Homeland's Mandy Patinkin Joins Zach Braff’s Kickstarter Film Project Wish I Was Here

Homeland star Mandy Patinkin is the first actor to be cast in Zach Braff’s Kickstarter-funded film project Wish I Was Here, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Patinkin will play the father of Braff’s character Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor and father who must homeschool his two young children when his ailing dad can no longer pay for the kids to attend private school. Broadway alum Jim Parsons (Harvey) will also appear in the movie, based on an original screenplay by Braff and his brother Adam Braff.

With nine days to go in the 30-day fundraising period, the film has already raised more than $2.6 million from over 38,000 backers, far exceeding its $2 million goal. Braff’s project has also received a notable backlash from critics who disagree with the ethical implications of his use of the crowdsourcing website Kickstarter.

Patinkin is, of course, a certifiable Broadway star and Tony Award winner with credits like Evita (Tony Award), Sunday in the Park with George, The Secret Garden, Falsettos and The Wild Party. He last tread the Broadway boards in the 2011-12 season with his acclaimed concert An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.