

Reach Erin Dostal at [email protected].