Esther McGregor Says How Zach Braff Reminded Her of Dad Ewan McGregor
Esther McGregor Reveals the Sweet Way Zach Braff Reminded Her of Dad Ewan McGregor
The family force is strong with Esther McGregor.
As she follows in her dad Ewan McGregor’s acting footsteps, the We Were Liars actress she is making sure to take what she has learned from the Star Wars actor and bring it to set—and that includes creating a light-hearted atmosphere. So, she was more than thrilled that her Clean Hands costar Zach Braff was the same way.
“Me and my dad definitely poke at each other,” Esther told E! News in an exclusive joint interview with the Scrubs star. “When I was younger, we used to play crazy games, war games, all these things. I think that, yeah, there's definitely some similarities.”
Meanwhile, Zach and Esther—who play Kevin Simmers and his daughter Brooke Simmers, respectively, in the film—agreed that it wasn’t just their playfulness, but also their natural on-set banter that informed the performances of their real-life characters.
That style of communication was “one thing Esther and I really found together,” Zach explained, “and it was so helpful because that really was their relationship between Kevin and Brooke was just making each other crack up and that sort of easy, easy banter.”
That special bond between Zach and Esther was also important to build given the film details the real story of former cop Kevin and his daughter Brooke, who after a yearslong battle with addiction died following a 2015 overdose. And they didn’t take that responsibility lightly.
“They were friends,” Zach continued. “So, that's what makes it so extra tragic is that he was the ultimate girl dad. They were buddies. They played basketball together. They were best friends.”
Stewart Cook/A24 via Getty Images; Sergei Bachlakov/Disney via Getty Images
And the story of Clean Hands—in select theaters and on-demand beginning Oct. 16—is one that Esther felt is “everywhere.”
“It is a story that a lot of people are very familiar with, unfortunately,” she shared. “So I hope this also gives and shines a new light on the hope that Kevin brings.”
As Esther sees it, “This story really is highlighting that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Zach and Esther’s movie Clean Hands, also starring Holt McCallany, Abigail Spencer and Lucas Till, is in select theaters and on-demand beginning Oct. 16.
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