Nobody Wants This continues to be a huge hit on Netflix with fans falling in love with the bond between Joanne (played by Kristen Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody). The comedy-drama follows the unlikely couple as they navigate new territory when it comes to romance.
Erin Foster used her own love story with her husband, music executive Simon Tikhman, as her inspiration for the series. She describes the series as a “love letter” to her marriage.
Speaking on her real-life podcast, the creator explained she based Noah entirely on her husband because she wanted a character who was “emotionally available, chivalrous, old-fashioned … but also really funny and confident”. She added Noah needed to have “rizz” – a word for “charisma”.
Foster also based Noah’s background on her husband’s own upbringing, since he is the son of Jewish Russian immigrants.
“We didn’t come from similar backgrounds,” Foster said. “He came from a much more traditional place. I came from a more unconventional place. When we got together we were like, ‘How’s this gonna work?”
Simon Tikhman and Erin Foster are the real couple behind Nobody Wants This -Credit:Getty Images for Netflix
The couple met at a Los Angeles gym in 2018 and got engaged the following year, tying the knot during a New Year’s Eve celebration in 2019.
They welcomed their first child together, a daughter, in May.
The series follows Joanne as she decides whether to convert to Judaism and win the approval of Noah’s family.
In real life, Erin converted to Judaism ahead of their marriage and her manager suggested she write a show about her experience.
During a hilarious scene, Joanne gets the “ick” when Noah buys sunflowers for her mother, and she admits this actually happened.
Kristen Bell as Joanne with Adam Brody as Noah -Credit:NETFLIX
When her husband-to-be arrived to meet her mother carrying a huge bouquet of sunflowers, she got freaked out.
She felt if someone cared that much, it was a sign of “weakness”.
In October 2024 the series was renewed for a second season with Foster saying: “I’m so lucky to be able to continue this story and to do it alongside Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan, who I’ve been such a fan of since Girls. … Justice for healthy relationships being the most romantic!”
Noah star Adam Brody said season two may look at whether Noah’s job sacrifice was worth it.
He told Tudum: “What should he do? What should she do? What version of sacrifice is worth it?
“What constitutes growth, or what constitutes dimming yourself to be with someone else? It’s a sacrifice, but ideally, you grow together and you’re better for it — you don’t have to [lop] off a limb.”
