Netflix's latest hit series Nobody Wants This is an excellent rom-com, and like all great rom-coms, it has the perfect cast for its love story. Created by Erin Foster, the 10-episode must-watch series follows Joanne (Kristen Bell), an opinionated sex podcaster, and Noah (Adam Brody), a very hot rabbi. Though the pair want to be together (don't worry, Hot Priest fans, rabbis can date), they deal with several societal challenges, including the well-meaning judgment of their families.
To bring the story to life, the Netflix romance series gathered many familiar faces, including legendary Jewish actors and L.A.-based comedy stars (including several The Good Place alums). Read on to learn more about the lovable cast of Nobody Wants This.
Kristen Bell as Joanne
Joanne hosts a popular sex and dating podcast, in talks to be acquired by Spotify. She's opinionated, agnostic, and a tad cynical, though she isn't as bad a person as she fears she is. Her dating life mostly serves as fodder for her pod, until she meets someone unexpected.
Kristen Bell began her Hollywood career with the breakout titular role in the hit teen show Veronica Mars, and she went on to play several other iconic characters, including the voice of Gossip Gir, the titular ex in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Anna in Frozen. Her other notable projects include Starz's Party Down, Showtime's House of Lies, NBC's The Good Place, and Apple TV+'s Central Park.
Adam Brody as Noah Roklov
Noah Roklov is an unconventional, modern-day rabbi who wants to achieve his dream of being head rabbi and find his soulmate. Nobody Wants This's epic love story kicks off when he meets shiksa Joanne, shortly after breaking things off with his long-term, perfect Jewish girlfriend Rebecca.
Adam Brody needs no introduction for millennial women, as he's best known for playing teen heartthrob Seth Cohen in The O.C. Since then, he has also starred in 2005's Mr. and Mrs. Smith, 2009's Jennifer's Body, 2015's Sleeping With Other People, Crackle's StartUp, 2019's Ready or Not, 2020's Promising Young Woman, ABC's Single Parents, FX's Fleishman Is in Trouble, and 2023's American Fiction. (He's also married to Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester.)
Justine Lupe as Morgan
Morgan often butts heads with her sister and podcast co-host Joanne, over their different views on where the business should go and their opinionated natures. Still, the sisters are always there for each other.
Last year, Justine Lupe ended her run as the call girl and aspiring playwright turned wife of Connor Roy in the HBO hit Succession. The Juilliard grad has also appeared in shows and films including 2012's Frances Ha, ABC's Cristela, FX's Snowfall, Peacock's Mr. Mercedes, 2022's Luckiest Girl Alive, and Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Timothy Simons as Sasha Roklov
Noah's brother Sasha works for their father's company and has a family with his wife Esther and pre-teen daughter Miriam. He can be self-effacing, dubbing himself and Morgan the "loser siblings."
Timothy Simons is best known for his breakout role in the HBO comedy Veep, where he played The Pointless Giant, the mildest of many nicknames for Jonah Ryan. Since then, the actor and comedian has starred in movies and shows including 2014's Inherent Vice, 2016's Christine, 2020's Happiest Season, Max's Station Eleven, Hulu's Candy, 2022's Don't Worry Darling, and 2023's Joy Ride.
Jackie Tohn as Esther Roklov
Esther, Sasha's wife/Noah's sister-in-law, doesn't like Joanne, since Noah's ex-girlfriend Rebecca is her best friend.
She's played by Jackie Tohn, an American actress and musician who has appeared in shows and films including 2015's Sisters, Netflix's Glow, Prime Video's The Boys (and its spinoff Gen V), and 2023's Step Aside. She also competed on season 8 of American Idol in 2009, followed by the songwriting competition show Platinum Hit in 2011.
Tovah Feldshuh as Bina Roklov
Tovah Feldshuh is a stage and screen star who has acted on Broadway for over 50 years and received four Tony nominations. She plays Noah's overprotective mother Bina, who immigrated to the U.S. from Russia. On the TV side of her career, she's best known for appearing in Law & Order, Flesh and Bone, The Walking Dead, Salvation, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Paul Ben-Victor as Ilan Roklov
Noah's chill father Ilan is played by Paul Ben-Victor, an alum of prestige dramas including The Wire (where he played Spiros in season 2), Entourage, Vinyl, True Detective, and Paul T. Goldman. He has also appeared in films including The Irishman, True Romance, Daredevil, Don Jon, and The Baker.
Stephanie Faracy as Lynn
Joanne and Morgan's wellness-obsessed mother Lynn is played by Stephanie Faracy, a Brooklyn-born actress who made her television debut in a 1976 episode of Laverne and Shirley. She has appeared in movies including The Great Outdoors, Hocus Pocus, Sideways, Temple Grandin, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, as well as shows like His & Hers, True Colors, Frasier, Devious Maids, and Uncoupled.
Michael Hitchcock as Henry
Joanne's father Henry has recently separated from his wife Lynn to explore his homosexuality—but don't worry, the family's all still close. He's played by Michael Hitchcock, an alum of the famed improv group The Groundlings, who has appeared in shows including Mad TV, The Suite Life on Deck, Men of a Certain Age, The United States of Tara, Glee, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Black Monday. He also previously costarred with Kristen Bell in the Netflix spoof The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window.
Sherry Cola as Ashley
Ashley is not only Joanne's close friend and podcast producer; she's the mutual friend whose dinner party begins Joanne and Noah's love story. She's played by Sherry Cola, an actress and comedian who rose to fame playing Alice Kwon on the Freeform series Good Trouble. She's since starred in movies and shows including 2022's Turning Red, 2023's Shortcomings and Joy Ride, 2024's A Family Affair, and Netflix's Blue Eye Samurai.
Leslie Grossman as Rabbi Shira
Rabbi Shira—Noah's old camp counselor turned wise mentor—is played by Leslie Grossman, an L.A.-born actress and frequent collaborator of Ryan Murphy. The longtime TV actress has appeared in dozens of shows, most notably The WB's Popular and What I Like About You, Hulu's Love, Victor, FX's American Horror Story; and Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Hernandez Story.
Emily Arlook as Rebecca
Noah's ex (and Esther's best friend) Rebecca is played by Emily Arlook, best known for playing Nomi Segal on Freeform's college series Grown-ish. The Jewish-Buddhist actress has also appeared in 2019's Big Time Adolescence, 2023's You People, and a couple of episodes of The Good Place.
D'Arcy Carden as Ryann
Joanne's good friend Ryann (seen above, next to Bernard David Jones as Charles) is played by Kristen Bell's former The Good Place co-star D'Arcy Carden. In addition to her fan-favorite role as Janet in NBC's hit comedy, Carden is an actress, comedian, and UCB alum who has also appeared in shows including Broad City, Single Parents, Barry, and A League of Their Own.
