Adam Brody on 'Nobody Wants This' and Whether He'd Ever Play Seth Cohen Again

The 44-year-old's boyish charm has made him a cross-generational fan favorite. And lucky for audiences, his next role—Rabbi Noah in Netflix's hilarious new show 'Nobody Wants This'—gives the people what they've been craving.

Seth Cohen, the character—a hot comic-book enthusiast and one-half of a beloved on-screen couple—cemented Adam Brody, the actor, as early 2000s TV royalty and one-half a beloved real-life couple (his wife is, as we’re sure you know, Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester). It’s probably the boyish (even at 44 years old) charm he brings to every role. And even to the tiny Zoom box in which he appears on my screen.

“A lot of Seth wasn't me, but a lot was,” he explains to me on a sunny September morning, curls coiffed in his signature slightly-messy style. His demeanor matches the weather with a sprinkle of sarcasm, a clear example of the parts of Seth that were him. “I'm not gonna completely disappear, you know, or erase my own personality for every role. Some I try to really morph and become someone else entirely. Some I bring a lot of myself to, and it's a very comfortable and worthwhile place to work from.”

After rising to fame on The O.C., the actor continued to appear in a number of other iconic projects and cult classics, such as Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Jennifer’s Body, and Scream 4 to name a few. Lately, his IMDb has included Oscar-nominated films, such as Promising Young Woman and American Fiction, and FX’s seven-time Emmy-nominated series, Fleishman Is in Trouble, in which he played Toby Fleishman’s (Jesse Eisenberg) finance-bro friend, Seth Morris.

Brody’s newest project, the Netflix series Nobody Wants This—which also stars Kristen Bell—has all the makings of a subscriber’s latest obsession and the potential to become a rewatchable classic the way The O.C. has. If its star-studded cast and famous creator—the show is written by podcaster, writer, actress, and entrepreneur extraordinaire Erin Foster—don’t draw big numbers, then its heart-warming take on modern dating and irreverent, laugh-out-loud humor certainly will. The show, which premieres on September 26, follows a budding romance between Jewish rabbi, Noah (Brody), and “shiksa” sex podcaster, Joanne (Bell), as the two navigate their unlikely relationship and many differences.

Although Brody is Jewish himself (he had a Bar Mitzvah, but describes himself as “not religious at all” today), the role required him to do quite a bit of research. “I didn't really grow up feeling very in touch with the part of me that's Jewish,” he says. “I didn't grow up in a Jewish neighborhood. I knew very few other Jewish people. My parents weren't practicing Jews. I did get Bar Mitzvahed. We did Hanukkah. We did not have a Christmas tree. But that was sort of the long and short of it.”

In a climate of rampant anti-semitism, telling Jewish stories has become all the more important. This isn’t the first time that Brody has shone a light on the Jewish faith on screen. Seth Cohen’s made-up holiday, Chrismukkah, which combined both Christian and Jewish traditions, has become a pop-culture mainstay and a paradigm for dual-religion households. Brody thinks some of the qualities of his Jewish characters were subconsciously derived from his childhood and the community of people he met when he first moved to Los Angeles in his twenties.

“Even though I wasn't aware of it, some of it's my upbringing and some of it's a kinship of friends I found in my 20s and beyond,” he continues. “Not that [Jewish friendships were] something I look for, but there is some gravitational force.”

The Role of Rabbi Noah

How did you prepare to play a rabbi in Nobody Wants This?

I did some research, particularly for [Noah]. Unfortunately, the [SAG-AFTRA and WGA] strikes took place between me signing up for this job and then filming it. But, what that did allow me to do is have a lot of time to study all aspects of Jewish history, culture, and custom, mostly by reading and watching things, listening to podcasts.

Balancing Humor and Respect

How did you balance poking fun at Judaism with being respectful and shining a light on some of the faith’s customs and traditions?

Everyone's mileage may vary in that department. Some people are gonna find it incredibly charming, and maybe others won't. I felt the responsibility and was a little in over my head just because of the role, the prominence of me on this show, and the sensitivity of religion, race, and culture. I just had to trust—and I do trust—that it's all coming from a place of affection and celebration. Some of it is based on Erin Foster’s own life, and a lot of it is exaggerated for comedic effect. I trusted in the spirit of it, let go, and let the chips fall where they may. Ultimately, I think it's very life- , love- , and multiculturally-affirming.

The Rabbi's Secular Side

Was it difficult playing a rabbi while also giving Noah a secular life?

The secular stuff came easily, and that's obviously what I gravitated to first when I read it. I think that's what, even we as an audience, gravitate towards. For me, the job was to lean in the other direction as much as possible. It's so different from my own life and beliefs, quite frankly. The adventure and interesting element of it to me was to go down that road and lean into the faith and the scholarship and portray that as much as possible. Because at the end of the day, however secular he is, he's a rabbi. However sort-of modern his day-to-day lifestyle is, he's a rabbi. He's spending a lot of time with ancient texts, studying it lovingly, and looking at the world through that lens, and there's no denying that. It's a very passionate and committed life choice.

Navigating Modern Dating

In what ways do you think Noah and Joanne’s love story mirrors modern day dating?

I think what it is for anyone, both in a relationship or not, is just hopeful and comforting. You know that people fall in love, you'll fall in love. It's such a pleasant feeling. First and foremost, it's hopeful and love-affirming and should just feel good.

The Conversation About Change

In terms of concrete lessons, I think Kristen actually says it more eloquently, but just the idea that there's not a magic person for you that's perfect, where you don't have to change—doesn't mean you have to change your religion for somebody, doesn't mean everyone has to decide what is smothering yourself or what is growth for someone else. And that's a conversation to be had.

Either way, you're going to change if you're with someone, and that's the only way. That is an important lesson for me that I had to learn. If you're with a great person and the right person, there’s gonna be some positive growth, but you won't be able to 100-percent keep your exact everything about you with another person there. It's gonna take some compromise; you'll definitely have to swallow some pride to grow. You have to decide for yourself if this is a better you or you're getting smothered.

Lessons From Love

Any lessons viewers can learn from their relationship?

Navigating the space between growing and changing with someone and protecting your beliefs and individuality. It's a process that certainly Noah and Joanne have not finished. Maybe it's never finished.

[Relationships are] work, [but it] doesn't have to be hard work. It should be joyous work, in my opinion. Not that there aren’t moments, but, anytime… The trope is “marriage is hard.” I kind of roll my eyes at that a little bit. Maybe I'm just really lucky. I am really lucky. But regardless, I also think, it shouldn't be a drag totally. You got to brush your teeth, too. Everything's work.

Real-Life Inspiration

Did your marriage with Leighton inspire Noah and Joanne’s relationship at all?

Not that there was a moment, per se, where it was so applicable, but in general, yeah. I think I've learned a lot about what it takes to be in a healthy relationship, to be a partner. I think bringing a sense of maturity that I've garnered and acquired over the last 12-odd years is incredibly helpful, really, to any relationship you're portraying. I think there's some wisdom there and a comfort and a confidence of sharing a space and intimacy with someone else.

The Future of Noah

At the end of the season, it seems that Noah is considering leaving his station as rabbi. If the show were to get renewed for a second season, what do you think Noah should do?

My first reaction is to go for the girl. My first knee jerk answer is “Yeah, to Hell with it!” Nothing's more important to me than love. But there's responsibility and his passion. Do you throw that away?

One thing that I am curious about is: He wants her to convert, and, of course, it's his passion, so he would love for her to be able to share his passion. He would love to be able to share his passion with her and enjoy that with her. That said, I think most of the reason that he wants her to convert and is feeling pressure to get her to convert is external. It has to do with his family, it has to do with his job. I'm curious at what point it's more personal for him? I guess to me, there's the external forces that are pressuring him to pressure her to convert, and to those, I would maybe say: just follow your heart. But, at the end of the day, if his heart ultimately says I'm a man of this faith and culture, it's hard for me to give my heart to you and share a life with you if you're not also sharing this with me, then I'm more open to and sympathetic to either way he would make that decision.

Seth Cohen's Legacy

The O.C.’s Seth and Sandy Cohen [played by Peter Gallagher] are widely regarded as the best characters on the show.

Is semitism the opposite of anti-semitism?

The fans loved the father-son duo. In what ways are Seth and Noah similar? Did you incorporate any of Seth’s qualities into this new character? Or, on the other hand, how do you differentiate new characters from your iconic The O.C. character?

I don't worry about it. I mean, that’s the short answer. I really don't even think about it. Most of the time it organically is not that character. I find it all to be varied enough to keep me pretty happy.

Reliving The O.C.

You and Leighton both played iconic characters on popular 2000s shows. Do you ever reminisce together or go back and rewatch the shows?

We don't watch it. Who knows, when our kids are older, if they want to, then maybe we'll take that trip with them. But, we certainly talk about it. Not the characters—I mean, occasionally—but more about the experiences. We do have a lot in common. In some ways, almost nobody could understand it more than her and vice versa. And a lot of people involved were the same people, so there's just a lot of overlap.

What's Next for Adam Brody?

What is next for you?

Beats me. I don't know. Most of my work falls out of the sky. Sometimes I help develop it myself, and I am always working on a couple of things with a couple of friends. Sometimes it becomes an actual filmed product, and sometimes it's just a creative hobby. Regardless, it's fulfilling. As to what I truly end up doing next? Your guess is probably as good as mine. What am I doing next?