Erin Foster’s new rom-com series “Nobody Wants This” — now streaming on Netflix — pairs Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as a meet-cute couple with one major hurdle: He’s a hip (yet devout) rabbi, and she’s a blonde-haired shiksa. This causes complications in their family and work lives, as the pair discuss love, sex, friends and faith with the easygoing charm that two beloved Millenial actors inevitably conjure. Plus, they’ve already shared the screen several times, including in the series “House of Lies” and the 2017 film “CHiPs.” Brody spoke with Variety about his relationship with religion, nurturing an onscreen spark with Bell and getting recognized as “The O.C.” favorite Seth Cohen.
What about “Nobody Wants This” first spoke to you?
I knew about Kristen’s interest in me for it before I read it, and Kristen is a delight and a real talent. She also has an amazing track record, and I thought, “If she’s involved, it’s probably pretty good and I’m excited to read it.” When I read it, I thought Erin had done a really wonderful job with this charming script where I could play something that was both familiar in many ways, and also new in terms of the rabbi elements. I could stretch and do some research, so it had both a familiarity and a challenge.
Courtesy of STEFANIA ROSINI/NETFLIX
You and Kristen have such a great rapport in the show. What do you think is the secret to finding chemistry with an on-screen love interest?
I don’t know; I really don’t. I want to give credit to the writing. We’ve worked together before, not in as overtly romantic things. However, in both instances, we were couples or had a romantic history, and nobody said, “Wow, your chemistry!” The way these characters are set up lend themselves to chemistry, and you caring about them and wanting them to be together. She’s a really good actor and we both have really wonderful marriages, and we’re able to kind of mirror that, relive that or mimic that a little. But I think it’s probably also possible you could be a total narcissist and also fake some good chemistry on screen, so I’m not sure.
You’ve had so many different roles, ranging from charming men to total psychopaths. In this series, you’re definitely in charm mode. How are you able to find that gear?
I think again, most of it’s the writing. If they give you clever things to say, you’re in good shape. And then if you find something off-putting, try to not say it or say it as softly as possible. Take the edges off. If you can garner a laugh, be it from a joke that’s written or from something else you find along the way, that goes a lot a long way. The character is written as charming, and it’s not just like, “Here, it says it’s charming. Now you do it.” The dialogue is charming, and so it’s just dancing.
What was your research beyond the script? Did you speak to any hip rabbis?
I briefly did that sort of thing. I went to a synagogue for a Shabbat service. I went to a Shabbat dinner, but what I mostly did, and I had a lot of time because the strikes happened between when we filmed this project and when we agreed to do it, I had a lot of time to read and watch and listen. So I did a lot of podcasts, a lot of books, and a lot of movies and documentaries. I really went to school. It was very fun. It was very interesting, and I’m a lot wiser for it. It spanned the breadth of all things Jewish: I had my Torah studies, I had my Holocaust studies, I had my history of a people, tracing the lineage. It was all very illuminating.
Courtesy of STEFANIA ROSINI/NETFLIX
On “The O.C.,” you played one of the most notable Jewish characters that Millenials had ever seen on TV, and your new role dives far more into religious discussions. Did these parts make you think about faith and religion in ways you might not have considered before?
I’m not religious in any way, shape or form, but I try to be a student of history, of culture, of stories, of myth and literature. It’s all fascinating, and it’s all part of the human experience. I construct my own mythology and meaning for life. It’s not to say that I’m a nihilist — I have my own romantic way of looking at the world. “Leave it better than you found it” — that’s a human construct. I could say, “Well, the universe doesn’t care,” but it’s a human notion and I subscribe to it.
All to say this is the first character I’ve looked at that’s religious. I didn’t look at Seth Cohen as religious. They were Jewish culturally, but they weren’t, to me, referencing God or thinking about God. This character very much is.
At first, I gravitated toward the parts I related to the most: He’s an Angeleno, he’s at a dinner party, he’s hip, he’s not your typical rabbi. But the truth is, after five minutes of thinking about it, he’s a rabbi, and that means you’re not going to shy away from the religiosity of it. He is a deeply spiritual, devout Jew who has studied the Torah and the Talmud for most of his life, and lives his life in the best way he can according to it. He thinks about it daily, hourly, and that part became exciting to me. I thought, “Well, I’m an actor and that’s the part that I’m not. That’ll be a fun thing to go study and learn about and stretch and act.” I do feel a responsibility — I hope Jewish people like it. Simply put, I want to do them and us proud.
Looking at your career overall, you’ve done some daring indie films and cool smaller projects. Is there a performance of yours you’d love to get a spotlight on that maybe went under the radar?
I think “Kid Detective” is a good one for that. That was a very special movie to me. On one hand, I haven’t led many movies, but that’s kind of beside the point. The truth is I just really love it. I’m a huge fan of Evan Morgan, who wrote and directed it, and also it was more personal to me because we collaborated on it for so long, from inception to release. I’m proud of the hand I had in it.
What is the role that you are recognized most for these days? Has “Scream” or “Shazam!” overtaken Seth Cohen?
I think it will always be Seth Cohen, if I’m being honest.
You’ve had several roles that seem to play off of a persona audiences might think about when they see you, like how “Jennifer’s Body” and “Promising Young Woman” both subvert the Seth Cohen nice guy. Do you think of your career holistically, as in ways past roles might influence the audience’s perception of you?
I think a few projects have done that quite purposely. “Promising Young Woman” is a clear example of casting a bunch of people who are known for their nice guy characters and subverting that. I don’t know how conscious I was in the “Jennifer’s Body” crowd. I had worked with [producer] Jason Reitman before, so I don’t know if I just was nearby and age-appropriate, or it was more of a conscious decision to go, “What if Seth Cohen was a Satan worshipper?” I can see the benefits to that, certainly. But in general, I’d say most times that I’ve played a a scumbag it’s not necessarily purposely casting against type. Maybe that’s me being naive, but I feel versatile. I don’t feel pigeonholed, regardless if I’m most famous for Jewish nice guy characters. I truly do feel satisfied with the breadth of work I get to do.
You’re married to Leighton Meester. If you’re channel surfing in your house and an episode of “Gossip Girl” or “The O.C.” turns on, are you turning it off or watching it for a while?
Well, look, nobody channel surfs anymore. But hypothetically, if I did pass a channel and “The O.C.” was on at that moment. I’m sure I’d stop for a minute and check it out. But it just doesn’t happen that way.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
