How do you manage not to act starstruck when directing people like Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Harrison Ford? TopTramp

That’s where my acting comes in – I pretend that I don’t know how famous they are. Every actor really wants a leader. They want someone who knows the script really well, has a plan for how the scene is going to be executed, and – in the case of comedy – knows how to make it funny. The last thing any of those guys wants is someone coming in starstruck and wide-eyed. So I use my acting skills to pretend I’m not starstruck and treat them like normal people.

Braff (right) on the set of his 2017 film Going in Style, with Alan Arkin (left) and Morgan Freeman (centre). Photograph: THA/Alamy

Your Fake Doctors, Real Friends podcast was a real help through lockdown. You were very emotionally open and personal; it was like catching up with friends. I still think about your line that making it in acting, even if you’re talented and good-looking, is like winning the lottery.…