Netflix’s Jewish Rom-Com ‘Nobody Wants This’ Was Inspired By A Real Love Story

What happens when an agnostic-shiksa-slash-podcast-host and an unconventional rabbi meet at a dinner party? Immediately, sparks fly but the road to love will be anything but easy when their meddlesome friends and family get involved. Oy vey…

Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody) must contend with differing life views on top of all the normal obstacles to modern love as her sister Morgan (Justin Lupe) and his brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) attempt to help their respective siblings navigate this newfound relationship.

In an interview just before the September 26 premiere of the ten-episode series, show creator Erin Foster told me she was motivated to write the pilot script because she lived the experience. She used creative license to raise the stakes by making Brody’s character a rabbi, but the real-life detail she did not change was that she fell in love with a Jewish man.

“I was 35 and single in L.A. and figured that it wasn’t going to happen for me, or maybe I was going to be a great second wife to someone and a stepmom. I was still making the same bad relationship decisions at 35 that I was making at 22 and I felt like I was never going to end this cycle,” Foster admitted, adding that she’d found peace with her single status.

“Then, Simon came into my life and I didn’t expect it and he was my perfect person, which doesn’t mean we didn’t have conflict. He challenged me in all the right ways. He wasn’t what I expected and it was interesting to me in my experience. When I converted to Judaism it was an interesting process. I grew up in L.A. with a lot of Jewish friends and the idea of converting to me was like, ‘Sure, whatever. I’ll be Jewish. All my friends are Jewish.’ But, converting for someone who has immigrant parents from the Soviet Union, who fled because they were Jewish, means something different. It was an interesting experience.”

Like Bell’s character, Foster was agnostic. She grew up in a Christian family but says her parents were not religious. There’s no way to ignore the fact that this series is coming out during a time of heightened anti-Semitism. When asked about this, it was clear this is a sensitive issue for Foster.

“I hope it doesn’t stop some people from watching the show. Anti-Semitism is a huge focus of mine. I am proud to have made a Jewish rom-com because we need one. This show sheds a positive light on Jewish culture in a fun, light way. I’m not trying to solve any world issues with this show. I don’t think I’m the person to solve this issue, but what I can do is create a Jewish story that shows Jewish culture in a positive light and also teaches people some things about Judaism in lighthearted ways because I have had such a beautiful experience embracing Judaism in my own life. I’m excited to be able to share that on a global level.”

In a separate interview, Bell and Brody talked about taking on these characters. Bell had taken three years off work to stay home with her children but was ready to get back to work when she read Foster’s script. She told me she grew up in an entirely Jewish community in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. “I was one of two gentiles. I begged to have a Bat Mitzvah. Almost all my friends growing up were Jewish.”

Bell was attached to the project before Brody and knew he’d be the perfect Noah. “I was particularly engaged because the rom-com perspectives were not from 22 year-olds which feels very modernized and the second I read it I thought this would be fun.”

She immediately related to Joanne because she, too, fell in love with a man who was very different from her. “I married my polar opposite,” she said, referring to her husband, Dax Shepard. “We could not be more different.”

As for Joanne and Noah and their many differences, Bell explained that falling in love is about honesty, integrity, a willingness to grow, and foundational trust. “When Joanne and Noah connect, their differences stand. Joanne is a child. She’s spontaneous. She has trouble adulting. Noah is doing great at adulting but is desperate for a little spontaneity.”

“He’s stunted as well,” said Brody, adding that Noah has a lot of growing up to do. “He has to stand up to his parents and follow his heart.”

Some of the funniest scenes in the show are with Lupe, Simons, and Jackie Tohn, who plays Noah’s sister-in-law, Esther. The three shared their thoughts on the show in a group interview.

Per Lupe, when she read Foster’s script she knew she wanted to be cast as Joanne’s sister, Morgan. “This is Erin’s love letter to Judaism. I felt the heart, the love, and the humanizing of all the characters, and that it was about getting through these differences and finding the things that bring us together. I thought it was so rich and fun.”

For Simons, this story is a celebration of Judaism. “We’re not trying to bring world events into the show. The celebration of the religion and culture is in there and that is overwhelmingly positive.”

Netflix is expanding its slate of scripted comedy and the streamer is particularly excited about this one. “We love Nobody Wants This for its fresh take on the rom-com and dating in a modern world,” said Tracey Pakosta, Vice President of Comedy Series at Netflix. “It’s the feel-good, laugh-out-loud comedy that audiences have been craving and a testament to the quality and range of our scripted comedies.”

Taking on real-life issues and adding a dash of laughter to the mix is the perfect way to educate viewers on topics they may not otherwise understand or relate to.

As Tohn said, now is the perfect time for a Jewish rom-com. “Jews are fun! Making people laugh feels good. It’s Jewish and that is important to me, but insert any culture or ethnicity and people wanting their child to be with a person who is from that same culture and it’s relatable.”