ZACH BRAFF (Andrew Largeman)
GARDEN STATE marks Zach Braff’s feature writing and directorial debut. Braff recently concluded his third season as Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian in television’s “Scrubs.” His feature filmography includes roles in THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB, GETTING TO KNOW YOU and Woody Allen's MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY. Braff’s on stage experience includes the New York City's Public Theater productions of "Twelfth Night" and "Macbeth."
Braff is currently writing an adaptation of the children’s book ANDREW HENRY’S MEADOW for Twentieth Century Fox.

IAN HOLM (Gideon Largeman)

Ian Holm won a BAFTA Award, Cannes Film Festival award and an Oscar nomination for his performance in CHARIOTS OF FIRE. Most recently he received praise for his portrayal of Bilbo Baggins in the critically acclaimed THE LORD OF THE RINGS films. Holm recently completed production on THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and THE AVIATOR, both scheduled for release in 2004.
Some of Holm's other memorable film performances include ANOTHER WOMAN, HAMLET, FRANKENSTEIN, HENRY V, NAKED LUNCH, EXISTENZ and THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE. He appeared as the acclaimed lead in Atom Egoyan’s THE SWEET HEREAFTER, as well as handling roles in GREYSTOKE, KAFKA, TIME BANDITS, BRAZIL, ALIEN, DANCE WITH A STRANGER and DREAMCHILD. More recent films include BIG NIGHT, JOE GOULD’S SECRET, NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN, THE FIFTH ELEMENT, A LIFE LESS ORDINARY, BLESS THE CHILD, BEAUTIFUL JOE, FROM HELL and THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES.

Appearing in numerous productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Holm has earned the Evening Standard Award (Best Actor) for “Henry V” and “The Homecoming,” the latter for which he also won a Tony Award® (Best Supporting Actor) for the Broadway production. He won rave reviews and a Critics Circle Award for Harold Pinter’s “Moonlight.” His performance as King Lear at the National Theater won him another Critics Circle Award, an Olivier Award and the Evening Standard Award for Best Actor. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award (Best Actor) for the televised version of King Lear.

Holm has appeared in dozens of prestigious films for television. He was nominated for an Emmy award (Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie) for his role in the television movie “The Last of the Blonde Bombshells” alongside Dame Judi Dench, Leslie Caron and Olympia Dukakis. In 1998 the Queen of England knighted him for his ‘service to drama.’

RON LEIBMAN (Dr. Cohen)

Ron Leibman's most recent films include the highly regarded AUTO FOCUS, PERSONAL VELOCITY and NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN. He also starred in such American classics as NORMA RAE, SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE, THE HOT ROCK and WHERE’S POPPA?
On television he won an Emmy for his work on "Kaz" of which he was both creator and star. A Golden Globe Nominee for "Christmas Eve", he most recently appeared in a recurring role as Rachel's father on "Friends." Other guest star TV appearances include "The Practice,” "Law and Order," and "Central Park West."
On Broadway, Leibman won the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for his portrayal of Roy Cohn in Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Angels in America." He also won Drama Desk Awards for "We Bombed in New Haven," "Room Service," and "A Dybbuk."
Off Broadway, Leibman won Obie Awards for his portrayal of "Shylock" in the NY Shakespeare Festival's production of "The Merchant of Venice" and "Transfers."
He has just been named Chairman of the Acting Department of the Actor's Studio Drama School at The New School.

METHOD MAN (Diego)
Method Man is a charter member of the hugely successful hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan as well as a Grammy-winning solo artist.
As an actor he has appeared in such films as SOUL PLANE, MY BABY'S DADDY, SCARY MOVIE 3, HOW HIGH and BLACK AND WHITE.
Method Man got his start on the small screen appearing in his own music videos as well as those of Erykah Badu and Wu-Tang band-mate Redman. The Wu-Tang Clan was later featured in the rap documentary THE SHOW.
Method Man's first dramatic roles were in THE GREAT WHITE HYPE (as himself) and COPLAND. He also has made guest appearances on TV shows including "Oz," "Boston Public," "The Wire," Third Watch" and "The Twilight Zone."
His songs have been featured in more than a dozen films including THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, HOW HIGH, SHAFT, BULWORTH and SPACE JAM. He received a Grammy Award for the song "You're All I Need," featuring singer Mary J. Blige.

NATALIE PORTMAN (Sam)

Natalie Portman recently completed production on Mike Nichols' big-screen adaptation of Patrick Marber's Broadway hit CLOSER, opposite Jude Law, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.
She was last seen in Anthony Minghella's adaptation of the best-selling novel COLD MOUNTAIN, opposite Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renée Zellweger.
In the summer of 2003, Portman filmed the final installment of George Lucas' STAR WARS trilogy with Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor for Twentieth Century Fox. In 2002, Portman starred as Senator Amidala in STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES, following the huge success of Lucas' blockbuster hit STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE, in which her character was introduced. Both films, prequels to Lucas' wildly popular STAR WARS trilogy of the 70s and 80s, rank among the top-grossing films ever produced worldwide. Portman was also recently seen in Tom Tykwer's short film TRUE as part of the feature film PARIS JE T'AIME.

For her role as Susan Sarandon's daughter in Wayne Wang's ANYWHERE BUT HERE, Portman was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She received international acclaim for her feature debut in Luc Besson's THE PROFESSIONAL and received further recognition for her movie-stealing performance in the Ted Demme film BEAUTIFUL GIRLS and for her starring role opposite Ashley Judd in the coming of age story WHERE THE HEART IS.
Other feature credits include the Woody Allen musical EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU, co-starring Julia Roberts, Goldie Hawn, Alan Alda and Drew Barrymore; Tim Burton's black comedy MARS ATTACKS! with Jack Nicholson and Glenn Close; and Michael Mann's HEAT with Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and Val Kilmer.
Portman received critical acclaim as Nina in Mike Nichol's Shakespeare in the Park production of "The Seagull" opposite Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Philip Seymour Hoffman for the New York Shakespeare Festival. In the 1997-1998 Broadway season, Portman starred in the title role of "The Diary of Anne Frank," praised by USA Today as "a landmark performance."

PETER SARSGAARD (Mark)
Peter Sarsgaard received massive critical acclaim and honors including winning the Boston, San Francisco, St Louis, Toronto and National Society of Film Critics awards as well as a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of New Republic editor Charles Lane in Billy Ray’s film, SHATTERED GLASS.
Currently he is in production opposite Kate Hudson in THE SKELETON KEY, which was penned by Ehren Kruger (THE RING). In addition to KINSEY, Sarsgaard also recently completed a starring role opposite Patricia Clarkson and Campbell Scott in the thriller THE DYING GAUL for writer/director Craig Lucas.

Sarsgaard is perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed role in Fox Searchlight Pictures’ BOYS DON’T CRY opposite Hilary Swank and Chloë Sevigny for director Kimberly Peirce. Other roles include last summer’s submarine thriller K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER, opposite Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson; THE SALTON SEA, opposite Val Kilmer; EMPIRE, opposite John Leguizamo; and Wayne Wang’s controversial THE CENTER OF THE WORLD, opposite Molly Parker. He first gained notice as Leonardo DiCaprio's rival and John Malkovich's son in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. He also appeared in Larry Clark's ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE and Tim Robbins' DEAD MAN WALKING with Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon.
On the small screen, Sarsgaard starred in Showtime's acclaimed feature “Freak City,” produced by Michael Stipe and Sandy Stern's Single Cell Pictures.

A member of Douglas Carter Beane's New York-based theater company, The Drama Department, Sarsgaard appeared in their off-Broadway production "Kingdom of Earth," opposite Cynthia Nixon and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. In 2003, he appeared in the Signature Theatre Company's production of Lanford Wilson's BURN THIS. Sarsgaard attended the Actors' Studio Program at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, after which he was cast in Horton Foote's "Laura Dennis" at the Signature Theatre Company Off-Broadway.

JEAN SMART (Carol)

Perhaps best known to television audiences for her role as Charlene in the popular sitcom, "Designing Women," Jean Smart has received numerous accolades for her work in film, television and theatre.
She has won two Emmy Awards for her guest-starring role as Lorna, Frasier Crane's caustic ex on "Frasier" and she was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work as Sherry Regan on "The District."
In 2000, Smart earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance in the feature film GUINEVERE, and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play for her starring role opposite Nathan Lane in "The Man Who Came To Dinner" on Broadway.

Smart’s other film credits include BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, SWEET HOME ALABAMA, THE KID, SNOW DAY, THE ODD COUPLE II, MISTRESS, HOMEWARD BOUND: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY and THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE. Upcoming releases include director David O. Russell’s feature I LOVE HUCKABEES, distributed by Fox Searchlight.
On the small screen, Smart has starred in numerous made-for-television movies as well as such series as “High Society,” the American version of British sitcom “Absolutely Fabulous,” “Style and Substance" and "In-Laws."
Smart’s stage credits include the Broadway production of "Piaf" and the off-Broadway play "Last Summer at Bluefish Cove" for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. She also co-starred with Mary Steenburgen in the Los Angeles production of "Marvin’s Room" at the Tiffany Theater, Nicky Silver’s off-Broadway play "Fit To Be Tied" and the San Francisco production of "It Had To Be You," opposite her husband, Richard Gilliland.