Zach Braff apparently knows the way to Harry Styles’ heart.
The actor/filmmaker and boy band star have forged an unlikely friendship, leading Harry to fly all the way to Utah to support Braff at the premiere of his film, Wish I Was Here. As Harry would later say, the movie was a very touching experience for him.
The movie, which was written by Zach and his brother Adam, tells the story of a struggling actor in his late 30s. It marks the first time that Braff has directed since the acclaimed 2004 movie Garden State .
“I am often asked by my fans or by the press when I am promoting films in which I’ve acted, ‘Why haven’t you directed another film since ‘Garden State’?’ The truth is, it’s very hard to get small, personal films made without sacrificing some aspect of your artistic integrity (final-cut, casting, minuscule budgets),” Braff said.
That idea led Braff to an outside-the-box solution — crowdfunding. The movie was bankrolled through a $3 million Kickstarter campaign , and at the festival Zach Braff made sure to thank them for their support.
“To all of my KS backers, none of this amazing response at Sundance would be happening without YOU. I love each and everyone of you forever,” Braff tweeted.
Wish I Was Here has already been building up some good buzz with fans, but the best endorsement may come from Harry Styles himself. When Styles took a selfie for the People magazine Instagram , he admitted that the movie brought him to tears .
Later on Harry was a bit more reluctant to admit he was crying, however.
Today I watched @WIWHFilm . I wasn’t crying, I had sweaty eyes. Loved it.
— Harry Styles (@Harry_Styles) January 19, 2014
Zac Braff and Harry Styles got some spend some more quality time together after the film’s premiere, handing out at the Grey Goose Blue Door with Braff’s girlfriend Taylor Bagley and Scrubs co-star Donald Faison. Harry was reportedly staying with Zac during his time in Utah.
