Esther McGregor found an unexpected link between her father, Ewan McGregor, and her Clean Hands co-star Zach Braff. The actress said both men had a playful approach to work. That similarity made her feel at ease with Braff while they were shooting the emotional drama. It also influenced the relationship between their characters.
Ewan McGregor’s daughter Esther reveals how Zach Braff reminded her of dad while filming Clean Hands
Esther spoke about the connection in an exclusive interview with E! News alongside Braff. She said she and her father “definitely poke at each other” and recalled playing “crazy games” with him when she was younger. Those memories helped her notice similarities between her dad and Braff. “I think that, yeah, there’s definitely some similarities,” Esther said.
Esther and Braff played Brooke and Kevin Simmers in Clean Hands. Their characters shared a father-daughter relationship, and their easy humor helped the actors build that connection on screen. Braff said their communication style became an important part of their work. He explained that their “easy, easy banter” helped show how Kevin and Brooke made each other laugh.
That playful bond also carried special weight because Clean Hands told Kevin and Brooke’s real story. Kevin worked as a former police officer, while Brooke faced a yearslong battle with addiction before she died following a 2015 overdose. Braff said the pair were close friends as well as family. “He was the ultimate girl dad,” Braff said, adding that they played basketball together and were “best friends.”
Braff and Esther understood the responsibility that came with portraying the pair. Their on-set connection helped them show the warmth between Kevin and Brooke. Braff said their friendship made the story “so extra tragic.” The actors focused on the bond that existed between the father and daughter.
Esther also hoped the film could offer something hopeful to people who knew stories like this. She called the story “everywhere” and said she hoped it “gives and shines a new light on the hope that Kevin brings.” “This story really is highlighting that there is light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
