Nobody Wants This Season 2 arrived on the 2025 TV schedule about two weeks ago, and it’s already been renewed for Season 3 by Netflix. It’s exciting to know we’ll get to see what’s next for Joanne and Noah, but Adam Brody shared one request he gave to the series creator that has nothing to do with the core romance, and I’m all in on his thoughts.

During the Season 2 finale of Nobody Wants This, Kristen Bell and Adam Brody’s characters level up in their connection further after Joanne realizes she’s embraced being Jewish more than she even realized, whilst Noah simultaneously realizes it doesn’t matter to him what her faith is. Going into Season 3, Brody wants to focus on Noah's relationship with a different character, too. Here’s what he told The Hollywood Reporter about his big request to creator Erin Foster after watching the season himself:

Timothy Simons plays Noah’s older brother, Sasha, but for some reason, they just haven’t shared very many plotlines or significant scenes together. As a fan of the show, I think Brody’s request is dead on. However, Foster seemingly has different ideas about it, as she said this about her star's ask:

I sincerely hope Foster is joking, because this is a top-tier idea, especially because Joanne, her sister Morgan (Justine Lupe), and their flawed sister relationship is such a highlight of the show. Think about it, getting to see more of the brotherly relationship between Noah and Sasha would be lovely and hilarious. It'd also add depth to both their characters.

Brody also noted that he’s longtime been a fan of his co-star, who was most famously part of the Veep cast before this.

While the cast was on the subject, the Nobody Wants This creator added that when they were casting the Roklov brothers for the show, they actually put more thought into it than they did when casting Noah and Joanne. In her words:

During the interview, Jackie Tohn, who plays Sasha’s wife Esther, exclaimed, “That’s cute as shit!” over the fun fact about how Adam Brody and Timothy Simons became brothers on Nobody Wants This.

While there arguably wasn’t enough of the brothers interacting in either season, Sasha did have a rather big season with the arc between him and Esther, which could be leading to a split, considering how the couple left things at the end of the season.

Perhaps if Sasha does end up going through a split with Esther in Season 3, he’ll have more time to spend with Noah, and they’ll have to lean on each other a lot more than they have in previous seasons. Funny enough, there’s been a lot more memorable (and arguably sketchy) scenes with him and Morgan (Joanne's sister) than with his own brother on the show.

I know I’m all in on Adam Brody’s request, but we’ll have to wait and see what the creator and writers decide about Nobody Wants This Season 3. For now, you can keep watching it with a Netflix subscription!

Last year, Nobody Wants This was the streaming schedule release nobody saw coming. The wonderful rom-com surprised viewers, anchored by Adam Brody’s neurotic rabbi and Kristen Bell’s mouthy podcast host, the series (available with a Netflix subscription) mixed meet-cute energy with interfaith complexity and somehow stuck the landing. Season 1 didn’t just resonate with viewers, but crushed it with critics, too, scoring Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. But Season 2? Well, it's nowhere near Season 1’s Rotten Tomatoes score, and fans are going off about what happened.

Comparing Season 1 and Season 2's Rotten Tomatoes Scores

Season 2 of Nobody Wants This currently holds a lukewarm 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, a sharp drop from the glowing 95% Season 1 earned. While that might still be considered “fresh,” the drop isn’t subtle. Critics and fans alike are questioning what went wrong.

The central chemistry between Adam Brody and Kristen Bell hasn’t vanished, but it’s buried under recycled plotlines, shallow character development, and so much product placement it starts to feel like part of the script.

Here’s how the scores stack up:

• Season 1: 95% – Critics loved the mix of heart and humor.
• Season 2: 77% – Critics say the magic's faded.

But the bigger red flag is the audience scores. Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcorn Meter, which reflects general viewer sentiment, shows an even steeper drop:

• Season 1: 85% – Viewers called it funny, heartfelt, and refreshingly original.
• Season 2: 55% – Viewers cite flat chemistry, repetitive storylines, and a lack of emotional payoff.

So what happened? How are fans online taking the change in quality? Well, let's get into it.

Fans' Online Reaction To Nobody Wants This Season 2

It's worth noting that between Seasons 1 and 2, there was a change behind the scenes. Erin Foster, who built Season 1 loosely on her own life, stepped back, and Jenni Konner (Girls) and Bruce Eric Kaplan (Girls, Six Feet Under) took over as showrunners. While it seemed like they tried to smooth out some of the more problematic elements from the first season, including critiques of the portrayal of Jewish women and questions about Joanne and Morgan’s ignorance, the core couple’s emotional beats stayed the same. Too much of the same.

Brody and Bell spend most of the season circling each other in déjà vu conflicts that have left a lot of the show's core audience confused and frustrated. Here’s a snapshot of the conversation happening across Threads:

• “They've somehow made me indifferent to these two ending up together.” – millydayy
• “Because nothing happened. They just copy and pasted season 1 with more product placement.” – themaindwayne
• “The side characters are way more interesting. Morgan and Esther are my favourites 🖤” – noorasalminen_
• “It also shouldn’t have been Noah giving Joanne the speech at the end. They did that in season 1...” – fraser_roads
• “Romantic comedies aren’t supposed to have sequels.” – pantalones79
• “... Joanne is unlikeable this season.” – shnoodybugg
• “I’ve been through the first season multiple times. It’s excellent. Second season I haven’t even finished yet. :/ it’s basically repeating itself but with more frustrating storylines and 0 character development.” – chrisandalli

Critics like The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg point out a structural issue: without a procedural “B-plot” to keep things moving, the show has nothing to fall back on when the romance stalls. In other shows, think Castle or Bones, romantic tension is framed by crime-solving. Here, when the tension dips, there's not much left.

Still, not everything is broken. Supporting characters like Sasha (Timothy Simons) and Morgan (Justine Lupe) pick up some of the slack, and moments like Sasha’s dance for Esther have been called “the highlight” of the entire season by more than a few fans.

But those bright spots aren’t enough to revive a core narrative that now feels tired and repetitive. To make matters worse, the show isn’t cracking Netflix’s Top 10 and is currently being outperformed by episodes of Ms. Rachel.

If Season 1 asked, “Can love bridge a faith divide?” Season 2 seems stuck asking, “Are we still doing this?” It’s disappointing to see a show with so much potential stumble in its second act. Whether there’s a Season 3 or not, fans are hoping the creative team can course-correct, but if they can’t, well, at least we’ll always have that near-perfect first season.

Spoilers for Season 2 of Nobody Wants This are ahead! Read with caution and stream the show with a Netflix subscription.

In Season 2 of Nobody Wants This, my fears from Season 1 came true... kind of. Throughout the season, Adam Brody’s Noah and Kristen Bell’s Joanne had to face the challenge of whether or not she’d convert to Judaism head-on. It was an inevitable hurdle they had to jump over after they decided to stay together last season, and they almost tumbled over it. The keyword is almost, though, because they decided to stay together in the final moments of the season, and that’s in part thanks to a conversation Joanne had with Esther.

So, when I had the opportunity to interview Jackie Tohn about this show ahead of its release on Netflix’s 2025 schedule, I had to ask her about the vital role her character Esther played in keeping Noah and Joanne together.

What Esther Told Joanne At The End Of Nobody Wants This Season 2

To recap, in the final episode of the season that just premiered on the 2025 TV schedule, the issue of whether Joanne will convert to Judaism hits a breaking point. Ultimately, that leads her and Noah to break up. Then, when she goes to the bathroom, she runs into Esther, and she starts listing all the things she’d miss about Judaism. In response, Jackie Tohn’s character says:

Esther goes on to say that Joanne’s sense of humor and her tendency to overshare are Jewish. She also called her “a true kibitzer” and “yenta.” She then went on to name all the other things that make Joanne Jewish, like her being obsessed with her family and her eating challah early. It was a sweet and, more importantly, lightbulb moment.

As Esther said, “With or without Noah, you’re Jewish,” Joanne was coming to a realization. And that realization that she was ready to convert is what led her back to Noah.

What Jackie Tohn Told CinemaBlend About Esther And Joanne’s Scene And Her Personal Connection To It

There’s no question, Esther is one of the major reasons why Joanne came to this realization that she was ready to be Jewish. Therefore, she’s part of how Noah and Joanne got back together. When I asked Jackie Tohn about what that meant to Esther during an interview for CinemaBlend, she said:

She’s right, Esther tells it like it is, and while she and Joanne were on better terms this season, they really aren’t that close. So, for her to so matter-of-factly tell Bell’s character that she’s become Jewish simply by falling in love with the little things about the religion while she was going through her own heartbreak with Sasha means the world.

However, it didn’t just mean the world on-screen. It was important to Tohn personally, too. The Jewish actress has been friends with Kristen Bell for decades, and to deliver this message to her was incredibly meaningful. Explaining why that was the case, the actress said:

That’s so sweet! To be able to deliver such a heartfelt message to such a real close friend must have been wonderful, and Jackie Tohn made it clear that it was.

Now, I’ll be curious to see how this ending changes both Joanne and Noah’s relationship as well as Esther and Joanne’s friendship. However, we’ll have to wait and see when it comes to that. For now, I’ll just be basking in this sweet scene that helped lead Nobody Wants This’ two lovebirds back together.

If you grew up loving teen dramas and watching The CW, odds are, you watched and adoredThe O.C. and Gossip Girl (I know I did). So, when I learned that those projects’ stars, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, were a couple in real life, I swooned. Now, I’m properly freaking out, because they’re sharing the screen in a project on the 2025 TV schedule, and I’m not the only one. Yeah, fans of Seth Cohen and Blair Waldorf are also making it clear that they very much wanted all of this on Season 2 of Nobody Wants This.

Long before Season 2 of Nobody Wants This premiered on Netflix’s schedule, it was announced that Meester would be guest-starring on her husband’s show, which also stars the voice of Gossip Girl, Kristen Bell. Now, the project is out, and people have had a chance to see the Gossip Girl vet's character, Abby, interact with Brody’s Noah and Bell’s Joanne in Episode 5 of Season 2. Let’s just say the nostalgia is hitting hard on social media, as @cloiskryptonite posted:

In response to that iconic post that called out the fact that both Meester and Bell were on Gossip Girl, and Brody is an equally iconic early 2000s icon from The O.C., @TheNuGeekz had a hilarious reply. Writing in the voice of Gossip Girl, they posted:

First of all, as a Chuck and Blair shipper, this is hilarious. Secondly, as a fan of Adam Brody and Leighton Meester as a real-life couple, I’m so here for this.

What also got me laughing was the fact that in the show (which you can stream with a Netflix subscription), Noah actually says that Abby, Meester’s character who is Joanne’s childhood nemesis, is “not my type.” That’s truly hilarious considering Brody has been married to her since 2014. And audiences clearly got a kick out of it as @caitlingilbs reacted to that moment with the following statement:

Over in the comments of Nobody Wants This Instagram post about the scene Brody and Meester share, the gushing continued. This whole moment really had everything to make a child of the early 2000s melt, as @piccalilli_la wrote:

Many hearts were melting over seeing Meester and Brody interact on Nobody Wants This. That was proven by @aakankshaaa_a's post about the show, as they wrote the day Season 2 premiered:

There really is something about this whole situation that brings back all the nostalgia. To think that Seth Cohen from The O.C. and Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl got married in real life was already incredible. Now, the fact that they’re sharing the screen in a show that stars Kristen Bell, who is not just the star of another early 2000s hit, Veronica Mars, but also the voice of Gossip Girl, makes it even better.

Now, to feel all the nostalgic feels the fans and I were feeling here, you can stream Season 2 of Nobody Wants This on Netflix now.

October is coming to a close, but the spooky season is far from over. This week sees a pair of new series that are likely to send chills down your spine, along with much more family-friendly fare and the return of a fan favorite romantic comedy. There’s something for everybody this week.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle - October 22 (Hulu)

1992’s The Hand That Rocks The Cradle was number one at the domestic box office for a month. While the remake (which sees Mary Elizabeth Winstead take over from Rebecca De Mornay) will only be available with a Hulu Subscription, we can guess that Disney hopes this film about a woman who becomes a nanny to terrorize a family she believes wronged her will be just as successful.

Lazarus - October 22 (Prime Video)

Mystery and thriller author Harlan Coben has written numerous bestsellers. In 2022, he signed a deal with Amazon, which led to a well-received adaptation of his novel Shelter. The newest project from this partnership (available with a Prime Video subscription) is Lazarus, starring Bill Nighy and Sam Claflin as a son who begins to see the dead following the apparent suicide of his father.

Nobody Wants This, Season 2 - October 23 (Netflix)

The hit romantic comedy series starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody returns for a second season as your favorite couple continues to deal with the beautiful and complicated relationship. Despite the title, it seems clear that everybody with a Netflix subscription wants this.

Weapons - October 24 (HBO Max)

A last-minute addition to this list, it was just announced this past Friday that one of the best movies of 2024 so far, Weapons, will be making its streaming debut this week. Make sure you have your HBO Max subscription ready because you won't want to miss this wild ride.

LEGO Frozen: Operations Puffins - October 24 (Disney+)

It’s still going to be a few years before fans get the long-awaited Frozen 3, but those who let it go (sorry) will have some new Frozen fun available with their Disney+ subscription in the form of the latest Disney and LEGO animated collaboration. LEGO Frozen: Operation Puffins sees the Duke of Weselton use the sea birds as an army to attack Arrendale. Several members of the Frozen voice cast, including Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, and Josh Gad, all reprise their roles.

A House of Dynamite - October 24 (Netflix)

From the director of Zero Dark Thirty comes A House of Dynamite. With a stellar cast including Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Jared Harris, and more, the new film from Kathryn Bigelow sees an apparent ICBM launch against the U.S., and the government must take what little time it has left to figure out the right way to respond, and possibly avoid the end of the world.

IT: Welcome to Derry, Season 1 - October 26 (HBO Max)

IT is considered by many to be Stephen King’s greatest work. It’s a story so big it required two films to tell the whole story. And yet, the story isn’t quite complete. From Andy Muschietti (the director of IT) comes IT: Welcome To Derry, which serves as a prequel to the films that explore the evil that came to town in the years before. Be sure to have your HBO Max subscription to check out this one.

Halloween is almost here, so we can bet that a few spooky surprises will be in store on your favorite streaming platform next week. Be sure to check back here to see what’s coming to Netflix, Disney+, and all the rest.

Dreams are coming true on Netflix’s 2025 schedule. We finally got Wednesday Season 2, Stranger Things Season 5 is coming, and on October 23, we’ll get Season 2 of Nobody Wants This. Now, the Adam Brody and Kristen Bell-led romance's premiere date alone is a dream. However, what makes it even better is that we’ll get to see real-life couple, Brody and Leighton Meester, work together on-screen.

Now, we also know a scene has been crafted specifically to bring their characters together, and I have a theory about what it might involve.

Adam Brody And Leighton Meester Will Share The Screen In Nobody Wants This Season 2

Not long after Nobody Wants This was renewed, it was announced that Brody’s wife would be appearing in Season 2. In the months since, we’ve learned a bit about her character, too. It’s been confirmed that she’ll be portraying Kristen Bell’s character’s middle school nemesis and momfluencer, Abby.

So, knowing that, I assumed she’d share the majority of her scenes with the Veronica Mars actress instead of her real-life husband. However, while chatting with Vanity Fair, co-showrunner Jenni Konner explained that they purposely crafted a scene where Meester and Brody’s characters cross paths. In fact, when they learned that the Gossip Girl star was joining the show, they expanded the part too, as Konner said:

While Brody and Meester have collaborated before, there’s something about this Netflix hit that hits different. So, I can’t wait to see this hilarious scene they’ll share together. However, before we get to see it, I have to explain the theory I have about how Abby and Brody's character Noah will meet.

I Have A Theory About How The Real Life Couple Will Interact In Nobody Wants This

So, we know that Leighton Meester’s character comes into the fold from Joanne’s side, so my guess is she won’t know Noah. That begs the question: How on Earth will they meet? Well, I'm theorizing that this will happen while Brody and Bell’s characters are together at an event or something. However, I don’t think that will be the big scene the real-life couple shares.

No, no. My theory is that this scene they’ve crafted for Meester and Brody will happen at Noah’s place of work. I think it’d be hilarious for Abby to show up his synagogue to confront him or ask for some kind of favor.

There’s something about her bursting into his place of work (which is also a place of worship) that feels really funny. Konner said what Meester does in the show is hilarious and unexpected, and her scene with The O.C. actor is “so much fun,” so this feels like a natural way for all that to happen.

So, here’s hoping Abby takes a trip to Noah’s synagogue unannounced to confront him about something, because that feels like a logical yet silly way for the couple to share a notable scene together in Nobdy Wants This.

Of course, I don’t actually know how Adam Brody and Leighton Meester will share the screen in Season 2. However, I’m feeling good about my theory, and I can’t wait to watch what happens between their characters (whether I’m right or super wrong) with a Netflix subscription when Nobody Wants This returns on October 23.

Trust me, I want Nobody Wants This Season 2; I want it so badly. In fact, I’m counting down the days to its premiere on Netflix’s 2025 schedule. However, I can’t lie, I’m nervous too. Season 1 ended with Noah chasing after Joanne and saying, “You were right. I can’t have both." So, I’ve been living in fear that this decision could lead to a vicious cycle of regret and resentment. However, Adam Brody has quickly made me feel better by sharing his thoughts on Noah’s actions.

Back when I binged Nobody Wants This with my Netflix subscription, I was quick to write about how Noah’s choice at the end to go to Joanne deeply stressed me out. While I was thrilled he ran after her, I also couldn’t help but think of the repercussions since this will likely directly impact his potential job as head rabbi.

However, in an interview with Deadline, Adam Brody was asked, “Will Noah regret choosing Joanne over becoming head rabbi?” And his answer quelled my Nobody Wants This anxiety, as he said:

Talk about not mincing his words! The confidence with which the Noah actor answered that question means so much to me, because I’ve been wondering if his character would regret his choice.

Obviously, I love a grand romantic gesture. I’m a sucker for one, in fact. However, the whole situation in Nobody Wants This is so deeply complex and nuanced. On the one hand, Noah getting the job as head rabbi is a dream come true, and everything he’s been working toward. So, I want Joanne to support him. However, on the other hand, if she feels like she does not want to 100% convert to Judaism, she shouldn’t have to, and Noah should support that. And sadly, I think it’s impossible for both of them to get exactly what they want while in this relationship.

Therefore, I had a big fear that Noah’s decision to run to Joanne could lead to resentment if he loses the head rabbi position.

However, Brody’s words ease my anxiety tenfold. I’m sure what he did could cause tension, and this push and pull between religion and romance will continue to be a primary point of conflict in the series. I’m thrilled to know, though, that it won’t tear them apart, because this statement makes it clear that Noah will never regret his choice.

One of my favorite things about Nobody Wants This is its focus on healthy communication. Noah and Joanne are so good at talking out their feelings, and I know that as they face this next challenge, they’ll continue to do that. That was simply reaffirmed by Brody’s blunt and very sweet statement about how his character feels about all this.

So, now I’m feeling great going into Season 2 of Nobody Wants This. And my countdown to its October 23 premiere on the 2025 TV schedule is no longer riddled with worry (for the most part).

As a somewhat middle-of-the-pack millennial, I can’t help but love a good throwback to the ‘90s and ‘00s. Something that really puts a smile on my face is vintage red carpet footage of any then-young stars who are still acting today. So I was absolutely delighted when seeing Adam Brody watch footage of himself and Kaley Cuoco from the early aughts. The video may be short, but I just can't stop watching it.

Brody recently attended the inaugural Newport Beach TV Festival, where he received the TV Performance of the Year Award for Nobody Wants This (available to stream with a Netflix subscription). That's where the actor was when ET revealed the 2000 interview to him. Via the outlet’s Instagram, you can watch Brody relive his first interview in which his Growing Up Brady co-star Kaley Cuoco joins him. Check out the video below to see the vintage clip as well as Brody's reaction to it:

Needless to say, Adam Brody and Kaley Cuoco has come a long way from starring in a Brady Bunch-centric TV movie. In fact, Brody is filming Nobody Wants This Season 2, which set to be released amid the 2025 Netflix schedule. Meanwhile, Cuoco is set to star in an HBO sitcom tentatively titledKansas City Star. With that said, I'm smiling hard over the sight of the fresh-faced actors in the video. I'm fully on board with the post’s vibe check too: "If you can't handle Adam Brody with his thumb ring, then you don’t deserve him as the Hot Rabbi!"

Unsurprisingly, many are in the comment section, expressing their love for the throwback interview. Cuoco even spotted the post and provided a take:

• Oh my goodness!😂❤️- kaleycuoco
• ❤️🙌🔥👏- kajol_raj422
• Him and Kaley havent aged a bit - stj.1990
• Oh baby Kaley too ❤️ gorgeous people all around - grace_lionpuppy
• 😍😍- cici.loves.you

Cuoco and Brody’s back-and-forth, gum-chewing and overall fun vibes have me feeling very nostalgic. As a few fans pointed out, neither has aged, and I'd have to agree. Looking back on my own experiences, I truly became familiar with these two by way of Cuoco's 8 Simple Rules and, of course, Brody's The O.C. (I did also clock him on Gilmore Girls as dream boyfriend Dave Rygalski, though).

As is also the case for Kaley Cuoco, Adam Brody's professional trajectory has been quite impressive. He's starred in films like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Jennifer's Body (of which Amanda Seyfried wants him to join a sequel), Shazam! and Ready or Not. The aforementioned Netflix show is arguably the biggest feather in his professional cap right now, and I can't wait to see more of him during the new episodes.

When it comes to where Brody and Cuoco will be in another 25 years, I'd hope that both are still thriving as actors. A lot can happen over the course of the next few decades, and I wouldn't mind seeing the two stars team up on something at some point. As I wait for that to happen though, I'll just be sitting here rewatching this Brody video on repeat.

There are a lot of upcoming horror movies I’m looking forward to, but if Jennifer’s Body 2 was officially part of that list, I’d be a lot more excited. While the 2009 movie was a flop that I also overlooked due to the marketing, in recent years, it has become a verified horror classic. So you can imagine the glee I felt when I saw Amanda Seyfried and Adam Brody talking about a sequel.

While we’ve heard writer Diablo Cody say she’s “not done with Jennifer’s Body” after initially having a bad experience with the movie when it came out, Amanda Seyfried finally got the conversation going about it while reuniting with her co-star Adam Brody. (Yes, if you forgot, the Nobody Wants This star was part of the Jennifer’s Body cast). Check out the pair’s conversation below:

Amanda Seyfried: "We’re going to do another one. Are you going to do it?"

Adam Brody: "I certainly wasn’t contacted. I died."

Amanda Seyfried: "You did die, but so did Megan [Fox], and I’m not doing it without her."

Adam Brody: "There’s supernatural elements at play, but I have to say as much as I would want to, it feels very tangential to…"

Amanda Seyfried: "Not if you played the devil."

Adam Brody: "If I played THE devil?"

Amanda Seyfried: "That would be amazing."

Adam Brody: "Is there a devil in it?'

Amanda Seyfried: 'No, I don’t know anything about it. I know [producer Mason Novick] was like ‘You wanna do this?’ And I was like ‘Whatever, yeah, absolutely. Like if you make this, yeah I’ll come.’'

On one of Variety’s latest episodes of Actors on Actors, Seyfried and Brody had a sprawling conversation about each other’s careers as they both receive acclaim for their recent TV shows. During the episode, I love that Seyfried not only brought up Jennifer’s Body 2 being in the works, but also advocated for Brody to take up an excellent role.

Jennifer’s Body was certainly ahead of its time, and so was its talent, with Megan Fox, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, Kyle Gallner and Chris Pratt all being part of it. Nowadays, it’s often applauded for being one of the best female-led written and directed horror movies ever made. It’s got a solid commentary on the objectification of women and some awesome queer representation.

Can you imagine if Adam Brody actually played the Devil in the sequel? As Seyfried shared, she doesn’t actually have any idea what the filmmakers might be cooking up, but I think she’s on to something. As you might recall, in the original movie, Brody plays a musician in a band called Low Shoulder who takes Megan Fox’s Jennifer into the woods and offers her as a sacrifice to Satan in exchange for fame and fortune.

But because Jennifer is not a virgin, she becomes a murderous succubus instead. It would be quite genius if Brody’s character came back as the Devil since he summoned all the evil in the first place. It would especially work since it totally goes against the nice guy type he usually plays.

Hopefully these comments get more people talking about Jennifer’s Body 2, because I think this sequel is honestly overdue!

When I watched Nobody Wants This with my Netflix subscription, and I saw Noah and Joanne kiss for the first time, I was saying OMG. Then, I was saying it again at the end of NWT’s first season when Adam Brody’s character ran after Kristen Bell’s. However, apparently, they won’t be who we’re gasping over in Season 2.

Oh no, when Season 2 of Nobody Wants This premieres on Netflix’s schedule, we’ll apparently be dropping our jaws for other characters, and I have a theory about which ones.

Kristen Bell And Adam Brody Said Nobody Wants This’ OMG Moments Of Season 2 ‘Won’t Necessarily’ Be About Noah And Joanne

Knowing that the show is wrapped and there’s a goal to release Nobody Wants This Season 2 on the 2025 TV schedule, I’m starting to really think about what will happen to Noah and Joanne. EW was too, as it asked Kristen Bell and Adam Brody if they had filmed a scene in their sophomore season that they think fans will “lose their minds about.”

While she wouldn’t divulge details, Bell surprisingly answered the question by saying:

In response to that question, Brody proclaimed that he agreed with her statement “wholeheartedly.”

Well, what does that mean? Last season, almost all the biggest moments involved Joanne and Noah. However, in Season 2, it would seem that some of the most shocking scenes will involve other characters.

Explaining why this will happen in Season 2, the Veronica Mars actress said:

You know, that makes sense. In Season 1, we were introduced to a lot of people in Noah and Joanne’s world. And in the second season, it makes sense that we’d get to know them even more, as the two leads really settle into their relationship.

So, considering the relationships established in those first episodes, I have a theory about who will get these OMG moments in Season 2.

Therefore, I’m Theorizing That Noah And Joanne’s Siblings Will Play A Much Larger Role In Season 2

After reading all of that from Bell and Brody, it led me to think about their characters' siblings, Morgan and Sasha. While Season 1 set up a potentially weird relationship between the two of them, it didn’t go there, and Justine Lupe, who plays Morgan, said it would be more fun to explore their relationship as “weird friends.” I totally agree.

Both Lupe and Timothy Simons, who plays Sasha, are brilliant comedic actors, and their chemistry on screen is so funny. I could see Season 2 focusing more on their personal lives and developments, which could lead to some of the most shocking moments.

Maybe Sasha and his wife Esther (Jackie Tohn) will have a breakthrough moment that’s equal parts funny and romantic. It’s possible Morgan could find a partner that surprises us.

I’d love to see the two siblings also continue to develop their odd friendship. That shocked me in Season 1, and with the affirmation that it probably won’t go beyond platonic friendship, I’d love to see them get into all sorts of hijinks that lead me to say “oh my gosh.”

Overall, I think there’s a lot of fun to be had with Sasha and Morgan. I also think they have the potential to grow as characters in ways that leave us in shock and awe. Therefore, I’d love to see them at the center of these scenes Bell described.

If there’s something I know about Leighton Meester, it’s that she’s great at playing a nemesis. During her time as one of the leads of the Gossip Girl cast, she made a name for herself doing just that as she played the ever iconic Blair Waldorf. Now, she’s about to play another adversary in Season 2 of Nobody Wants This, and I have a hope about this new character that’s related to the early 2000s teen drama.

Leighton Meester Shared A Bit Of Insight Into Her Nobody Wants This Character

Not long after Nobody Wants This was renewed for Season 2, it was announced that Leighton Meester would be joining the cast. As both the wife of this show’s co-lead, Adam Brody, and an excellent television actress, this was a thrilling development. Things got even more exciting when it was revealed that she’d be playing Kristen Bell’s middle school nemesis, Abby.

Now, she’s opened up a bit about her new character and specifically her relationship with Bell’s Joanne while speaking to Flaunt, saying:

So far, we know Meester’s character is “an Instagram mommy influencer” who is the “middle school nemesis” of Bell’s Joanne. We currently don’t know why their paths cross. However, the idea of sassy teenage drama coming into the picture excites me to no end, especially because both actresses were involved with Gossip Girl, a classic series about teenage drama.

I Need Leighton Meester To Bring Her Blair Waldorf Energy To Nobody Wants This

When I watch Gossip Girl (which you can do with a Max subscription), the element I always love the most is the catty drama. A lot of the time, Blair is at the center of it, and seeing her go toe-to-toe with her friends and foes of the Upper East Side is always delightful. From her on-again-off-again friendship/rivalry with Blake Lively’s Serena to her ongoing and deeply dramatic relationship with Ed Westwick’s Cuck, the way Meester’s character handled it all brought me an immense amount of joy.

The sass she always exuded, mixed with her hyper intelligence and high fashion, made for a fascinating and wildly entertaining character that Meester commanded the screen with.

This is the kind of energy I need her to bring to Nobody Wants This, especially since she’ll be going up against Kristen Bell, who is ironically the voice of Gossip Girl.

Plus, Bell’s podcast host, Joanne, is a sassy gal, and she’s not afraid to call someone out. So, I just know she has the fire in her to reignite a feud with someone from her past. The fact that Meester’s Abby will be on the presumed other side of it is brilliant.

These two both have what it takes to bring the extra drama of Gossip Girl back to the screen, and that’s exactly what I want from them in this new season of Nobody Wants This.

Adam Brody was already popular among fans when he played the charming yet somewhat nerdy Seth Cohen in the cast of The O.C. Then the Brodyssance came full circle for millennials when the former teen idol was cast as hot Rabbi Noah Roklov in Nobody Wants This streaming with a Netflix subscription). With so many fans swooning for Brody’s Hot Rabbi character, his real-life leading lady (and soon-to-be co-star in season two’s 2025 TV release) Leighton Meester delivers her A+ take on her husband’s award-winning role.

The Netflix Original series Nobody Wants This is earning praise for its relatable themes of religious differences in relationships and all of the love Adam Brody is getting as the viral Hot Rabbi. Fans are swooning for Rabbi Roklov’s charm, being serious boyfriend material, and that sexy beard of his. Another lady sharing a lot of love for the viral Hot Rabbi is none other than Brody’s real-life wife (and future season-two co-star) Leighton Meester who shared on an E! News TikTok her A+ take on the popular Nobody Wants This character:

Doesn’t that make your heart melt hearing her say those sweet words? I’m sure Leighton Meester feels lucky to come home to the actor TV fans are getting dreamy over. The Gossip Girl star and Adam Brody are the ultimate couple's goals. They first met on the set of their 2010 romantic dramedy The Oranges and got married in a private ceremony in 2014.

The love between the duo was burning at this year's Critic’s Choice Awards when the StartUp actor/producer won Best Actor in a Comedy Series for Nobody Wants This. The two shared a terribly romantic moment following his win that involved a heartwarming speech dedicated to his wife and a long smooch and hug right after. They really are lucky to have each other.

Not only do Adam Brody and Leighton Meester have an endearing life at home with their two kids, but they collaborate on many projects together. Other than The Oranges, the real-life married couple have paired up in movies like Life Partners and River Wild as well as Brody’s guest appearance on his wife’s shows like Single Parents and Good Cop/Bad Cop.

Now that Nobody Wants This has been renewed for a second season, it was confirmed it’ll be Leighton Meester’s turn to guest-star on her husband’s rom-com series. She’ll be playing the role of Abby who was Joanne’s middle school nemesis who grew up to be an “Instagram mommy influencer.” With Joanne having her own podcast with her sister, it looks like the competition will be heating up between the two. Considering the duo will be such rivals, I wonder if Abby will also get in the way of Joanne’s romance with Rabbi Roklov. I guess we’ll find out when the rom-com series comes back this year.

It’s always nice to see a real-life married couple make appearances in each other’s projects for the fun of working together and their shared passion for storytelling. When Adam Brody guest-starred in an episode of her CW comedy series Good Cop/Bad Cop, she spoke to TVLine about what she enjoys about acting with her hubby:

How wonderful it must be to work with your “favorite person.” It certainly must make The Roommate actress happy to find more opportunities to spend time with her husband outside of their everyday lives.

With Leighton Meester being able to “buy” into her husband playing the role of the viral Hot Rabbi, it’s clear she’s just as much a fan of Adam Brody’s performance as everyone else is. How fortunate the Country Strong actress must feel to get to work with the objection of a lot of TV fans’ affections for Nobody Wants This’ second season. Until the series returns this year, you can watch season one on Netflix.

What’s up, Upper East Siders? I’m here with an update on everybody’s favorite “it” couple, Queen B and her main man, Hot Rabbi. OK, OK, I’ll drop the Gossip Girl schtick, but the Kristen Bell of it all just made it too hard to pass up. Seriously, though, I do want to talk about Adam Brody and his wife Leighton Meester, because the two were spotted sneaking quite the intimate moment at the Critics Choice Awards after he won for his role on one of the best shows to binge on Netflix. XOXO indeed!

Adam Brody — who starred in Nobody Wants This with Kristen Bell — won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series when the ceremony aired on the 2025 TV schedule February 7. EW caught him sharing a sweet kiss and long hug with Leighton Meester (who starred as Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl, where Bell voiced the titular gossip-monger) at the ceremony, which you can see below:

The O.C. alum has been enjoying quite the Brodyssance since returning to TV — a move Millennials are definitely in support of, even if Nobody Wants This did give us some Gilmore Girls-related FOMO. In the romantic comedy series (available to stream with a Netflix subscription), Adam Brody plays Rabbi Noah Roklov, who engages in a relationship with the agnostic sex-and-relationship podcaster Joanne. Hilarity ensues.

I mean that literally; the series is absolutely laugh-out-loud funny, and it’s easy to see that Leighton Meester was happy that her husband was being recognized for the role. He beat out some stiff competition, too, in Brian Jordan Alvarez (English Teacher), David Alan Grier (St. Denis Medical), Steve Martin and Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building), and Kayvan Novak (What We Do in the Shadows).

The series was such a hit amongst viewers that Nobody Wants This Season 2 was ordered, and while it’s been a few months since we’ve gotten an update on when we’ll see Adam Brody and Kristen Bell’s characters again, the plan had been for Noah and Joanne’s story to continue possibly in September on the 2025 Netflix schedule.

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester met in 2010 on the set of the movie Oranges and ultimately got married in 2014. The stars of two of the best teen dramas share two children together. However, even though Brody has been enjoying professional success lately, it’s been a pretty tough time for their family.

Like so many celebrities who have been impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires, it was a month ago that Adam Brody’s home in the Pacific Palisades burned to the ground. He and Leighton Meester purchased the $6.5 million mansion in 2019, and the fact that they lost their family's home really gives some context to the emotions behind that long hug and passionate kiss that they shared at the awards ceremony.

Congratulations are definitely in order for the Hot Rabbi, and we love seeing him celebrate his win with our Queen B. Until next time, you know you love me. XOXO

Gilmore Girls was not just a hit that ran for seven seasons in the early 2000s, but a show that’s still beloved by fans to the point where a sequel miniseries was made in 2016 (which you can watch with your Netflix subscription), nine years after the original finale. It’s also one of the most rewatchable shows ever that gives fans a nostalgic experience, but if you’ve recently completed a binge of the family dramedy, then it’s good that we have a list for you of 32 movies and shows that feature the Gilmore Girls cast. Enjoy!

Supernatural (2005-2020)

Sure, this list could have started anywhere, but why not start with the portrayer of (mostly) sweet Dean, Jared Padalecki? His supporting role on Gilmore Girls couldn’t have prepared fans for his hugely successful run as the creature-of-the-night hunting Sam Winchester on Supernatural. The series ran for 15 seasons and has tons of amazing episodes, especially if you enjoy spooky stuff.

How To Get Away With Murder (2014-2020)

Overall, most of the players from GG saw a boost in their careers after the show, and likely helped make it possible for Liza Weil, who played the ever-stressed Paris Geller, to eventually make her way to a major role on the thrilling ABC hit, How to Get Away with Murder.

The O.C. (2003-2007)

Is bringing up Fox’s early aughts mega-hit teen drama The O.C. this quickly a bit of a cheat? Sure, but we can’t deny that without the popularity of his Dave Rygalski in Season 3, we might never have gotten actor Adam Brody as the funny, loyal, Summer-obsessed Seth Cohen in one of the defining teen shows of all time.

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-2021)

Much like viewers were probably not prepared to watch Padalecki fight monsters after his time on Gilmore Girls, I doubt most could have expected to see star Alexis Bledel take on Dr. Emily Malek, the strong-willed and rebellious Handmaid first known as Ofglen. She won an Emmy Award for her role, so this is one drama not to miss.

Parenthood (2010-2015)

There might be no character more strong-willed, funny and quirky than Lorelei Gilmore, who was brought to life so exceptionally by Lauren Graham. If that character description sounds a lot like Sarah Braverman-Holt from NBC’s family drama, Parenthood, then you get why Graham was a perfect fit for both.

Bride & Prejudice (2004)

A small role is a role nonetheless, and if you check out the amazing Jane Austen-inspired rom-com, Bride & Prejudice, you’ll see Bledel as Georgie Darcy, Will’s younger sister.

The Good Wife (2009-2016)

Say what you will about being Team Logan, but the Huntzberger boy still has his supporters even today. This is probably because Matt Czuchry did such a good job portraying him, much like he did the charming go-getter Cary Agos on CBS’ legal drama, The Good Wife.

Fire Country (2024)

As one of the biggest dramas on CBS, Fire Country is hard to miss and even harder to dislike. That’s why it’s the perfect show to check out to see Jared Padalecki as the still-grieving firefighter Camden Casey during Season 3.

Saw IV (2007)

Honestly, were you expecting to see something as horrific as Saw IV on this list? Well, you might be even more surprised to know that Scott Patterson, who played Luke Danes, appeared in a total of three Saw films as determined FBI agent Peter Strahm.

This Is Us (2016-2022)

Can you imagine if anyone has forgotten This Is Us? NBC’s family drama was an immediate success, with the trailer for the very first season racking up a staggering number of views. Of course, you can revel in your Team Jess status by watching Milo Ventimiglia portray loving patriarch Jack Pearson.

13 Reasons Why (2017-2018)

13 Reasons Why is a teen drama that made major waves during its run on Netflix, but you might not know that Keiko Agena, who brought Lane Kim to life on GG, spent the first two seasons playing the kind and protective communications teacher, Pamela Bradley.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)

If you can be in the mood for a holiday film all year long, then 2024’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever should be added to your viewing calendar. In it, Lauren Graham brings her signature charm to the role of Beth Bradley.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

Of all the GG actors who one might have expected to appear in a giant blockbuster franchise, few fans would likely have bet on the actor who gave us the wonderfully nice but odd Kirk Gleason, Sean Gunn. After a supporting role as Kraglin in the original Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, he’s now reprised the part in seven MCU films and TV series.

Bridesmaids (2011)

For the first time on this list, we get to Melissa McCarthy, who played beloved chef Sookie St. James. She was in several projects after Gilmore Girls ended, but the comedy hit Bridesmaids, where she played the loyal but crude and somewhat erratic Megan, launched her career into the stratosphere. She received an Oscar nomination for her work, so it’s not to be missed.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (2020-2021)

The jukebox musical dramedy series, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, was a treat, but if you missed its two seasons on NBC, know that Lauren Graham played a major role in Season 1 as Zoey’s strict boss, Joan.

The Cleaning Lady (2022-Now)

Any show about gangsters needs a good cop investigating and trying to bring them down, and Liza Weil has starred as confident and cunning FBI agent Katherine Russo on The Cleaning Lady for the thriller’s entire run so far.

The Heat (2013)

Need a wild action comedy about two mismatched officers (one a prim, by-the-book FBI agent, and the other a crass, quick-to-anger, by-any-means-necessary local cop) who have to get along enough to get a drug lord off the streets? Then you should watch Melissa McCarthy as police detective Shannon Mullins ASAP.

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (2021-2022)

This follow-up to The Mighty Ducks film franchise hit Disney+ and brought GG fans more of Lauren Graham, as she starred as Alex Morrow, who forms and then coaches a new underdog hockey team after her son is cut by the Ducks.

The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants (2005)

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a two-film franchise that still means a lot to those who were young women at the time it was released. There’s no better time than now to revisit (or watch for the first time) Alexis Bledel as Lena in both films.

An Unmarried Woman (1978)

Here’s a throwback for you. The 1978 romantic comedy-drama, An Unmarried Woman, features a performance from none other than Emily Gilmore herself, Kelly Bishop, as Elaine, a good friend of the title character.

The Lost Boys (1987)

Alright, this one’s technically a throwback, too, it just doesn’t go back quite as far. But, The Lost Boys is a definite teen horror classic, along with talents like Kiefer Sutherland and Corey Feldman, stars Richard Gilmore actor, Edward Hermann, in an important role.

Prodigal Son (2019-2021)

This Fox crime drama may not have lasted long, but it certainly had a dedicated fanbase, and some of that was likely because of Keiko Agena’s work as the kind, trusting, and socially awkward medical examiner, Dr. Edrisa Tanaka.

Sullivan’s Crossing (2023-2024)

The family drama, Sullivan’s Crossing, came to The CW with a treat for Gilmore Girls fans, as it brought Scott Patterson back to the network as the estranged father, Sully, of the lead character, big city neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan, who returns to her small Nova Scotia town after a scandal.

Mike & Molly (2010-2016)

The long-running comedy Mike & Molly is another of Melissa McCarthy’s post-GG projects. This CBS hit saw the titular couple fall in love after a health-related meet-cute, and work on their relationship while attempting to deal with their often wacky families and friends, and life’s many ups and downs. Check it out for McCarthy’s Emmy-winning performance.

Sin City (2005)

Based on the comic book series of the same name, Sin City is a noirish, action-filled crime drama that just so happens to feature Alexis Bledel as a…well, not entirely trustworthy participant in the rampant criminal shenanigans that abound in the sinful city of the title.

The John Larroquette Show (1993-1996)

One of the very few series to take place in St. Louis, Missouri, The John Larroquette Show was a sitcom that saw the actor portray the night manager of a run-down downtown bus station, with Liz Torres, who played the bubbly and gossipy dance teacher Miss Patty on Gilmore Girls, as his secretary. Torres received two Emmy nominations for her work here, so it’s definitely worth a watch.

The Resident (2018-2023)

Considering the number of medical shows that tend to fill the airwaves, it’s a bit of a surprise that it’s taken this long to get to one, but it is a pretty fine one. The Resident stars Matt Czuchry as the conceited (but still somehow charming) Dr. Conrad Hawkins, a third-year resident who practices with unconventional techniques and a knowledge of the business of medicine who’s determined to stop younger residents from putting their chosen profession on a pedestal.

All In The Family (1971-1978)

If you haven’t yet watched the classic ‘70s sitcom, All In the Family, you’re missing out. Not only does the Norman Lear series use its humor to tackle a number of hot-button issues that are still very relevant for today’s audiences, but it also features Sally Struthers (she was Lorelei and Rory’s nosy neighbor in Stars Hollow, Babette) in her Emmy-winning role as Gloria, the somewhat childish, college-aged daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker.

Walker (2021-2024)

After his immensely successful run on Supernatural, Jared Padalecki moved right on to yet another show on The CW. This one, Walker, was a reimagining of the long-running Chuck Norris hit Walker, Texas Ranger, which saw Padalecki take on the lead role as he returned home after being undercover for two years while trying to reconnect with his teenage children and figure out how his wife really died.

True Blood (2008-2014)

Here’s one that’s easy to miss, even if you’re a die-hard Gilmore Girls fan. Among the many characters, human and supernatural, who populated the HBO vampire series True Blood for seven seasons, you see plenty of Merlotte's Bar & Grill short order cook, the kind but troubled Terry Bellefleur. But, did you know that he’s portrayed by Todd Lowe, the same guy who brought us Hep Alien’s dim, womanizing, guitar-playing, lead-singing wanna-be rock star Zack Van Gerbig? Well, now you do!

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Melissa MacCarthy was able to hit the Academy Awards red carpet as a nominee again when she starred in the biographical film Can You Ever Forgive Me? As writer Lee Israel. It’s based on Israel’s memoir of the same name, where she talks about her attempt to revive her writing career by forging letters from deceased celebrities and selling them. This critically acclaimed drama is one not to miss.

Spy (2015)

Last, but not least, we have another of Melissa McCarthy’s winning comedies in Spy. The movie follows CIA employee Susan Cooper, who is only allowed to assist her James Bond-esque partner via a desk job at the home office and an earpiece. But, when an operation goes wrong and leads to her partner’s death, Susan volunteers to go into the field and get to the bottom of things. Seeing as how this is a McCarthy film, you can bet that the situation gets hilariously out of hand before all is said and done, and you’ll be better for it!

As you can clearly see, while Gilmore Girls has been off the air for nearly 20 years, not only has it not been forgotten, but its stars have continued to keep us entertained in a number of other TV shows and movies, and hopefully will for many years to come!

Spoilers for Nobody Wants This can be found throughout this story, so if you haven’t watched it yet, maybe check out what’s coming to the 2025 TV schedule.

Kristen Bell and Adam Brody have been the talk of the town in recent weeks after their fun rom-com series Nobody Wants This hit the Netflix schedule. Fans have latched onto the quirky premise, about a rabbi dating a sex podcaster; however, what I really feel has made the show most likable is the cast’s rapport and ability to improvise some unlikely scenes. In fact, we previously learned their meet-cute was unscripted, but I was shocked to find out another one of Season 1’s hysterical scenes was not actually written.

A funny side plot in Nobody Wants This Season 1 is that Rabbi Noah is in a recreational basketball league with his boys, and they are flat out terrible. Joanne (Bell) still goes to the games with some of the other wives while trying to get in good with them as the lone shiksa, and it does not go well. That is, until her sister pulls out a bunch of booze in a moment that was never actually written for the series. The full story, per editor Maura Corey?

I have no idea how the player wives and girlfriends were supposed to interact before the drinking montage came about, but it’s a highlight of the season for me, and I'm so glad Corey shared this detail with Indiewire. The guys are so bad at basketball, instead of drinking when they make a shot, they cleverly (or not so much) start drinking and cheering every time their men miss, leading to an excess of alcohol. It’s very funny, and it all came together in the editing room after the entire sequence had been shot.

Previously, showrunner Erin Foster admitted that Adam Brody has no idea how to open a wine bottle in real life. In fact, the party scene in which Noah meets Joanne was supposed to just have him casually opening a bottle of wine. However, he honestly sucked so bad at it while cameras were rolling and he and Bell just went with it, to the point where he even cracked a joke about being a sommelier.

When funny people get together, I expect that to come up with some funny one-liners, but it’s moments like these that really highlight why Nobody Wants This has been such a win for Netflix. It’s refreshing premise, it’s idea to put Bell and Brody together, and it’s otherwise very, very funny cast all make the rom-com sitcom a real win for the streaming service–and unlike many of Netflix’s other more sexually explicit romances, this one’s sex shop jokes are played for humor and not bedroom shenanigans, which means it’s (probably) OK to watch with your mom this holiday season. It’s no wonder Nobody Wants This has already been renewed for Season 2.

As we look back at the highlights of the 2024 TV schedule, Netflix’s Nobody Wants This was absolutely one of them thanks to Kristen Bell and Adam Brody coming together for an electric romantic comedy series. Now a pop culture expert has shared why she thinks Brody’s comeback to television was so important to Millennials. Oh, and the actor himself has made comments on how the binge-able Netflix series is already affecting his career.

Pop Culture Expert Shares Why Adam Brody’s TV Comeback Was Made For Millennials

Since Nobody Wants This dropped for those with a Netflix subscription in September, Adam Brody has received a lot of love for his role as Rabbi Noah Roklov. Fans of The OC and Gilmore Girls have especially been talking about Brody in the series, calling it a redemption of sorts for how the actor has been underutilized as a leading man since the early '00s.

Pop culture expert, Erin Meyers (who researches celebrity and media at Michigan’s Oakland University) told Yahoo! Entertainment this about why Adam Brody has been such a breakout star this year:

Yeah, this checks out. Millennials are currently between the ages of 28 and 43 years old, which means they are primarily in their thirties. This is a time in one’s life when a lot of grown-up things are occurring like weddings, kids, perhaps deaths in the family, and having nostalgia for those younger years before one’s twenties. Given Brody was one of those underrated heartthrobs of the ‘00s so many of us were crushing on back in the day, I know I feel vindicated seeing him still meet that status decades later.

Along with Meyers, public relations CEO Jane Owens also spoke on the subject. Here are her insights:

This definitely sums up the likeability of Adam Brody. And thankfully, the actor’s TV comeback in Nobody Wants This doesn’t end here since the ending set up Season 2, and the show was swiftly renewed.

Adam Brody Talks ‘Brodyssance’ After Nobody Wants This Was A Hit

Along with these comments from pop culture experts, Adam Brody spoke about how his big year has already impacted his career with The Hollywood Reporter after landing a spot among the 2025 Golden Globe nominees (along with the show being up for Best TV Series and Kristen Bell being nominated as well). In his words:

Brody has previously shared that Season 2 of Nobody Wants This is set to shoot in February and likely arrive on Netflix in the fall. But, when it comes to what he wants to do something next, he’s not necessarily looking to repeat himself. As he said:

So, folks looking to hire Adam Brody, you know what he's looking for and you know a ton of viewers are looking to see more of him. Let's get something going!

Overall, I just want to say thanks to Adam Brody for his service to Millennials! You can stream the series on Netflix now.

If you’re anything like me, you probably watched Nobody Wants This over the course of a weekend or even the day it premiered. I was originally interested in the show as a longtime fan of Adam Brody but stayed for the well-liked romantic and familial relationship dynamics so smartly woven into the show. And, as one of the best surprises on the 2024 TV schedule, fans, myself included, are anxiously but excitedly awaiting Season 2. So it’s perfect timing to hear the updates from Kristen Bell and Brody.

The Netflix rom-com stars caught up with Variety during a For Your Consideration event at Tudum Theater in Hollywood. They shared all things Nobody Wants This, including some revealing information on how soon we might receive Season 2. Brody reassured the interviewer -- and by extension, any fan who binged the hit that -- the turnaround time to see Noah and Joanne's continuation shouldn't be too long. He shared:

If The O.C. alum’s timeline is correct it would be wonderful to have a return to a more timely period between seasons. However, between the pandemic and Hollywood strikes, it has been understandable to see such irregular schedules for both TV and movies. And, of course, there's the long hiatuses that streaming shows experience in general. Regardless, I’m glad that the show, a part of the 2024 Netflix release schedule, can continue this quickly. Albeit, they probably have an easier time releasing seasons since there are no CGI Demegorgans or historically representative costumes to account for in production.

And, even though there aren’t extra special on-screen additions we know of so far in regard to Nobody Wants This Season 2, Kristen Bell shared some new interesting production bits. For starters, the Frozen star divulged some key behind-the-scenes changes, and she then explained just how far the season has been plotted out. She said of what’s to come:

Hopefully, those new showrunners will bring some distinct creative flair to the show while maintaining the core essence of why fans enjoyed it in the first place. As for the production schedule, Season 1 absolutely saw an explosion in popularity that not even the stars were fully prepared for, so it makes sense to bulk up and fast-track the series to ensure a timely release.

Now, what will be waiting for us on the other side of that concerning ending for Joanne and Noah? That I’m not sure of, and it will probably spike my anxiety again for the duo. Still, I'm grateful for that impeccably timed update from Bell and Brody to ease things for just a bit.

If you’d like to watch Nobody Wants This, you can stream it with a Netflix subscription.

Kristen Bell and Adam Brody truly shine as Joanne and Noah, respectively, on Netflix’s 2024 TV schedule release Nobody Wants This. At present, I’m dying to know what will happen in the upcoming NWT Season 2 for the show's unconventional lovers and their over-involved families. I’ll take any reason to watch the show again, and that's especially true now that I've learned that the best flirty moment of the series was improvised. Funny enough, that scene also made Brody realize he should be "a better actor."

Showrunner Erin Foster and the two lead actors recently appeared at a FYC panel to promote their new hit amid the recent success (and backlash) it's received. While talking about how the show is inspired by her actual religious-blended relationship, Foster told Janine Rubenstein of People that one scene from the first episode was impacted by Adam Brody's real inability to perform a task, but it ended up working anyway, thanks to his and Kristen Bell's chemistry:

For those who watched the series, or even just the first episode, you may remember that this is the scene in which Joanne and Noah first meet at their friend’s dinner party. Noah chivalrously offers to open Joanne's bottle of wine, only to struggle to open it not once, not twice, but three times. Fortunately, for the pair, the snafu occurred during a chunk of dialogue that included talking about embarrassing fun facts, and the veteran actors were able to riff off that. Erin Foster added:

While I think it's a testament to their improv chops, the scene really demonstrates the natural and infectious chemistry these two share, and that moment and others like it may have hooked audiences early on. If you consider their early work on Veronica Mars and The OC, it's not surprising that Kristen Bell and Adam Brody have a knack for quick conversation and witty one-liners. Quite frankly, I'm not surprised at all that Bell and Brody have received so much love.

Watching the scene back, I can see where the script slips into a real snafu, but viewers probably wouldn't know if we weren’t told. The actors don’t miss a beat taking it in stride, and it’s honestly really impressive. Improvised lines from Adam Brody like “What’s my embarrassing thing? Well, I used to be a sommelier,” had the Frozen actor throwing her head back in a real hearty laugh. I hope the fact that they kept the scene in made the Kid Detective actor feel better about the hilarious mishap, as he clearly was a little embarrassed:

I know he’s joking here, but if we are being honest, struggling to open the wine doesn’t matter. In fact, Adam Brody’s response outshines the blunder and proves his acting chops. Even if they did have to cut his struggle with the cork down from a 7-minute long take. Regardless, the whole interaction had me giggling and kicking my feet, and I don't think Brody needs to worry about becoming a "better actor."

Between scenes like the wine bottle snafu and a first kiss that even had Kristen Bell’s husband, Dax Shepard, swooning, it’s no wonder the romantic comedy has been renewed for a second season immediately after its premiere in September. Noah and Joanne’s chemistry is definitely top-tier, and I'd say that they're already among the best TV rom-com couples of all time.

You can check out the now infamously improvised wine scene and the rest of Nobody Wants This using a Netflix subscription.

It’s no secret that Nobody Wants This has been one of the biggest hits to come from the 2024 Netflix Movie and TV Schedule. What may come as a surprise to some longtime Adam Brody fans going back to the early aughts is that the rom-com show’s creator, Erin Foster, was a part of Seth Cohen’s world of The O.C. The only thing is, Brody had to be told what character she played.

The Fleishman is in Trouble alum was a guest on Erin and Sara Foster’s real podcast, The World’s First Podcast, which was the inspiration for the current Netflix hit show’s fictitious one. The trio discussed their series, which also stars Kristen Bell and has already been greenlit for Season 2, along with life offline, and how Erin Foster and Brody were on The O.C. together.

When asked about his memory of the elder sister on the Fox teen drama, he not only didn’t remember, but he had always thought it was younger sister Erin Foster who was on the West Coast cast. He had this to say:

After the admission, all shared a good laugh and mused about which was the bigger insult to the sisters, respectively. The exchange was all in good fun and the sisters shared that Erin did look different while filming the show. Brody explained that the only reason why he doesn’t recall the Foster sister being on was because they never had a scene together, saying:

The Nobody Wants This creator confirmed that the two didn’t have any crossover screen time two decades ago, and her story arc was small. She was involved with a Marissa Cooper plot that was at the end of the third season.

The two seemed destined to cross paths again at some point, and I’m glad that Foster saw that Brody was the perfect pick for Noah. Many have been all-in on and have nothing but love for his portrayal of the hot Rabbi, including his O.C. alum, Rachel Bilson.

Not only have many loved the 44-year-old in the role, but he’s been quite amused with the memes about the show. The whole thing is very Brody and just perpetuates all the good vibes surrounding the success, even if he may have goofed on what sister terrorized Marissa Cooper. The important thing is they reunited and have another hit show shared between their resumes.

If you’d like to watch Nobody Wants This, you can stream it with a Netflix subscription. Or if you’d like to head back to California to catch Brody and Foster, you can stream The O.C. with an HBO Max subscription.

It’s been over a month since Nobody Wants This hit Netflix as part of the 2024 TV schedule, and yet the romcom series is still all anyone can talk about. Even Adam Brody has gotten in on the fun, laughing about all the memes created about his “sexy Rabbi” character. But it’s the “kiss seen around the world” that’s keeping the show alive in many people’s minds — including Kristen Bell’s husband, Dax Shepard, who had a funny reaction to watching the scene with his friend.

While appearing at the New Yorker Festival (via People) this past weekend, Shepard was asked about his relationship with his wife and their own working relationship. For those that might not remember, Bell was the first guest on Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast when it launched back in 2018. The two have also appeared in Samsung commercials together, and Bell and her co-star Brody were also guests on the podcast back in September to promote Nobody Wants This.

Shepard joked that while he and his wife have amazing chemistry on screen together, it’s not as good as the chemistry between her and The O.C. alum. He elaborated by recounting what it was like watching the infamous kissing scene with his childhood best friend, saying:

This isn’t the first time Shepard’s thoughts on the steamy scene between his wife and her co-star have made headlines. A little over a week after the series was released, Bell shared with etalktv that the Armchair Expert host felt the palpable chemistry and was rooting for the two leads to kiss.

While it might seem weird to us “normal” people to have your significant other actively rooting for you to kiss someone else, it’s all part of the acting gig. After all, Bell’s not really the one locking lips with Brody in “The World’s Greatest Kiss.” They’re simply channeling their characters in those intimate moments.

It’s a good thing Shepard is so cool about the whole thing, though, considering Nobody Wants This has already been renewed for a second season by the streaming service. While what we know about Season 2 remains limited, there are a handful of things fans are hoping get addressed in the new season — like how Joanne and Noah are going to make their relationship work now that they’ve fully committed to seeing each other. Hopefully, the season can also address some of the flak it got from audiences regarding the portrayal of the Jewish women characters in the show.

If you haven’t watched the swoon-worthy romantic comedy series yet, now is the perfect time to break out that Netflix subscription and stream the ten-episode first season. And don’t forget to check out Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, which is available on multiple platforms.

The idea of having roommates has never been more fun thanks to FOX’s comedy series, New Girl. Even though it’s been over and done with for years, it remains one of the most rewatchable TV shows ever. Aside from hitting play on the hilarious sitcom for all the great bits in the loft, it’s also a blast for all the major actors who guest-starred over the years. While there are way too many for this list to hold, we’ve compiled some of the biggest names that appeared on the show.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis guest starred as the mother of Zooey Deschanel’s Jess Day in the Season 2 episode, “Parents.” Curtis was a great pick to match the quirky spirit of the sitcom’s leading character, and she returned to the series five more times after her initial debut on the series in Season 2.

Taylor Swift

When one thinks of Taylor Swift, sure, “actor” isn’t the first title that comes to mind, but over the years the phenomenon of a singer/songwriter has racked up numerous acting credits in projects like The Lorax, Cats and Amsterdam along. Oh, and what about all those epic Taylor Swift music videos? Anyways, Swift made an appearance in the Season 2 finale of New Girl when Cece is getting married to Shivrang. At the altar, the groom calls off the wedding to say that he wants to marry Swift’s character of Elaine instead.

Prince

One of the most memorable moments in New Girl has to be when the cast is invited to go to a party at Prince’s house… and they actually meet Prince. The Season 3 episode came about thanks to the iconic artist expressing interest in appearing in the show as a fan of the comedy. There’s nothing like that scene when Nick and Jess have a freakout when he appears.

Tiffany Haddish

Girls Trip actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish had a small role in the Season 3 episode “Exes” as a date of Damen Wayans Jr’s Coach. She is part of the plotline of Schmidt deciding to get his own apartment and encouraging Winston and Coach to use the place whenever they like for their hookups. In the scene, all three of them have used it at once and it freaks out Haddish’s character of Leslie.

Rob Reiner

All In The Family’s Rob Reiner returned to the sitcom fold as Jess Day’s dad, Bob, in multiple episodes of New Girl. The beloved actor (and director of classics like The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, This Is Spinal Tap and Stand By Me) was in eleven total episodes of the series, appearing in almost every season of the show.

Lisa Bonet

The Cosby Show’s Lisa Bonet guest starred in the Season 4 episode “Teachers” as an education guru named Brenda Brown. Jess and Coach meet the character while attending together. She calls Coach out for his attitude during the presentation that causes him to stop being Jess’s “buffer” while she tries to ignore her feelings for a British teacher she’s crushing on at her school.

Kaitlin Olson

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olson (who is back for Season 17 of the comedy) guest starred in New Girl for two episodes in Season 4. She plays Bob Day’s much younger fiancée, who happened to be the high school rival of Jess and Cece back in the day.

Josh Gad

The Book of Mormon and Frozen’s beloved snowman voice actor Josh Gad guest starred in three separate episodes of New Girl (in Season 2, 3 and 4) as a delivery man named Bearclaw who falls head over heels with Jess. He first appears in the episode “Katie” as a blind date gone wrong before also being in “Birthday” and “Walk of Shame.”

Dermot Mulroney

My Best Friend’s Wedding actor Dermot Mulroney is “Fancyman” in New Girl. The actor appeared as a guest star in eight episodes of the show throughout its run after becoming a favorite in Season 1. In the two part episode “Fancyman,” he is introduced as the wealthy father of one of Jess’s students who she strikes up a romance with.

Olivia Rodrigo

Yes, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actress turned massive pop star Olivia Rodrigo was on New Girl, but it was before reaching mega-stardom. In the Season 6 episode “Young Adult,” Rodrigo plays one of the students in Jess’s school who becomes a huge fan of Nick Miller’s novel The Pepperwood Chronicles. In an effort for her students (including Rodrigo’s character of Terrinea) to like her better, Jess sets up a meeting between a few of the students and Nick.

Megan Fox

In Season 5 of New Girl, Zooey Deschanel was pregnant in real life and since that was not in the cards yet for Jess Day, the decision was made to have her character leave for a while on Jury Duty while Deschanel went on maternity leave. The creators decided to bring in Megan Fox’s Reagan to take Jess’s place and she ended up being part of 15 episodes of the series. Fox is of course also known for being in the Transformers movies, Jennifer’s Body and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Alan Ritchson

Before Alan Ritchson starred in one of the best Amazon Prime shows, Reacher, the actor had a memorable guest spot on New Girl in the episode “Micro”. In the Season 4 episode, Ritchson used his comedic chops as a guy Jess is seeing who she struggles with getting past the fact that Ritchson’s Matt has a micro penis.

Henry Winkler

Happy Days and Barry actor Henry Winkler appeared in New Girl (alongside the incredible Julie Hagerty and Taran Killam) in the Season 5 episode “What About Fred.” In the episode, Jess is dating a guy named Fred (Killam), who she finds very boring, but falls for spending time with his charismatic parents Winkler and Hagerty’s Flip and Nancy.

Parker Posey

Parker Posey, aka the “Queen of the Indies,” especially during the best movies of the 1990s, had a great guest appearance in New Girl during the Season 2 episode “Re-Launch.” Schmidt is having a re-branding party for himself and Posey plays a dishevelled shot girl who was not as advertised.

John Cho

Star Trek’s John Cho appeared on New Girl for the Season 5 episode “Jury Duty.” Jess tries to get out of getting on a case for a chance to be acting principal. She asks her friends to help, but fails miserably in front of Cho’s character, who ends up being the man questioning her for the case after they initially have a flirty meet-cute.

Adam Brody

The OC and Nobody Wants This’s Adam Brody was one of Jess’s ex-boyfriend’s, Berkley, in the Season 3 episode, “Exes.” In the episode, Jess tries to prove to Nick that exes can still be friends by introducing him to Berkley, but she’s proved wrong when she finds out his true intentions.

Quinta Brunson

Before Quinta Brunson was the Emmy-winning creator and star of the hit ABC comedy, Abbott Elementary, she had a brief role in New Girl, in the Season 7 episode “Mario.” When Nick is trying to propose to Jess, she unexpectedly adopts a dog, throwing off his plans. Brunson plays a restaurant host that Nick speaks to on the phone as the plans shift.

Stephen Amell

Arrow star Stephen Amell, who played the Green Arrow for eight seasons on The CW, was on New Girl for a couple of episodes in Season 1. He played Cece’s jerk boyfriend Kyle in “The 23rd” and “Valentine’s Day.” Cece ends things with Kyle in the latter episode after realizing she has feelings for Schmidt.

Jessica Biel

7th Heaven and The Sinner actress Jessica Biel stopped by New Girl for the Season 4 premiere “The Last Wedding.” When the gang goes to yet another wedding, Biel plays a single woman who ends up competing with Jess to earn the affection of its best man (played by Reid Scott).

Justin Long

Justin Long had a memorable guest star arc on the first season of New Girl. He plays Paul Genzlinger, a music teacher co-worker of Jess’s whom she starts dating in time for the show’s first Thanksgiving episode. Paul is often thought of as a male version of Jess. After the couple date for about a month and breakup, Long made a re-appearance in Season 4’s “Walk Of Shame.”

Linda Cardellini

New Girl fans got to meet Jess’s sister, Abby Day, in Season 3 through Linda Cardellini’s three-episode arc. The Dead To Me actress plays Jess’s troublemaker older sibling, who is just about completely opposite to the sitcom’s leading actress. Jess is constantly embarrassed by Abby’s behavior when she comes to stay in the loft after Jess saves her from prison.

Alexandra Daddario

Baywatch and The White Lotus’ Alexandra Daddario played one of the neighbors to the New Girl gang in two episodes of the series. Daddario’s Michelle is deemed as one of the “hot” new neighbors that Schmidt, Winston, Coach scramble to impress after their first meeting left something to be desired. Daddario appears in Season 3’s “Mars Landing” and Season 4’s “Goldmine.”

Andy Samberg

For quite a few years, New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine were both big comedies airing on FOX at the same time. So in Season 6, the networks decided to crossover the comedies with a special New York episode for New Girl. While the friends are in the Big Apple, Jess gets some help from Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta and the other cast. (The cast of New Girl was also on an episode of B99 called “The Night Shift” that aired the same week in 2016).

Peter Gallagher

The OC’s Peter Gallagher was in multiple episodes of New Girl as Schmidt’s father, Gavin. The vineyard owner first appears in the Season 5 episode “D-Day” when Jess is assisting Schmidt with wedding preparations. Gallagher, who has also been in famous movies like American Beauty and While You Were Sleeping, was a great fit to play Schmidt’s absentee dad.

Randall Park

Before Randall Park became the star of Fresh Off The Boat, Always Be My Maybe and WandaVision, he was briefly in a Season 1 episode of New Girl as an employee at a phone company (with frosted tips), who makes fun of Nick for his crazy low credit score.

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha Lyonne is a famous TV actress for her roles in Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll and Poker Face. Prior to those roles, she had a small role in New Girl’s third episode ever, “Wedding.” She played Gretchen Nelson, an acquaintance of Schmidt, who he ends up sleeping with at every wedding they both attend even though he claims he cannot stand her.

Dylan O'Brien

Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien plays the guy Jess Day lost her virginity to on the night of her prom back when she was in high school. In the episode “Virgins” from Season 2, Jess runs into him many years after their first meeting, but what could have been a sexual fantasy turns into an embarrassing moment for the two of them.

Brenda Song

The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody actress Brenda Song was in a few episodes in Season 2 (and one in Season 3) as Daisy, a love interest for Winston. It’s a short-lived romance for Winston, but Song is a guest star in what we consider to be No. 1 of the best New Girl episodes, “Cooler.”

Joey King

Before Joey King was the star of Netflix’s The Kissing Booth movies or the numerous 2024 movies she’s been in like A Family Affair, Uglies and Despicable Me 4, she was a popular child actor who was in Ramona & Beezus with Selena Gomez or the Taylor Swift music video “Mean.” She was also in a Season 1 episode of New Girl called “Bully” as one of Jess’s students.

Carla Gugino

Carla Gugino, known for the Spy Kids movies and being in multiple Mike Flanagan horror projects was in three 2012 episodes of New Girl as Schmidt’s new boss, Emma. In the first episode Gugino stars in “Menzies,” Schmidt gets into a sexual contract with her that doesn’t go as planned.

Nick Kroll

The very funny Nick Kroll is known for starring in The League, along with creating the Kroll Show and Netflix’s Big Mouth. In Season 2’s “Chicago,” where the gang goes to Nick’s hometown for his father’s funeral, Kroll plays one of Nick Miller’s brothers, alongside Bill Burr! You can tell Kroll and Burr had tons of fun with the Chicago accent bringing some levity to a rather emotional New Girl episode.

Fred Armisen

Saturday Night Live favorite (who was behind some of SNL's funniest recurring characters) and Portlandia lead Fred Armisen had a brief role in New Girl for the season five episode “No Girl.” While Jess is at jury duty, the gang rent out her room to random people, and Armisen plays a guy named Brandon. His short time there made a huge impression because of how funny he is with the guys. Remember when he read Schmidt his romance writing or dressed up like Jess at one point?

It’s safe to say Nobody Wants This is one of the breakout hits among Netflix’s 2024 releases, and that became abundantly clear when all the memes about Adam Brody and his character Noah started popping up and going viral. Now, one of his co-stars has opened up about how the actor reacted to these silly posts, and his response to all this makes me love him and this rom-com series even more!

While it’s been over a month since Nobody Wants This came out, it’s still a big topic of conversation, to the point that there is a funny Instagram post about how to dress up as Brody’s character Noah for Halloween that the cast has seen and spoken about in their group chat. So, while chatting about that with Elite Daily, Jackie Tohn, who plays Noah’s sister-in-law Esther on the show, also revealed that The O.C. star has no idea where these memes and posts are coming from, explaining:

What can I say, we love a man who is chronically not online. I always find it really funny when people don’t understand the internet and specifically meme culture. However, the fact that Brody learned about the infatuation so many have with his character via the cast group chat and didn’t know where it originated is truly hilarious and endearing.

After many of us binged Nobody Wants This with our Netflix subscriptions, the renaissance of Adam Brody began. He was a teen heartthrob in the early 2000s because of shows like The O.C. and Gilmore Girls, and it was like a love that had always been there was reignited years and years later when he appeared on the screen as Rabbai Noah.

That’s how the memes began, and there’s a whole lot of hilarious love floating around the internet for this actor. However, the fact that he didn’t really know it happened and then was still confused about where it wall was coming from makes all this even better.

It also makes me even more excited for Season 2 of the show!

Nobody Wants This was quickly renewed for a second season, and it’s supposed to return on the 2025 TV schedule. That alone is thrilling. However, hearing this story from Tohn shows off how much this cast adores each other and their fans, which amplifies the enthusiasm for what’s to come big time.

So, as we wait for Season 2, here’s hoping we get more memes. And even more importantly, here’s hoping they find their way to Adam Brody. He deserves to enjoy them without having to actually go on the internet, since he’s an adorably chronically not online king who deserves to stay that way.

The series may be called Nobody Wants This, but between Kristen Bell and Adam Brody’s chemistry, smart writing and thoughtful perspectives on interfaith romance, that title has been proven very, very wrong by becoming one of the best shows to binge on Netflix. Even better — Nobody Wants This Season 2 is right around the corner.

So when will the next chapter of Joanne and Noah’s love story hit the 2025 TV schedule? Here’s everything you need to know about the rom-com series, including premiere date, cast additions and where this story of an agnostic sex podcaster and a rabbi will go next.

(Spoilers from Season 1 of Nobody Wants This ahead!)

What Is The Nobody Wants This Season 2 Premiere Date?

Nobody Wants This Season 2 will drop on the 2025 Netflix schedule on Thursday, October 23, 2025. Fans were thrilled this didn’t fall on the list of one-season shows to get canceled by Netflix, and the timing of its release is actually pretty great. With all of the upcoming horror shows coming this spooky season, including the final season of Stranger Things, this fun romantic comedy is the perfect counterbalance.

How To Watch Nobody Wants This Season 2

Just like the first season, Nobody Wants This Season 2 will only be available to stream with a Netflix subscription. Season 1 contained 10 episodes, which were all released at the same time. The streamer is likely to follow suit with the second season, though no official information has been released.

The Nobody Wants This Season 2 Trailer Shows Faith And Family Will Continue To Be Issues For Joanne And Noah

The trailer for Nobody Wants This dropped about a month before the Season 2 release, showing Joanne and Noah fully enjoying each other in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. It looks like the real world starts to creep in, though, when it becomes clear at a large dinner gathering that they may have different ideas about what the future looks like and whether or not Joanne will convert to Judaism.

We also get a look at lots of familiar faces, as well as a notable face or two joining the rom-com’s second season.

Kristen Bell And Adam Brody Lead The Returning Cast Of Nobody Wants This Season 2

Nobody Wants This wouldn’t be the show it is without its leads, Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, who will, of course, reprise their roles as Joanne and Noah. We’ll also see Justine Lupe return as Joanne’s sister Morgan and Timothy Simons as Noah’s brother Sasha. Jackie Tohn, who plays Sasha’s wife Esther, has been promoted to the main cast for Season 2 after recurring in the first season. Also returning are:

• Michael Hitchcock as Henry, Joanne’s father
• Stephanie Faracy as Lynn, Joanne’s mother
• Paul Ben-Victor as Ilan, Noah’s father
• Tovah Feldshuh as Bina, Noah’s mother
• Sherry Cola as Ashley, Joanne’s best friend and podcast agent
• D’Arcy Carden as Ryann, Joanne’s friend

I’m excited to see more from Esther and Sasha, particularly in relation to Sasha’s growing friendship with Morgan (and Esther’s feelings about that).

Leighton Meester And Seth Rogen Are Among the New Cast Members For Season 2

In addition to all of the returning actors, Netflix has confirmed a handful of newbies joining the Nobody Wants This world. This notably includes Adam Brody’s wife, Leighton Meester. The Gossip Girl alum will play Abby, Joanne’s nemesis from middle school, and while it’s reasonable to think this connection would have Meester sharing the screen with Kristen Bell more than Brody, we’ve been promised a fun scene between the real-life husband and wife.

The above trailer also gave us our first look at Seth Rogen, who is guest-starring as Rabbi Neil in the upcoming season. Other casting additions include:

• Miles Fowler as Lenny, Noah’s Matzah Ballers teammate.
• Alex Karpovsky as Big Noah, a confident rabbi at Noah’s temple.
• Arian Moayed as Dr. Andy, a psychotherapist.
• Kate Berlant as Cami.

It’s going to be so fun to see Adam Brody and Leighton Meester share the screen, but Seth Rogen and Kate Berlant are sure to bring their own brand of humor as well, and I’m really excited to see it.

Nobody Wants This Will Continue To Explore The Complicated Romance Between Joanne And Noah

The preview gave us a peek at some of the complications that Joanne and Noah will face on the sophomore effort of Nobody Wants This, but the cast has also hinted at what’s to come after that wild Nobody Wants This Season 1 ending.

Faith Will Continue To Be A Big Issue For Noah And Joanne

The central focus of Nobody Wants This is clearly the relationship between Noah and Joanne. Joanne is honest with Noah at the end of the first season, saying that she doesn’t know if she’s ready to convert, and that's definitely going to come up again.

Whether or not she joins Noah's faith remains a conversation in Season 2, but no matter what happens, Adam Brody said there’s “not a chance” his character regrets walking away from the head rabbi job to be with Joanne. We can only hope they continue to prioritize each other as the season goes on!

Season 2 Will Most Likely Answer Questions About Sasha And Morgan’s Potential Romantic Relationship

Something else that was a big part of Season 1 of Nobody Wants This was the fun (and kinda flirty) friendship between Noah’s brother Sasha and Joanne’s sister Morgan. With Sasha’s wife Esther’s role being increased for Season 2, I’m guessing we’re going to delve deeper into the will they/won’t they of it all, as well as the dynamic between Timothy Simons' character and his wife.

If we’re talking about things nobody wants, I feel like fans are really hoping these characters are able to continue to grow their friendship — while keeping things platonic. That’s definitely how Justine Lupe feels, saying there’s more story to mine from their weird friendship than an affair that would tear Sasha’s family apart.

Jenni Konner And Bruce Eric Kaplan Take Over As Showrunners

The showrunner situation got shaken up a bit between the first and second seasons. Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan replaced series creator Erin Foster and Craig DiGregorio as showrunners for Season 2, with Nora Silver coming on as an executive producer. In an interview with THR, Foster said they needed a new process, and she wanted to be able to focus on being the voice of the show and writing.

There’s been no word yet from Netflix or anyone involved in Nobody Wants This as to how long the series is expected to continue or if Season 2 is its last. I’m just excited to see where these fun characters take us in this next batch of episodes, and luckily, we don’t have long to wait.

Nobody Wants This Season 2 premieres on Netflix on Thursday, October 23.

Before we were swooning over Adam Brody and Kristen Bell in Nobody Wants This, there was another on-screen relationship the Noah actor was in that people obsessed over. Seth and Summer from The O.C. were everything, and the two who played them, Brody and Rachel Bilson, did briefly date in real life, but it didn’t last. Overall, Seth Cohen was the funny, romantic nerd who stole the network show and many of our hearts back then. Now, Bilson herself has similar feelings about her co-star's character in the 2024 TV schedule hit, and she weighed in on the recognition he's getting for it.

Many have loved the Kid Detective star’s performance as the hot rabbi, and he's sparked a lot of Nobody Wants This hype and conversations about The O.C. and his small arc as one of Rory’s best boyfriends in Gilmore Girls. His oddball charm is palpable in the refreshing modern romantic comedy, and it's worth noting that Noah has a bit of Seth Cohen energy. So, recently, Bilson shared with People that she’s always known the fan love and success was in the cards for Brody, and she's thrilled about the success of his Netflix show:

His resume has led him to partake in plenty of notable titles on the big screen and in series since his Orange County days. Jennifer’s Body, American Fiction, and Fleishman Is in Trouble, are just a few of the hits he’s played supporting roles in. However, many of us have been waiting for Brody to return to a leading role and get the recognition he deserves, Bilson included.

Although she hasn’t sat down to see Brody alongside Kristen Bell in one of Netflix’s best shows of the year, she’s heard only good things and is pleased for them. She shared that both he and Bell are her type of people while explaining:

It's worth noting that Bilson and Brody dated during the first three years of the Fox series, and they split in 2006. The teen drama was an incredibly popular show and enraptured many viewers while on air both with storylines and the actors’ personal lives. The O.C. centered around four teens and their issues, ranging from family life to run-ins with the law, and of course, high school enemies.

Many teens fell in love with it, Body, Bilson and the cast, and now they're all grown up and loving Nobody Wants This.

If you want to head back to ‘Californiaaa’ and catch Seth Cohen in all his glory you can do so with a Hulu subscription or Max subscription. Or, if you’d like to watch or rewatch Adam Brody in Nobody Wants This you can do so with a Netflix subscription.

Nobody Wants This was made for those of us who grew up crushing on Kristen Bell’s titular Veronica Mars and Adam Brody’s O.C. character Seth Cohen. Since its premiere on Netflix’s 2024 schedule, the rom-com led by the actors who made names for themselves on the aforementioned early 2000s YA dramas has taken the world by storm, and folks can’t get enough of their characters, Joanne and Noah. Now, the people of the internet are hilariously showing their love for the leads, and specifically The O.C. star, and we need to talk about it.

In the weeks between its premiere and Nobody Wants This getting renewed for Season 2, the hype for Adam Brody has only grown. People love his character Noah because he’s charismatic yet awkward as well as deeply caring and funny. The way he cares for Joanne is incredibly endearing, and something I think we all want in a dream partner. So, yeah, @rosscheIs was right when they posted an iconic scene from the show with the statement that Noah should be inducted into “the romcom boyfriend hall of fame:”

Many were also quick to note that they’ve been here since the Gilmore Girls Dave Rygalski days, and they still adore Adam Brody so very much. And girl, me too:

As was expected, tons of Nobody Wants This fans were also very into The O.C. back in the day. So, seeing Brody back as a romantic lead is something worth swooning over. To that point, @emilybern had a hilarious response to the actor sending all the Seth Cohen lovers back into a romantic haze with this new Netflix rom-com:

Along with this, one fan made sure to note that while we all love Brody in The O.C. there’s something about him in Nobody Wants This that proves he has aged like fine wine:

Basically, Joanne and Noah might not be anywhere near marriage, but fans are ready to spend the rest of their lives with people like the rabbi. To put that statement into perspective, @MideiumSizeMeech posted this viral tweet which explained that if someone looked at them like Brody’s character looked at Bell’s they’d be getting a ring ASAP:

If someone looked at me the way Noah looks at Joanne, said things like it would break their heart to break mine, and kissed me like he kissed her for the first time, yeah, I’d be trying to stay in that relationship forever. On the show, it seems like Brody and Bell’s characters are trying to do that too.

Nobody Wants This ended with Noah and Joanne kissing after she tried to break up with him so he wouldn’t have to choose between her and becoming head rabbi. While they are obviously at a seemingly impossible impasse – hence the show’s title – they clearly want to be with each other and they’re going to try and figure this challenge out.

Thankfully, while they’ll likely be going through it in the next season that’s set to premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, viewers will get to sit back, relax and use their Netflix subscription to enjoy Adam Brody in all his rom-com glory.

Well, it turns out everybody wants more Nobody Wants This, because the Kristen Bell and Adam Brody rom-com series has been renewed for a second season. After taking Netflix’s 2024 release schedule by storm, the series was quickly picked up for more. Now, as we start to think about what might be in store for Joanne and Noah, I can’t help but hope that one important element from Season 1 carries over to Season 2.

Nobody Wants This Has Been Renewed For Season 2

According to Netflix, Nobody Wants This was renewed for Season 2, and it has plans to release its next episodes on the 2025 TV schedule. Along with that, it was announced that Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan would be joining as the series' new showrunners and executive producers.

In response, the show’s creator and EP Erin Foster said:

It is the most romantic, and Noah and Joanne’s refreshing and healthy relationship is one of the reasons why Nobody Wants This is one of Netflix’s best shows.

Nobody Wants This Season 2 Better Keep Its Streak Of Healthy Communication

As I mentioned above, Foster touched on my big hope for Season 2. My favorite thing about Nobody Wants This was how good Brody and Bell’s characters are at communicating. While they have their roadblocks – and a real big one lies ahead of them too – they know how to talk to each other about it, and they productively worked through it all in Season 1.

The scene where Noah told Joanne he could handle her, iconic. The way Joanne voiced her insecurities, wonderful. Both of them transparently communicating about their life goals and feelings toward their relationship, we love to see it. And I need to more of it.

Thankfully, we’ll get all of that and probably more. Nobody Wants This’ Season 1 ending set up Season 2 by leaving us with Noah running to Joanne after she told him to chase his dream of becoming head rabbi rather than her and their relationship. It was shocking, and it sets up the conflict of them dealing with their relationship and the influence religion will have on it quite well.

So, here’s hoping more positive and romantic energy is to come in Season 2 as Noah figures out if he wants to be head rabbi and Joanne continues to ponder if she should convert to Judaism. I’m scared that kind of massive impasse could lead to a lot of resentment between the two characters. However, if they maintain their healthy lines of communication, this is something I 100% believe they can work through, and it’s something I definitely want to watch.

As we learn more about Season 2, we’ll keep you posted. For now, you can stream Nobody Wants This with a Netflix subscription.

Spoilers for Nobody Wants This are ahead!

The ending of Nobody Wants This made its title even more fitting, because I don’t want what’s coming next, and I don’t think Adam Brody’s Noah and Kristen Bell’s Joanne do either. Don’t get me wrong, I adore this 2024 Netflix release, and I want more of it. However, the end of Season 1 set up Season 2 in a way that concerns me, and we need to talk about why.

How Nobody Wants This Ended And Set Up Season 2

Now, while I’m worried about the end of Nobody Wants This, it certainly did set up Season 2, which, in the grand scheme of things, is good.

After Joanne tells Noah – who just found out he’s going to be the head rabbi – that she couldn’t convert to Judaism because she would be doing it for him and not herself, she tells him not to chase after her. Well, he didn’t listen, he ran to the parking lot she was headed to and waited there for her. When she got off the bus the following conversation happened:

Joanne: So how does this work?

Noah: Well, you were right. I can’t have both.

Then, Adam Brody’s character kisses her and the show ends. We don’t know if they’re back together, we don’t know if Noah will turn down the head rabbi gig, and what lies ahead feels like an endless cycle of potential resentment that I’m scared of.

Why I’m Nervous Nobody Wants This Is Going To End Up In A Terrible Cycle Of Resentment

OK, let me re-emphasize and clearly state my issue with the end of Nobody Wants This: it seems like Joanne and Noah are headed into a never-ending potentially resentful cycle of being willing to change their lives for each other and doing what’s best for themselves.

I hate that for both of them.

Could they find a happy medium? Maybe. However, this show is messy as all get out. And while clear and healthy communication is a theme in this series, this topic that Season 2 ended on is the issue that they really can’t figure out.

Frankly, I’m not interested in seeing Noah go back and forth about wanting to be the head rabbi or not because of his love for Joanne and Joanne figuring out whether she’s willing to convert to Judaism. In both cases, they’re right. Brody’s character shouldn’t have to give up his dream job, and Bell’s shouldn’t have to fully convert to a religion she’s not 100% on board with. However, if they fully commit to one of those options, resentment feels inevitable.

That impossible choice makes me worried about what could happen in Season 2.

I realize conflict is necessary to make a great rom-com – and all the best ones have it. However, things go awry when the couple gets stuck in a never-ending cycle of trying to make an impossible decision like this, and I don’t want that for Noah and Joanne or the viewers.

Obviously, they have to work through the head rabbi and convert topics to survive as a couple, I get that. However, I’m scared that it will take over Season 2 and make them miserable for the whole story. I understand this is a big choice they need to make as a couple, and I do think it can make for good TV if it’s handled with care. But, I can’t help but be concerned about this overtaking the show and sucking the fun out of it as these two struggle between their love for each other and what it might take to make their relationship work.

While I’m concerned about how the show will go on after this ending, I do think Nobody Wants This is one of Netflix’s best shows at the moment, and I do want more. So, if it gets renewed for Season 2, you better believe I’ll be using my Netflix subscription to watch it while also crossing my fingers that Noah and Joanne figure out this situation in a way that’s productive, healthy, possibly funny and entertaining.

The streaming wars have been raging on for years now, and Netflix is constantly releasing new movie and TV content. Those with a Netflix subscription were recently treated to the new romantic comedy series Nobody Wants This, which stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. And Brody's dreamy performance as a hot Rabbi is giving me some serious Gilmore Girls-related FOMO. Let's break it all down.

Nobody Wants This has a killer rotten tomatoes score, and it's wildly popular on Netflix at the moment. The internet has also been thirsting over Adam Brody, who is endlessly charismatic and dreamy as Noah Roklov. And seeing just how much of a heartthrob he is makes me bummed that his tenure as Dave Rygalski on Gilmore Girls was so short.

Brody's starpower was still growing when he guest starred in Gilmore Girls for nine episodes as Lane's love interest/ bandmate Dave. Unfortunately, he was written off after Season 3, presumably so the actor could star in The O.C.. While his replacement in the band became another beloved character, some fans maintain that Dave and Lane should have bene end game... myself included.

Of course, Gilmore Girls fans know how things ultimately turned out for Rory's best friend Lane. After Dave left the band Hep Alien continued on for the entirety of Gilmore Girls run, including the limited series sequel that hit Netflix a few years ago. A Year In The Life solved some of the show's mysteries, but Dave was unfortunately never seen again.

Lane ended up having a romantic connection with Zack, with the pair eventually marrying and having twins. Still, some fans think that Dave was the right person to end up with Keiko Agena's fan favorite character. And seeing Adam Brody go into full-on heartthrob mode for Nobody Wants This, I feel robbed for both myself as a Gilmore Girls fan, as well as robbed on behalf of Lane Kim. After all, Zack was never really the dreamy type.

Reception for Nobody Wants This has been mixed, with some Netflix subscribers taking umbrage with its overall direction and narrative. Additionally, there's been some backlash to the portrayal of Jewish characters, which some have found to be stereotypical. Still, smart money says plenty of folks are binge-watching the new Netflix show, including Gilmore Girls fans. After all, both of Amy Sherman-Palladino's shows are available to stream on the vrery same application.

I have to wonder if other Gilmore Girls fans are going to have the same FOMO about Dave and Lane upon binge-watching Nobody Wants This. Despite his short run on the beloved series, he definitely made an impact. And there's going to be a new generation of fans swooning over Adam Brody.

Nobody Wants This is streaming in its entirety on Netflix. Check the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Kirsten Bell returned to the small screen for a 2024 TV premiere that flew right under a lot of people's radars in recent months, and even I was barely aware of its existence before it hit Netflix's TV schedule. But now that it's fully out and available for everyone to stream, her romantic comedy Nobody Wants This has been an undeniably popular and acclaimed hit so far.

Of couse, just because a TV show is able to landa. high score on Rotten Tomatoes doesn't mean it's automatically free from critical opinions and blowback from certain viewers. Let's dive into both the good and the not-so-good news coming out of the new series from creator Erin Foster.

Kristen Bell's Return To TV Is A Critically Acclaimed Hit On Rotten Tomatoes

It's true that a TV show or movie landing a stellar score on Rotten Tomatoes isn't necessarily the most accurate indicator of a project's quality, it's fairly rare for projects that are Certified Fresh to be widely considered as pure crap. And Nobody Wants This certain isn't on the low end of the quality spectrum, having earned a whopping 93% score (at the time of writing); of the 29 reviews compiled, only two outlets gave the show a Rotten rating.

In my personal opinion, Nobody Wants This is largely deserving of the praise being thrown its way, even if I was irked by the ending living up to the title. The comedy is on point, the romance is mostly on point, even if it takes a mild suspension of disbelief to buy into Bell's Joanne and Adam Brody's hot rabbi Noah falling so hard so quickly.

But it's not even just about the core romance. Nobody Wants This also delves into complicated but largely rewarding sibling relationships, both between Joanne and Justine Lupe's Morgan, and between Noah and Timothy Simons' Sasha. And for the most part, it avoids many of the groan-worthy tropes that plague lower-tier romantic comedies. But not all viewers were in agreement that Netflix series eschewed ALL stereotypes.

Creator Erin Foster Defended Nobody Wants This For Audience Complaints About Jewish Stereotypes

Series creator and showrunner Erin Foster based many elements of Joanne's journey from her own life. Five years or so prior to the Netflix show's debut, she went through a ten-week course at the American Jewish University in West Los Angeles, having also fallen for a Jewish man — current hubby Simon Tikhman — who was resolute about his significant other sharing his faith system.

But for the most part, it's not Joanne and Noah's relationship specifically that's gotten flak, but rather the Jewish women in Noah's life who present as highly judgmental, overly controlling, and not the most open to meeting new people. (Not that different from mothers of any and all beliefs, at least in my experience.) Glamour's Jessica Radloff penned perhaps the most widespread critical assessment of Nobody Wants This' depiction of Jewish women, but Foster defended it by saying everyone's experiences are different, and that crafting characters who avoided all stereotypes would have been criticized as inauthentic. As she put it to the L.A. Times:

A fair enough explanation, even with its shortcomings. Going too far in any direction is going to ruffle someone's feathers, and sometimes it's easier to fall back on what's more familiar and then build off of that.

As far as the specific complaints about Noah's mom Bina (Tovah Feldshuh) and daughter-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn), Erin Foster shared that she didn't exactly go through that with her own in-laws, who were far more open to outsiders, but that the nature of television narratives influenced the move to make Bina so strict about her son's choices. According to the showrunner:

From a story perspective, it gave Noah and Joanne another cultural hurdle to conquer and leap past in order to keep their realtionship going strong. Of course, by the end, Brody's rabbi seems to be throwing his entire career and lifepath out to sea in order to stick with Joanne, but we'll have to wait and see how that plays out in a potential second season.

The easiest way to make that happen is to tell all your friends with Netflix subscriptions to check this show out posthaste!

Spoilers below for the first season of Netflix's Nobody Wants This, so be warned if you haven't yet watched.

I'll be honest, I didn't expect anything hitting the 2024 TV schedule to cause me to declare, "Well that's a fantastic romantic comedy series that I'm so glad I binged across three days." And yet Kristen Bell and Adam Brody's beyond-adorable relationship in Netflix's hit new series Nobody Wants This had me hook, line, and sinker.

At least, it held me right up until the end of the Season 1 finale, "Bat Mitzvah Crashers," which seemed to turn its own title from describing the show characters’ reactions and opinions about Joanne and Noah’s relationship to describing how I felt after watching the very last scene. Let’s dive into a few ways the name Nobody Wants This applied directly to my thought process while watching.

Nobody Wants A Stereotypical Rom-Com Ending, But There It Was

For the majority of the time I spent watching Nobody Wants This — not long at all considering the spisodes' short runtimes — I found myself loving just how well the show avoided common tropes that even the best rom-com movies of all time can be guilty of. Or, in the instances where stereotypes did crop up, the characters directly addressed them logically or self-awarely. (Joanne's friend squad literally hit on the same talking points that I spoke aloud while watching.)

Noah's struggle to balance his faith-based, set-in-stone lifestyle (and mother) with the spontaneous whimsy of a rebound relationship with Joanne was a solid arc for that character to follow. It was similarly satisfying to watch Joanne realize that she was capable of finding an alternate to her free-wheeling behavior, and that at least temporarily, she felt comfortable enough to theorize a life after converting to Judaism.

Ideally for me, Noah and Joanne being catalysts for life changes in the other person was justification enough to have watched their rapidly evolving romance for a 10-episode season. Kristen Bell perfectly delivered the line about leaving so that she didn't make him choose. Loved. It.

Then came the big sigh. For all that it was well-telegraphed story-wise (though I have no idea what kind of timeline this bat mitzvah was adhering to), it still bothered me immensely that the Season 1 finale ended with Noah having run to meet Joanne by her car to reveal that he seeming to be choosing her instead of his literal lifelong dream to be head hot rabbi. Er, just head rabbi.

Adam Brody portrayed Noah's excitement about his faith quote convincingly to me, and he was downright adorable peppering Hebrew into their conversation earlier in the day. And while I also believed in his romantic feelings for Joanne, the last scene of the show is the one moment where Nobody Wants This felt like every other rom-com. And I didn't want that.

Nobody Wants Sasha And Morgan To Start A Needless Romance, And They Didn't!

For all that Nobody Wants That left a vaguely sour taste in my mouth due to Noah's last-second rebuttal to Joanne's break-up speech, I have to applaud and ovate while standing over how happy I am that showrunner Erin Foster didn't unnecessarily taint Morgan and Sasha's burgeoning kinship by making it romantic in the slightest.

I absolutely treasure both Justine Lupe and Timothy Simons, and did not initially suspect that they would end up having any sort of chemistry, much less the intentionally platonic kind. Considering he's a "California sober" semi-stoner dork with limited ambitions and she's a woman of the world who doesn't have time for watching Dune, much less watching Dune 2 sans the context of watching the first one. (Per their text conversation that Sasha's wife Esther seeks out without his knowledge.)

SImilar to the way Joanne and Noah inspire the other to reach a middle ground in one way or another, Morgan and Sasha's impromptu friendship addresses things missing from both of their lives. Sasha isn't allowed to have female friends, due to Esther's seemingly unwarranted strictness, while Morgan isn't accustomed to having male friends where the end game isn't sexual gratification for one or both.

By all means, Foster & Co. may choose to go the unfortunate direction in a theoretical Season 2 by having Esther's jealousy ironically inspire sparks of genuine attraction between Sasha and Morgan, or some other likeminded outcome. But for now, I'm extremely happy that this was one of the annoying tropes that was avoided entirely.

Nobody Wants A Kristen Bell Show Without Ryan Hansen, And He Appeared!

For those who miss seeing The Good Place characters in the afterlife, this Netflix show allowed the pleasure of watching Kristen Bell and D'Arcy Carden share the screen again, albeit in far different contexts. But Bell fans are far more used to seeing her and longtime buddy Ryan Hansen popping into each other's projects, with Veronica Mars as their first shared modern classic.

So it was indeed cheer-worthy when Joanne took a moment in Episode 3 to call one of her exes to get his take on Noah not immediately responding to her messages, and that the ex was played by Hansen. But get this, he wasn't just playing a random ass dude, but rather (unofficially) reprising one of his most beloved characters.

As Joanne points out, Hansen is playing a character named Kyle who just so happens to be wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the name Karma Rocket. For those who aren't immediately picking up on those hints, this is a direct reference to Hansen's character Kyle Bradway in Starz's beloved caterer comedy Party Down. He was one of the main returning cast members for the 2023 revival, so it's fitting to think that he'd have clothing merch from his fictional band.

Also worth noting is that Kristen Bell appeared in two episodes of Party Down as the milatant rival caterer Uda Bengt, but if there were any direct references to that character in Nobody Wants This, I am sorry that I missed them. But I'm not sorry the Hansen-Bell connection remains strong!

Despite my issues with the ending, I can easily see myself rewatching Nobody Wants This, which anyone can do with a Netflix subscription while waiting for Season 2 updates.

We can all collectively agree that Jennifer's Body was ahead of its time and is actually incredible? Cool, cool. 

I loved this film when I was younger. When I found out the stats, I never understood why it didn't do so well at the box office, but I've always had a personal connection to it. It's not just because I'm a fan of the best horror movies ever—I don't even know if I'd put the film on that list. But, this movie is fun, zany, quirky, and a hell of a scare during certain moments. 

It's been a while since this film came out – sixteen years, if you can believe it. And the cast has indeed been up to a lot since then. Let's check back in with the Jennifer's Body cast, shall we? 

Megan Fox As Jennifer Check

Of course, we have to start off with Megan Fox, the Jennifer of Jennifer's Body. Back in 2009, you could see Fox everywhere, on every cover of every magazine, and yes, every girl wanted to be her (as I was one of those girls). 

Since then, Fox has appeared in various films, including Jonah Hex, This Is 40, The Dictator, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, Zeroville, Think Like A Dog, Rogue, Big Gold Brick, Night Teeth, and Good Mourning. She also starred in Expend4bles, the latest in the Expendables franchise. 

In terms of television, Fox held a recurring role on New Girl for a little bit, was a guest star on Dave, and was the host of Legends of the Lost with Megan Fox. She is going to appear in a new film called Subservience, a movie about an A.I. robot gaining sentience. 

Amanda Seyfried As Anita "Needy" Lesnicki

I don't know what it was about Amanda Seyfried as Needy that altered my brain chemistry, but her role in Jennifer's Body is a prime role of hers to me, and I love it. Seyfried has had quite the career, however, since her role in the film. 

Some of Seyfried's best films since then include Dear John, Red Riding Hood, In Time, Gone, the musical movie Les Miserables, Epic, Ted 2, Pan, Mank, the sequel to Mamma Mia, called Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, A Mouthful of Air, and Things Heard and Seen, among many others. 

On television, Seyfried was the star of The Dropout cast and held a starring role in the Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room. She also had a recurring role in Twin Peaks and a main role in Big Love. Coming up, she'll be on a new TV show called Long Bright River, according to Variety, and a new film called My Ex-Friend's Wedding, according to Deadline.  

Adam Brody As Nikolai Wolf

Adam Brody as Nikolai Wolf in Jennifer's Body also changed lives, and the actor has had a successful career since then. Brody has appeared in several films, such as Damsels in Distress, Scream 4 and the fifth Scream film, Lovelace, Think Like a Man Too, Yoga Hosers, Shazam! and its sequel, Isabelle, Big Bear, and The Kid Detective.

Brody also was a part of the main cast of Good Vibes, a guest on The League, and had a recurring role in Curfew. The actor also appeared in the Fleishman is in Trouble cast. Coming up, he'll be in a new Netflix miniseries called Nobody Wants This. 

Johnny Simmons As Chip Dove

Chip was honestly a good guy in Jennifer's Body, and he didn't deserve the ending he got, but he was played really well by Johnny Simmons. The actor has appeared in various films since then, including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 21 Jump Street, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The To-Do List, The Stanford Prison Experiment, and The Late Bloomer, among others. 

Simmons reprised his role from the live-action Scott Pilgrim in the anime adaptation on Netflix called Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. He also had a main role in the TV shows Girlboss and Klondike. Coming up, Simmons will be in a new movie called Bad Man, according to Deadline. 

J. K. Simmons As Mr. Wroblewski

I know you're probably surprised to see J.K. Simmons on this list, but believe it or not, he had a role in Jennifer's Body, and this actor has been active since the film's release. Aside from winning an Academy Award for Whiplash, he's also reprised his role as J. Jonah Jameson several times in both the MCU Spider-Man movies and several other Spidey adaptations. 

Simmons has also had roles in movies such as The Words, Jobs, Labor Day, Dark Skies, Barefoot, Kung Fu Panda 3, Patriots Day, The Accountant, La La Land, Zootopia, Klaus, The Front Runner, Being The Ricardos and more. He's also known for his voice work and has a main role in Invincible (which is renewed for Season 3), BoJack Horseman, The Legend of Korra and more. 

Simmons has a lot coming up, but I'll say the three films you should look out for – Saturday Night, according to Deadline, a new Christmas film titled Red One, and The Accountant 2, according to Deadline.   

Amy Sedaris As Toni Lesnicki

Amy Sedaris played Toni Lesnicki in the movie. The actress has appeared in several films, including Puss in Boots, Ghosted, Somebody I Used to Know, and more. She also played a role in The Mandalorian, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, BoJack Horseman, and others. According to Deadline, she'll be in the new Smurfs film. 

Kyle Gallner As Colin Gray

Kyle Gallner played Colin Gray in the horror film. The actor has appeared in various movies, including Beautiful Boy, Dear White People, The Passenger, Smile, American Sniper, and more. He also had a main role on The Outsiders TV show, and a recurring role in The Shield, among several other television parts. 

He'll be in the new Smile 2, which is part of the 2024 movie release schedule. 

Cynthia Stevenson As Mrs. Dove

Cynthia Stevenson played Mrs. Dove in Jennifer's Body. She's also appeared in the films Tiger Eyes and Baja, and has starred in TV shows like Your Family or Mine, How to Get Away with Murder, and The Good Doctor. She doesn't currently have anything coming up, but we'll keep an eye out. 

Chris Pratt As Officer Roman Duda

Yes, Chris Pratt was in Jennifer's Body, believe it or not, as Roman Duda. The actor gained wide fame after his role in the Parks and Recreation cast and for his part as Star Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Pratt has appeared in several other films as well, such as Moneyball, The Five Year Engagement, Zero Dark Thirty, Passengers, the Jurassic World trilogy, The Super Mario Bros Movie and The Garfield Movie. He also has a main role in the TV show, The Terminal List. Coming up, Pratt will be in a new movie called The Electric State from the Russo Brothers, and a new film called Mercy, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

Carrie Genzel As Mrs. Check

Last but not least, we have Carrie Genzel, who played Mrs. Check. She's appeared in movies such as Evil Feed, They're Watching, The Layover and Parallel since the film's release. 

She's also had roles in TV shows like The Walking Dead, Sistas, and several TV films. She doesn't have anything coming up yet, but hopefully it won't be too long before we see her again. 

The Jennifer's Body cast is so talented, and honestly, I can't wait to see what they do over the next sixteen years. Jennifer's Body 2, anyone?

In 2003, Adam Brody’s Seth Cohen introduced us all to “Chrismukkah” on The O.C. As the son of a Christian mom and Jewish dad, he wanted to celebrate both holidays, so he decided to create a super holiday. Since then, this silly term has continued to be used. However, it turns out the actor’s own wife, Leighton Meester, only recently found out her partner helped coin the fantastic word. 

So, with Chrismukkah fast approaching, let’s learn about how the hybrid holiday came to be, and why Adam Brody’s wife and fellow actor didn’t fully realize he was one of the folks who helped create it. 

How The O.C. Came Up With Chrismukkah

In Season 1, Episode 13 of the teen drama, aptly titled “The Best Chrismukkah Ever,” Brody’s character passionately explained the thinking behind the combo holiday to his friend (and The O.C. cast’s leading man) Ryan, saying:

His mom then admitted they didn’t know which religion to raise Seth under, and he said:

While speaking with Huff Post in 2013, The O.C.’s creator Josh Schwartz explained why they came up with the now iconic holiday term. Noting that it was partly inspired by his own experiences and the intentional choice to have Seth grow up in an interfaith family he said:

Seth does say in the episode that one of the benefits of the holiday is having “eight days of presents, followed by one day of many presents.” You can see the other traditions of Chrismukkah in the hilarious clip from The O.C. below:

Schwartz then went on to say they were trying to pick between Chrismukkah or “Hanimas.” I think they chose correctly because, the creative said they “probably should’ve done a better job of trademarking it and selling greeting cards,” since the term has become so widely used. 

Many know that Seth Cohen coined the term in 2003. However, Adam Brody’s wife Leighton Meester was totally unaware that her partner helped make the word iconic until recently, even though both Chrismukkah and The O.C. are over 20 years old now.

Leighton Meester Only Recently Found Out Chrismukkah Originated On Adam Brody’s Show 

It turns out, Leighton Meester, Adam Brody’s wife and fellow 2000s teen drama star, “didn’t know” his show created the holiday verbiage until recently. While speaking with The Messanger about her own project on the 2023 Christmas movie schedule, EXmas, the former Gossip Girl cast member said:

I find it hard to believe that Meester didn’t know her husband helped coin the term Chrismukkah, especially since she said they kind of celebrate both holidays in their home. 

Both Meester and Brody have starred in two legendary teen shows, and like The O.C., Gossip Girl also had some fabulous holiday episodes that are full of fun and unique traditions (and lots of drama, obviously). However, they were more known for their Thanksgiving episodes, not Christmas (or Chrismukkah).

If you are looking to throw it back, and watch the holiday episodes of The O.C. and Gossip Girl to get in the Chrismukkah, Christmas, Hanukkah or holiday spirit, you can stream both shows with a Max subscription. When you are done with that, make sure to check out our list of the best Christmas movies to continue the festivities. 

Actress Megan Fox has been a public figure for decades now, and her starpower only continues to grow. And while she’s most recently been making headlines for her relationship with Machine Gun Kelly, she starred in a number of truly iconic projects throughout the years. Chief among them is Jennifer’s Body, which has become a cult classic years after its release. And while Fox took a lot of flak for Jennifer’s Body, her co-star says the reception “felt shitty” for the whole cast.

Aside from Megan Fox, Jennifer’s Body also includes a number of other familiar faces including Amanda Seyfried, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, and Adam Brody. The latter actor recently spoke to The Independent about his career, including that 2009 horror/comedy. Fox has been open about how the initial reception was really brutal for her, but she wasn’t the only one upset by how the public/press perceived the film. As Brody shared:

While Adam Brody wasn’t particularly vilified with the release of Megan’s Body, it sounds like the way the movie was originally received did stick with him and the rest of the cast. What’s more, he seems to know exactly what went wrong on the movie’s road to theaters.

In Jennifer’s Body, Adam Brody played punk rocker Nikolai Wolf, one of the primary antagonists. He’s the lead singer of the fictional band Cold Shoulder, who work together to sacrifice Jennifer to a demon. The movie is equal parts witty and dark, although Brody thinks that the hate that came its way is partly due to Jennifer Body’s racy marketing, which was more about Megan Fox’s appearance than the actual contents of the film. In the same interview he said:

He’s not wrong. The posters for Jennifer’s Body feature Megan Fox all feature her scantily clad, in either a school girl outfit or cheerleading uniform. And while the movie had a wholly original tone that’s been praised years after its release, the marketing made the project seem more surface level. And as a result, Fox was vilified in the media and online.

As previously mentioned, Jennifer’s Body has become somewhat of a cult classic in the years since its 2007 release. This has no doubt been vindicating for cast members like Fox and Adam Brody, as well as writer Diablo Cody. Now Fox continues to make headlines, albeit for different reasons.

Adam Brody can be seen in Shazam 2 on March 17th, while Megan Fox has upcoming roles in projects like Expendables 4. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The FX on Hulu brand has given audiences some incredible shows since FX+ was given a fresh coat of paint and new name in early 2020, with shows like Reservation Dogs, Under the Banner of Heaven, and The Bear being considered some of the best offerings on TV right now. The latest addition to the library, Fleishman Is in Trouble, has all the trappings of the brand’s next big hit, thanks to its story (based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s 2019 novel of the same name), style, and a tremendous collection of actors with all kinds of accolades.

If you have watched the first two episodes of the 2022 TV show, which premiered on November 17, 2022, or you are planning on catching up later on, there’s a good chance you are wondering where you’ve seen the members of the Fleishman Is in Trouble cast before. Well, you’ve come to the right place because we’re about to break it all down now…

Jesse Eisenberg (Toby Fleishman)

Jesse Eisenberg leads the Fleishman Is in Trouble cast as Toby Fleishman, a recently-divorced 40-year-old doctor in Manhattan who is getting used to the app-based dating world and a single parent after his wife ups and leaves without notice.

Throughout his career, Eisenberg has played an intelligent and overly-ambitious billionaire in The Social Network and an over-the-top version of Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, respectively, while also playing more sincere characters in titles like The Squid and the Whale, Adventureland, and the Zombieland franchise. The new FX on Hulu miniseries is Eisenberg’s first major TV role since his days on Get Real more than 20 years ago.

Claire Danes (Rachel Fleishman)

Multi-time Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy winner Claire Danes appears in the Fleishman Is in Trouble cast as Toby’s ex-wife Rachel, who, after years of marriage, decides she needs something new and different from life.

Danes is no stranger to the medium of TV, as she first rose to prominence on the quintessential ‘90s series My So-Called Life, and then later on with the decorated Showtime original series, Homeland. She has also appeared on Temple Grandin, Master of None, and The Essex Serpent over the years. Danes’ film credits include Baz Luhrman’s reimagining of Romeo + Juliet, The Hours, Shopgirl, and The Family Stone, to name only a few.

Lizzy Caplan (Libby Epstein)

Taking on the role of Toby’s best friend Libby Epstein (who also provides the show’s narration) is Lizzy Caplan, who brings years of experience to the Fleishman Is in Trouble cast.

Just like the co-stars listed above, Caplan got her start in show business on TV, with a four-episode run on Freaks and Geeks, the short-lived dramedy series that helped launch the careers of some of today’s biggest stars. Over the years, Caplan has landed leading roles on Party Down, Masters of Sex, and Castle Rock, to name just a few. She’s next set to take on the role of Alex Forrest in the upcoming TV-adaptation of Fatal Attraction.

Adam Brody (Seth Morris)

Adam Brody appears in the Fleishman Is in Trouble cast as Seth Morris, one of Toby’s best friends who helps guide him through the post-divorce life.

Brody, who came into prominence with his portrayal of Seth Cohen on the Fox teen drama series The O.C., following appearances on shows like Grounded for Life and The Sausage Factory, has continued to be a go-to name over the years. Movies like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Sleeping with Other People, Promising Young Woman, and Ready or Not have all featured the actor in some capacity. He is next set to reprise his role of the superhero version of Freddy Freeman in the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Christian Slater (Archer Sylvan)

Christian Slater appears on Fleishman Is in Trouble as Archer Sylvan, a character Deadline described as being a “Tom Wolfe-esque” figure who writes an article about the dissolution of marriage, reflecting the show’s central conflict.

Slater is mostly known for appearing in movies like Heathers, True Romance, Interview with the Vampire, and Stephen King’s Dolan’s Cadillac, but he has more than a few TV credits to his name that are worth mentioning. First, there’s his decorated performance on Mr. Robot that earned him a Golden Globe and multiple nominations, but he has also appeared on Dr. Death, The West Wing, Alias, and a few dozen other programs going back to the early 1980s.

Josh Radnor (Adam Epstein)

Josh Radnor also joins the Fleishman is in Trouble cast as Libbey Epstein’s husband, Adam. 

Whenever Radnor’s name (or face) comes up, it’s hard not to instantly think of Ted Mosby, the character he played for nine seasons on the CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. After that, he landed a major role on Grey's Anatomy. Randor’s other TV credits include Rise, Hunters, Mercy Street, and Six Feet Under, to name a few. He has also popped up in movies like Liberal Arts, Social Animals, and Not Another Teen Movie.

Michael Gaston (Dr. Bartuck)

Taking on the role Dr. Bartuck, Toby’s overbearing boss, is Michael Gaston. 

Throughout his career, Gaston has appeared on shows like Five Days at Memorial, Jack Ryan, For Life, The Leftovers, Mad Men, Jericho, The West Wing, and a few dozen others, including brief, one-off roles on shows like Law & Order and The Sopranos. His film work includes W., Inception, First Reformed, and Cop Land, to name just a few.

Meara Mahoney-Gross (Hannah Fleishman)

Meara Mahoney-Gross appears on Fleishman Is in Trouble as Hannah, the daughter of Toby and Rachel who finds herself caught in the middle of her parents’ divorce and new lives.

Mahoney-Gross has only been acting for a few years, but she has already appeared in movies like The Tender Bar and Don’t Look Up.

Maxim Swinton (Solly Fleishman)

Maxim Swinton shows up on Fleishman Is in Trouble as Solly, the young son of Toby and Rachel.

Over the course of the past few years, Swinton has made appearances on shows like Halston, NOS4A2, Blindspot, Bull, and The Blacklist: Redemption, to name a few.

The first two episodes of Fleishman Is in Trouble are currently available to stream if you have a Hulu subscription, and new episodes are set to premiere every Thursday through the end of the year.

The O.C. was a pop culture phenomenon back in its day, making waves thanks to everything from its young stars to the soap opera-esque storylines heating up primetime to the music. This was a teen drama centered on a group of high schoolers, but it was no Saved by the Bell or Boy Meets World with these kids. Crimes were committed, drugs and alcohol were passed around, secrets were kept, lies were told, romances ranged from the steamy to the unhealthy…and that’s just describing The O.C. pilot episode that aired back in 2003! I felt that it was high time to revisit the series and rewatch the very first episode. 

As somebody who was there for the pilot's iconic “Welcome to the O.C., bitch!” to the first “Mmm, whatcha say,” to the very end in 2007, rewatching the pilot was a blast to the past with some things I’d forgotten and some things I now see differently. By the time the credits rolled, I definitely had some thoughts. 

The True Love Story Was Always Ryan And Seth

The O.C. was chock full of romances, but revisiting the pilot established something that would remain true until the very end: the big love story of the show was always Ryan and Seth's bromance. 

Sure, romantic sparks were flying between Ryan and Marissa from the moment they locked eyes, and Seth was in love with Summer for years before they even spoke, but Ryan and Seth were basically in best friend mode from the moment they met. They came from extremely different backgrounds, but were cool with each other from the start, and that bond is only going to get so much tighter after the pilot. What show needs romance as a legacy when there’s a friendship like Ryan and Seth at the center? 

Sandy Cohen Was The Best TV Dad From The Start

Everybody who has ever heard of Sandy Cohen probably knows him as an example of a great TV dad, and the pilot proved that was true from the start. As Ryan’s public defender, he didn’t start by dispensing fatherly advice, but after looking at Ryan’s test scores and meeting his unfit mom, his dad instincts were clearly activated. 

Before the end of the episode, he was teaching Ryan how to tie a tie, happy to see him getting along with Seth, and clearly was willing to let Ryan keep living in the pool house after the big fight on the beach, even though that was a step too far for his wife. Is Sandy a perfect dad from start to finish on The O.C.? Definitely not, but he earned his status as a great TV dad.

Kirsten Had A Point About Ryan

When I originally watched the pilot of The O.C. as a teenager back in 2003, Kirsten seemed like she was being unreasonable about not wanting to let Ryan stay, first after Sandy brought him home and then the morning after the beach fight. Ryan even made bacon! Who kicks out a houseguest who makes bacon without even being asked? 

As an adult, however, I see that Kirsten 100% had a point with her hesitation about Ryan. Seth went from never getting in any trouble to being involved in a drunken brawl on the beach, and definitely not holding his own in it. She didn’t even meet Ryan before Sandy brought him home! And, honestly, Kirsten making some valid objections to her husband bringing home his client makes her welcoming him into the family down the line all the more touching.

It Was Very Early 2000s

For better or worse, The O.C. definitely shows its age as a product of the early 2000s. While you wouldn’t know the time period from Ryan’s white t-shirt and hoodie in the pilot, all it takes is one look at Marissa Cooper’s low-rise jeans, Seth’s t-shirt collection, and Luke’s puka shell necklace to cement the blast to the past in the pilot. Throw in Julie Cooper wondering if her straight hair and highlights were “too Avril Lavigne” and Ryan talking about Social Security running out in the oh-so-distant year of 2025, and the episode will transport you back to 2003. 

Summer Was The Worst (At First)

Seth built the expectations for Summer high after dreamily telling Ryan about his plans for their future while floating on the boat that he named after her, and Summer definitely becomes a standout character later in the series, but she’s kind of the worst in the series premiere. While drunkenly hitting on Ryan and showing no interest in Seth wasn’t as bad as what some of the other rich Orange County kids did, ditching a passed-out Marissa on her lawn was a very low point for the character. Sure, it served as an opportunity for Ryan to heroically carry Marissa into her home, but it was not a good look for Summer, and my rewatch really reminded me of why I didn’t like her at first. 

There Were Some Big Recastings

The very first scene of the pilot was a reminder that The O.C. actually did some pretty major recastings of characters. Bradley Stryker played Trey Atwood in the pilot, and one more time in Season 1, before he would be replaced by Logan Marshall-Green in Seasons 2 and 3. Trey also isn’t the only character who would be recast, as Shailene Woodley played Kaitlin Cooper in the pilot and rest of the first season, but would be replaced by future Arrow actress Willa Holland in Seasons 3 and 4.

The O.C. Would Still Become A Hit Today

Even though the pilot proved that the show was very 2000s, the episode convinced me that The O.C. would still become a hit if it premiered today. It had an intriguing premise with a talented cast of young actors, some of whom – including Ben McKenzie with Gotham, Rachel Bilson with Hart of Dixie, and Adam Brody with StartUp – went on to star in their own series after the end of The O.C. (Mischa Barton has since spoken up about her exit from the series.)

Even Chris Carmack was best known as Luke before signing on to Nashville in 2013 and Grey’s Anatomy in 2018. I’d say that the recipe for success that worked in 2003 could have created a hit in 2022, and makes the series worth a rewatch beyond the pilot. (You can do so streaming with a Hulu subscription and/or an HBO Max subscription.)

Additional Thoughts

There was no way that I could stop my O.C. thoughts at just seven, so here are some others that I just can't get out of my head:

• Ben McKenzie was great as Ryan, but he never looked like a teenager on The O.C.
• Ryan was punched in the face for the first time five minutes into the pilot. It was the first of many punches over four seasons.
• Ryan threw his first punch 32 minutes into the pilot. Also the first of many.
• There are some things that you forget after almost 20 years, but not the lyrics to the “California” theme song by Phantom Planet.

You can find The O.C. streaming on both Hulu and HBO Max. If you’re in the market for some upcoming viewing options, be sure to check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule for what to watch and when to tune in.

In 2019, the DC Comics superhero formerly known as Captain Marvel finally scored his own feature-length film eight decades after he first appeared in the pages of Whiz Comics #2. Shazam! was met with with a lot of critical praise and went on to make $366 million at the worldwide box office, so New Line Cinema swiftly greenlit a sequel. By DC FanDome 2020, the project once known as Shazam! 2 was officially titled Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and it’s assembled an impressive cast.

Although the Shazam! mid-credits scene teased an alliance between Mark Strong’s Doctor Sivana and the super-intelligent caterpillar known as Mister Mind, it’s since been revealed they will not appear in Shazam! Fury of the Gods (unless the duo is secretly cameoing). Instead, the Shazam family will face new threats in the sequel, but before we discuss them, let’s go over the familiar faces who are returning for the sequel.

Asher Angel/Zachary Levi

Hey, it wouldn’t be a Shazam! movie without our central protagonist, Billy Batson, played in regular form by Asher Angel and in superhero form by Chuck’s Zachary Levi. The character was selected by the wizard also called Shazam to be his new champion millennia after his previous champion, Black Adam, became corrupted (we’ll meet that Dwayne Johnson-portrayed anti-hero in summer 2022). But along with becoming a superhero, Billy also embraced his new family during Shazam!, and during the battle with Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins, he shared his amazing abilities with his foster siblings. Now they’re superheroes just like him, so he won’t have to deal with the villains who surface in Shazam! Fury of the Gods alone.

Jack Dylan Grazer/Adam Brody

After being transformed into a superpowered adult, Billy sought the help of his new foster brother, Jack Dylan Grazer’s Freddy Freeman, expert on all things superhero-related, on getting the hang of these powers. Thanks to Freddy’s videos, Billy in his mighty adult form became a celebrity in Philadelphia, although the two boy’s friendship briefly became strained when Billy started irresponsibly using his powers, both to earn money and not prioritizing the well-being of innocents near him. Luckily, not only did these two end up reconciling, but like the other siblings, Freddy became Shazam-ified, with The O.C.’s Adam Brody playing his adult self. It was especially nice to see Freddy, who requires a crutch to walk in his normal form, was the first of the newly-minted members of the Shazam Family to start flying. It was also great to see Brody in superhero garb after he missed out on playing The Flash in the scrapped movie Justice League: Mortal.

Grace Fulton

The eldest member of the Shazam Family, Grace Fulton’s Mary Bromfield was applying to CalTech when we first met her in Shazam! and later on she was accepted. However, this academic institution was on the other side of the country, and Mary was saddened at the prospect of being so far away from her family. Since Mary’s back for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, it’s a good bet that if she is attending college, it’s somewhere close to home since she’s still battling the forces of evil with her siblings. Although Hawaii 5-0’s Michelle Borth played Mary’s Shazam-ified form in the first Shazam! movie, Fulton is pulling double duty as both civilian and superhero Mary in Fury of the Gods.

Faithe Herman/Meagan Good

Faithe Herman’s Darla Dudley was the second person to learn that Billy Batson could turn into Shazam, and while she has a penchant for spoiling secrets, she managed to keep mum on this until Mary figured it out herself. Think Like A Man’s Meagan Good was cast to play the superhero version of Darla, and did a great job emulating the girl’s enthusiasm and love for her family. Darla also got the hang of super speed… well, quickly, upon being bestowed with the Shazam magic.

Ian Chen/Ross Butler

Like his comic book counterpart, Ian Chen’s Eugene Choi knows his way around computers, to the point that he was able to find the address of Billy Batson’s biological mother and learn that Billy’s father was in prison. Upon becoming a superhero, the adult Eugene was played 13 Reasons Why’s Ross Butler, and was the first of Billy’s siblings who learned how to conjure lightning.

Jovan Armand/D.J. Cotrona

The shyest of Billy Batson’s foster siblings, Jovan Armand Pedro Peña was the one who spotted Billy’s discarded notebook chronicling his search for his mother. Pedro was also working out to get “swole,” making it especially fitting that after going through the Shazam transformation, he was the one who relied chiefly on super strength. G.I. Joe: Retaliation’s D.J. Cotrona played the adult Pedro, marking his return to the DC Comics space after he nearly played Superman in Justice League: Mortal.

Djimon Hounsou

Guardians of the Galaxy’s Djimon Hounsou starred in Shazam! as the wizard Shazam, who was once part of the Council of Wizards at the Rock of Eternity. However, after the other members were killed by the Seven Deadly Sins freed by Black Adam, Shazam imprisoned his former champion and spent centuries searching for someone pure of heart to inherit his powers. Thaddeus Sivana was one of the candidates, but when the boy became tempted by the Eye of Sin, the wizard sent him back. Decades later, and after the adult Sivana stole the eye, Shazam chose Billy as his new champion and swiftly crumbled to dust soon after. Hounsou is reprising the role in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and judging from the trailer, rather tha  the wizard Shazam’s spirit mentoring the heroes from the afterlife or appearing through flashbacks, it looks as though he's straight up been brought back to life.

Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren has scored action cred thanks to her work in the RED movies and the Fast & Furious franchise, and now she’s jumping into the superhero movie genre with Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Mirren will play Hespera, one of the daughters of Atlas, from whom Billy and his siblings gain their enhanced stamina. The behind-the-scenes featurette for the sequel that screened at 2021’s DC FanDome showed Hespera and Kalypso (more on her soon) in a museum on Earth and causing mayhem on a street, so it seems as if they’re searching for an artifact on our world and don’t mind unleashing some destruction in the process. What is this artifact? What do they intend to do with it? It’ll be a while before those questions are answered. 

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu also knows her way around the action world from the original Charlie’s Angels movies and Kill Bill: Volume 1, while in more recent years, she starred as Joan Watson in the CBS series Elementary. Liu’s Kalypso will be causing trouble alongside Helen Mirren’s Hespera in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, but we won’t just see them on Earth. In addition to revisiting the Rock of Eternity, we’ll also visit places like the Library of Eternity and the Realm of the Gods in the sequel, and monsters like  minotaurs, harpies and dragons will be on display. It stands to reason we’ll learn at least a little bit about Hespera and Kalypso’s upbringing in Fury of the Gods, namely how they ended up on the antagonistic path.

Rachel Zegler

The third of Atlas' daughters is named Anthea, and she’ll be played by Rachel Zegler, who made her film debut in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake. Between Shazam! Fury of the Gods and leading Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Zegler has a bright future ahead of her in Hollywood. It is worth noting that we don’t know yet if Zegler’s character in Fury of the Gods will be a villain like Hespera and Kalypso, or if she’s walking down a different path.

Cooper Andrews

In the first act of Shazam!, Billy Batson was placed in a group home run by Victor and Rosa Vásquez, who each had their own experience with the foster care system. Nevertheless, Billy kept looking for his biological mother, and after a sad reunion with her where he learned she deliberately gave him up, Billy realized his new family is where he truly belonged. The Walking Dead’s Cooper Andrews played Victor, and he’ll be back for Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Marta Milans

It’d be pretty weird for Victor to appear in Shazam! Fury of the Gods without Rosa, but luckily, we don’t have to worry about that. No Tomorrow’s Marta Milans will reprise Rosa in the sequel. Since the parents didn’t learn in Shazam! that their foster children became superheroes, hopefully they learn that in this new movie. There’s only so much sneaking around these kids can do before they finally reveal the truth.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods will work its magic in theaters on December 16, 2022. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news about this and other upcoming DC Comics movies.

So, here’s the thing. I’m not sure we fully appreciated the star-power of New Girl while the FOX series was on the air from 2011 to 2018. Sure, we’ll never forget Zooey Deschanel’s Jess going full-on quirky girl or Jake Johnson’s Nick Miller being the lovable doof he was, Max Greenfield’s Schmidt with his lotus pear conditioner or Lamorne Morris’ Winston and his misadventures with Ferguson. But, what also makes a sitcom as good as it was the New Girl guest stars who often managed to be super memorable and added a ton of laughs to the series. I’m talking about Taylor Swift, Prince, Dylan O’Brien and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Following my recent rewatch of the series and a few years removed from its series finale, I figured its time to rank the best guest appearances during New Girl’s seven season run. But first, I want to get a notable honorable mention out of the way:

New Girl's Guest Of Honor: Megan Fox

Megan Fox had a 15-episode guest arc while Zooey Deschanel’s Jess was on jury duty and the actress took maternity leave on the show. Although it didn’t seem fair to rank her with the others because she had significantly more screen time, I wanted to highlight Fox’s part in the series. Writing your star out of their series for a while is supposed to be a disaster, but it wasn’t thanks to the Transformers star. Fox’s Reagan brought a completely different flavor to the series, as a closed-off and suave temporary roommate to the New Girl cast. In the process, the actress showed off her comedic chops in a new way and provided a really interesting arc to the series. New Girl took a big swing and it paid off here. Anyway, on to the ranking!

11. Dylan O’Brien - Virgins - Season 2

Remember the time when the loft recalled how they lost their virginities? In the Season 2 episode, each of the roommates told their own stories of their first times and as it turns out Jess’ story involved The Maze Runner’s Dylan O’Brien. The actor struts into the show with style after an ill-fated prom night for Jess. He only strums a song for her on the guitar, but as the story goes, years later they meet each other at a bar and the results are absolute chaos. 

Dylan O’Brien’s guest spot is incredible because we expect him to be the rom-com heartthrob of Jess’ past, but nope… we were played in the best way.

10. Taran Killam - What About Fred - Season 5

One of the funniest aspects of New Girl continues to be its dating stories, and one Season 5 treat gave us Taran Killam’s Fred. In the episode, Jess is going out with the SNL alum’s character, who plays a hilariously boring oddball that feels like someone we’ve all met somewhere. What happens is she ends up sticking around with him because she loves hanging out with his parents more than him (played by Julie Hagerty and Henry Winkler). Killam is having fun playing around with his boring boyfriend bit and it really shows. Not to mention that amazing break dance moment with Winston.

9. Linda Cardellini - Sister - Season 3

Megan Fox wasn’t the only “anti-Jess” to shake up the FOX show throughout New Girl. In Season 3, Linda Cardellini’s character of Jess’ rebel sister was introduced into the show. You really can’t help but laugh and cringe at the wacky storyline Cardellini's character goes through as she uses her and her roommates, most memorably by dating Schmidt just so she can have a place to stay. It’s just about the worst match ever when Abby Day gets with Greenfield’s character, but it’s fun to watch play out.

8. Jessica Biel - The Last Wedding - Season 4

We really don’t get to see Jessica Biel in enough comedy roles these days, but in Season 4 of New Girl, she did a hilarious guest spot as the other woman in the way of Jess going home with the best eligible bachelor of the wedding she and the loft is attending. Throughout the episode, Jess and Biel’s character Kat end up following a man around (played by Ben Feldman) to crazed levels. Biel has solid chemistry with Zooey Deschanel in the episode and her character swept us off our feet in the matter of 20 minutes.

7. Adam Brody - Exes - Season 3

The OC and Shazam! actor Adam Brody also joined New Girl as a guest star to play another one of Jess’ former lovers in a Season 3 episode that tackles the question of whether one can be friends with exes. In the episode, Jess attempts to convince Nick that he can remain friends with his ex Caroline (played by Mary Elizabeth Ellis), but in the process she learns that she has been leading on Adam Brody’s Berkley for years. Adam Brody plays an adorable new dad who seems harmless, but then really mixes things up in a sharply funny way.

6. Fred Armisen - No Girl - Season 5

Another gem that came out of the time New Girl was without Zooey Deschanel is when SNL funny man Fred Armisen played one of their strange live-in roommates early on. Armisen played a reserved and mysterious housemate that kind of just hangs around the house with nothing to say until the very end when he does a 180 and shows up dressed as Jess Day, and even acts like her. It’s an odd anomaly since he hadn’t met Jess during his stay, but that’s kind of why it’s so hilarious and a great guest appearance.

5. Taylor Swift - Elaine’s Big Day - Season 2

A truly great celebrity guest appearance is a surprise one, and that’s what happens in the Season 2 finale of New Girl with Taylor Swift. The pop singer’s role in the series might actually have the shortest screen time on this list, but it’s undeniably memorable, and for that it finds a place in the top five! During the memorable finale that has Cece getting her arranged marriage to Shivrang amidst protest and pranks from Schmidt and Winston, along with some developments in Jess and Nick’s relationship. As the wedding episode reaches its finale, Taylor Swift pops out to pronounce her love for Shivrang. It’s a weird and funny twist for the episode and the perfect insert of someone as iconic as the singer.

4. Jamie Lee Curtis And Rob Reiner - Parents - Season 2

A genius bit of casting in New Girl was the decision to make Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner Jess’ parents in the series. The pair made a few recurring appearances to the Fox series after their introduction in Season 2, but every single time they were an absolute delight. They play a divorced couple who are convincingly Jess’ mom and dad and it’s so much fun to see the pair play off each other and the cast. They truly struck gold with these two and New Girl is better for their additions to the series.

3. Josh Gad - Katie - Season 2

New Girl also gave us Josh Gad more unhinged than ever with his role as Bearclaw in Season 2. In the episode “Katie”, the actor uses his unique brand of humor to play a man she meets at a bar on the same episode she meets David Walton’s Sam Sweeney (her famed doctor boyfriend). In the episode, she blows off Bearclaw to go out with Sam, and things get super awkward. Gad returns in two more episodes to deliver his best moment, a woodland animal musical. Bearclaw makes excellent use of the Frozen actor and has some of the most laugh-out-loud moments in the show.

2. Justin Long - Bad In Bed - Season 1

As we soon approach the end and top of the New Girl guest star ranking, we’ve come to the last of Jess’s ex boyfriends. I guess that makes my favorite guest boyfriend in the series Justin Long’s Paul Genzlinger, who is basically the male version of Jessica Day. The couple meet in the first season of New Girl at school and then briefly date. Long has a few episodes on the show, but every time his dynamic with the cast is absolutely perfect. He plays a bit of a golden retriever boyfriend and plays off the awkwardness of Jess in a really fun way. A moment of silence for that cringe-y sex scene where Jess tries to mix it up in bed with roleplaying… nope, can’t do it, still hilarious as ever.

1. Prince - Prince - Season 3

Was it ever going to be anyone else but the late Prince? The Season 3 guest spot might be the most iconic moment in the series ever, and there are so many reasons why. The singer was apparently a big fan of the sitcom, and therefore allowed the cast to grace his presence for an episode about the loft gang getting into an exclusive party hosted by Prince. The episode comes at a pivotal moment in the series where things are heating up between Jess and Nick, and Zooey Deschanel’s character is gearing up to say those three special words to him. The Prince episode is majestic, fun and showcases everything that’s wonderful about New Girl.

All seven seasons of New Girl is currently available to stream on Netflix. Which notable guest star on the series was your favorite? Vote in the poll below. That's my queue to backwards moonwalk out of here!

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This past Christmas, Carey Mulligan continued to shine in Promising Young Woman, a twist-heavy revenge thriller that served as a feature screenwriting and directorial debut of Killing Eve's Emerald Fennell. With an all-star cast that includes Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Jennifer Coolidge, Clancy Brown, Max Greenfield, Laverne Cox, Alfred Molina, Connie Britton, and Molly Shannon, the movie was among the splashiest titles at 2020's Sundance Film Festival, and it has only continued to inspire chatter with its VOD debut.

Now that more people have a chance to watch this buzzy title, you might be wondering how you recognize its high-profile ensemble. If that's true, we're here to help! Here's where you've seen the Promising Young Woman cast before.

Carey Mulligan (Cassie Thomas)

As Cassie Thomas, a medical school dropout who spends her evenings confronting predatory men, Carey Mulligan gave another exceptional lead performance in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Mulligan is known for her breakthrough Oscar-nominated performance in 2009's An Education. Her other notable film credits include Inside Llewyn Davis, Drive, The Great Gatsby (2013), Shame, Never Let Me Go, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Wildlife, and Pride & Prejudice (2005), as well as Public Enemies, Far from the Madding Crowd, Mudbound, Suffragette, The Greatest, and Brothers.

Additionally, on television, Carey Mulligan appears in Netflix's Collateral, Bleak House, The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard, and Doctor Who. Currently, the actress stars in Netflix's The Dig, which is playing theatrically in limited release and streams later this month.

Bo Burnham (Dr. Ryan Cooper)

In the role of Dr. Ryan Cooper, a pediatric surgeon who forms a relationship with Cassie, Bo Burnham plays the love interest in Promising Young Woman. A prominent YouTuber-turned-comedian, Burnham is the co-creator and star of MTV's Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous. Also, as an actor, he appears in The Big Sick, Rough Night, Hall Pass, and Funny People. Burnham's other TV credits include Kroll Show, Parks and Recreation, and We Bare Bears.

Outside of acting and performing, Bo Burnham received copious acclaim for his feature screenwriting-directorial debut, 2018's Eighth Grade. He also directed Jerrod Carmichael: 8 and Chris Rock: Tamborine. Next, Burnham's writing songs and expected to star in Sesame Street.

Alison Brie (Madison McPhee)

Playing the part of Madison McPhee, one of Cassie's former classmates, Alison Brie has a notable supporting role in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Brie is known for GLOW, Community, and Mad Men, as well as her voice work in BoJack Horseman.

On the big screen, meanwhile, Alison Brie can be seen in Sleeping With Other People, Scream 4, How to Be Single, The Post, The Disaster Artist, The Little Hours, Get Hard, The Five-Year Engagement, The Kings of Summer, The Rental, and Happiest Season. She can co-wrote and starred in Netflix's Horse Girl, and she can be heard in The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.

Jennifer Coolidge (Susan Thomas)

As Susan Thomas, Cassie's mother, Jennifer Coolidge plays a concerned maternal character in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Coolidge is recognized from the American Pie franchise and the Legally Blonde movies. And she appears in Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, Date Movie, Mascots, A Cinderella Story, Gentlemen Broncos, Click, Like a Boss, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Additionally, Coolidge is heard in Robots, Igor, The Emoji Movie, and Bobbleheads: The Movie.

Meanwhile, on television, Jennifer Coolidge was in the main cast for Joey, and she appeared in The Secret Life of the American Teenager and 2 Broke Girls. She's also heard in The Fungies! Next, Coolidge will be seen in Swan Song and the upcoming mini-series, The White Lotus. She'll also be heard in Arlo the Alligator Boy and Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk. And she's expected to return for Legally Blonde 3.

Clancy Brown (Stanley Thomas)

In the role of Stanley Thomas, Cassie's father, Clancy Brown is prominently seen throughout Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Brown is known for The Shawshank Redemption, Highlander, Starship Troopers, and HBO's Carnivale. Additionally, he plays Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants. Brown also lent his voice to Superman: The Animated Series, Crash Bandicoot, Thor: Ragnarok, and Detroit: Become Human.

Additionally, in film, Clancy Brown appeared in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Hail Caesar!, The Informant!, Flubber, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, Blue Steel, Pet Sematary Two, The Hurricane, Cowboys & Aliens, and Stronger. Next, Brown plays the main antagonist in Dexter's upcoming revival. He'll also be seen in Last Looks and heard in Invincible and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.

Chris Lowell (Al Monroe)

Playing the part of Al Monroe, Cassie's former classmate with a dark history with Nina, Cassie's lifelong friend, Chris Lowell has an antagonistic character in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Lowell is known for Veronica Mars. He also played prominent parts in Private Practice, Graves, GLOW, and Life As We Know It. His other television credits include Enlisted, Halt and Catch Fire, and iZombie. Outside of TV, Lowell appears in The Help, Up in the Air, Brightest Star, Love and Honor, Graduation, Spin, Katie Says Goodbye, Veronica Mars (2014), and Complete Unknown.

Next, Chris Lowell stars in Breaking News in Yuba County, which comes out on February 12th. Away from acting, he also wrote and directed Beside Still Waters and he's a vocalist and a harmonicist for the acoustic band, Two Shots for Poe.

Max Greenfield (Joe Macklemore III)

As Joe Macklemore III, one of Al's best friends, Max Greenfield plays an eventful character in Promising Young Woman's third act. Most notably, Greenfield is known for his Emmy-nominated performance in New Girl. He also played recurring roles in Ugly Betty and Veronica Mars. Currently, the actor stars in CBS's The Neighborhood. His other television credits include Greek, American Horror Story: Hotel, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Additionally, Max Greenfield appears in They Came Together, Hello My Name is Doris, The Big Short, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, The Oath, What Men Want, About Alex, The Glass Castle, and Shot Caller. Greenfield also made a cameo in Veronica Mars (2014). Furthermore, he's heard in Ice Age: Collision Course and Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite.

Laverne Cox (Gail)

In the role of Gail, Cassie's boss at Make Me Coffee, Laverne Cox plays another notable supporting character in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Cox is known for her Emmy-nominated performance in Netflix's Orange Is the New Black. She later won an Emmy for Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. Her other TV credits include Doubt, I Want to Work for Diddy, TRANSform Me, The Mindy Project, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again. Additionally, her other film credits include Grandma, Freak Show, Can You Keep a Secret?, Charlie's Angels (2019), 36 Saints, Musical Chairs, and Bad Hair.

Outside of acting, Laverne Cox was heavily involved with Netflix's documentary, Disclosure: Trans Lives On Screen. Next, she'll be seen in Jolt, Senior Entourage, and Inventing Anna.

Connie Britton (Dean Elizabeth Walker)

Playing the part of Dean Elizabeth Walker, whom Cassie confronts midway through the film, Connie Britton has an extended cameo in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Britton is known for her Emmy-nominated roles in NBC's Friday Night Lights, ABC/CMT's Nashville, and FX's American Horror Story. Her other TV credits include 9-1-1, Spin City, Dirty John, 24, The West Wing, and The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story.

Outside of TV, Connie Britton appears in Friday Night Lights (2004), The Brothers McMullen, This is Where I Leave You, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The To-Do List, and The Land of Steady Habits, as well as Bombshell, The Mustang, Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman, American Ultra, Beatriz at Dinner, Conception, A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Next, she'll appear in Joe Bell. Also, Britton stars in the mini-series, The White Lotus.

Sam Richardson (Paul)

As Paul, one of Jerry's friends, Sam Richardson appears in two early scenes in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Richardson was a writer, co-creator, and star of Comedy Central's Detroiters. Additionally, he played a main role in HBO's Veep and starred in YouTube Premium's Champaign ILL. His other TV credits include The Second City Project, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Fungies!, and The Office. His other film credits include Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Ghostbusters (2016), Good Boys, Game Over Man!, The House, Office Christmas Party, Horrible Bosses 2, Spy, We're the Millers, Hooking Up, and Superintelligence.

Next, Sam Richardson will be heard in M.O.D.O.K. and Housebroken and seen in The Tomorrow War, Werewolves Within, Shoot the Rooster, and The Afterparty.

Adam Brody (Jerry)

In the role of Jerry, Cassie's first target, Adam Brody plays a key character in Promising Young Woman's opening. Most notably, Brody starred in The O.C. and StartUp. He also appears in Gilmore Girls, The League, House of Lies, Single Parents, and Mrs. America. Outside of television, Brody is seen in Jennifer's Body, In the Land of Women, Cop Out, Scream 4, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Ready or Not, Thank You for Smoking, Sleeping with Other People, Think Like A Man Too, and Shazam! He also recently starred in The Kid Detective.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Neil)

Playing the part of Neil, another one of Cassie's targets, Christopher Mintz-Plasse has a talky cameo in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Mintz-Plasse is known for his role as McLovin in Superbad. He also appeared in Role Models, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, Neighbors, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Year One, Fright Night (2011), Pitch Perfect, This is the End, The To-Do List, and Movie 43. Additionally, Mintz-Plasse is heard in Trolls, Trolls World Tour, the How to Train Your Dragon movies, ParaNorman, and Marmaduke.

Outside of film, Christopher Mintz-Plasse's TV credits include The Great Indoors, Flaked, and Stan Against Evil. He's also heard in DreamWorks Dragons and Sanjay and Craig.

Alfred Molina (Jordan Green)

As Jordan Green, Al's former lawyer, Alfred Molina plays a remorseful supporting character in Promising Young Woman. A veteran performer of the stage and screen, Molina is a Tony and Emmy-nominated thespian, though he's best known for Spider-Man 2. He also appears in Boogie Nights, Chocolat, The Da Vinci Code, Love is Strange, Frida, Dudley Do-Right, Magnolia, Prick Up Your Ears, Enchanted April, and An Education, which also starred Carey Mulligan, and he's heard in Rango, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Monsters University, and Frozen II.

On television, Alfred Molina gained acclaim for Feud: Bette and Joan, Show Me a Hero, Law & Order: LA, Bram & Alice, and Angie Tribeca. Next, he'll be seen in The Water Man. He's also currently playing Doc Ock in the MCU's Spider-Man 3.

Molly Shannon (Mrs. Fisher)

In the role of Mrs. Fisher, the mother of the late Nina, Molly Shannon plays a somber supporting character in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Shannon is known for Saturday Night Live, as well as her starring role in Superstar. She also gained acclaim for Other People. Her other film credits include Private Life, Happiness, A Night at the Roxbury, Never Been Kissed, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Osmosis Jones, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, My Boss's Daughter, Wet Hot American Summer, The Santa Clause 2, Shallow Hal, Serendipity, Analyze This, Marie Antoinette, Wild Nights with Emily, and Horse Girl. She's also heard in Igor and the Hotel Transylvania movies.

Additionally, on television, Molly Shannon received an Emmy nomination for her guest appearances on Will & Grace and Enlightened. She also had a main role in Divorce and appeared in The Royal Wedding Live with Cord & Tish, The Other Two, and Kath & Kim.

Did you love Promising Young Woman? Let us know below!

No one in their right mind would refute Stan Lee’s title as the ultimate king of cameos, having showed up in more superhero movies than anyone else can claim - including the rare DC adaptation once. While the late comic book mogul’s traditional appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe never failed to make us chuckle or bring a smile to our faces, due to the common expectation of his cameos, I almost find it more more memorable and hilarious when a celebrity shows up in a comic book flick when you least expect it.

Sometimes a superhero movie cameo is played earnestly and to served the story directly, such as when Hugh Jackman showed up in X-Men: Apocalypse as “Weapon X” or Neil DeGrasse Tyson providing his cosmic expertise to a deep discussion of the Man of Steel in Batman v. Superman. However, it is always more fun when those brief appearances are played for laughs, such as the Russo Brothers’ many no-longer-so-covert attempts at sneaking as many Community cast alums into their Marvel movies as possible.

Personally, I would not consider those particular superhero movie cameos as ones truly turned out a laugh riot, but there are countless others I that would count as such - not just in their execution but also in the underlying pop culture reference they brilliantly poke fun at. I believe that the following 12 actors and their appearances in films inspired by the pages of Marvel, DC, and even beyond, do fall under that criteria - such as this actor, who was actually the first to play Ant-Man in a live action setting.

Garrett Morris - Old Man In Car (Ant-Man)

In a 1979 episode of Saturday Night Live, host Margot Kidder reprised her role as Lois Lane, who invited fellow superheroes to a party at her and Superman’s apartment, including Ant-Man (Garrett Morris). It was this sketch that inspired Paul Rudd to tap the Not Ready For Primetime Player and for a brief role in his 2015 Ant-Man movie as a man whose car Scott Lang puts a huge dent in during a bewildering test run of Hank Pym’s shrink suit.

Lou Ferrigno - Security Guard (The Incredible Hulk)

The first live action appearance of The Incredible Hulk was also on TV in the late 1970s, as played by Lou Ferrigno, who would not only voice the big, green hero for the MCU, but would appear on camera in both of his solo movies - each time as a security guard. His cameo in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk (which also pays subtle tribute to Bill Bixby, who played Ferrigno’s human alter ego on the original series) is arguably funnier, in which the bodybuilder gets bribed by Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) with pizza for access to Culver University’s lab.

Jennifer Connelly - Karen (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

A fellow alum of 2003’s Hulk who would make a brief, and far more subtle, MCU appearance is Jennifer Connelly as Karen - Peter Parker’s nickname for his Spidey suit’s built-in AI, courtesy of Tony Stark. The banter between Tom Holland and Connelly’s disembodied voice is already one of the most endearingly funny moments in Spider-Man Homecoming, but what really makes this cameo is the fact that the Oscar winner’s real-life husband is Paul Bettany, who voiced Stark’s virtual assistant JARVIS before upgrading to Vision.

Adam Brody - Super Hero Freddy (Shazam!)

Years before the behind-the-scenes drama of 2017’s Justice League, Warner Bros. hired George Miller for an adaptation of the DC superhero team, featuring Adam Brody as The Flash, that never happened. It became one of the most infamous let-downs of the former OC star’s career, which is why his appearance as a grown-up, super-powered Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) in 2019’s Shazam! is especially satisfying, albeit snicker-inducing.

Billy Dee Williams - Two Face (The LEGO Batman Movie)

Speaking of actors who were robbed of a comic book role opportunity, Billy Dee Williams was cast in Tim Burton’s Batman as Harvey Dent - who was later recast in 1995’s Batman Forever with Tommy Lee Jones as the Gotham DA’s villainous alter ego. The Star Wars actor finally received justice in 2017 when he voiced Two-Face in The LEGO Batman Movie - which I think is at least tied with Killer Croc’s proud declaration to have done “something” (an indictment on his Suicide Squad portrayal) as the animated film’s funniest cameo.

Elon Musk - Himself (Iron Man 2)

A lot of people like to have fun thinking of billionaire tech industrialist Elon Musk as the real-life counterpart of Tony Stark (save the whole superhero thing, of course). The comparison is so on-the-nose, really (even beyond the reality within the MCU), that you cannot help but just laugh at the plausibility of witnessing Stark and the South African-born Tesla founder casually discuss plans for “an electric jet” at a party, just as they do in Iron Man 2 in 2010.

Hugh Jackman - Wolverine (X-Men: First Class)

At a time when no X-Men film felt complete without Wolverine, in 2011, director Matthew Vaughn and co. managed to squeeze Hugh Jackman into the 1960s-set prequel X-Men: First Class for an uncredited appearance that, while extremely brief, remains one of his most memorable in the franchise. When a younger Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) approach the cigar-chomping mutant in a bar, before they can even announce the purpose of their visit, he dismisses them with a tease of the racy language he would use more frequently in Logan.

Brad Pitt - Vanisher (Deadpool 2)

Logan was also heavily ridiculed in Deadpool 2 - the sequel to star Ryan Reynolds' apology for his original portrayal of the Merc with a Mouth (or, more accurately, without one) in X-Men Origins: Wolverine - and was also home to a slew of amazing cameos. Among of the most pleasant surprise appearances in the 2018 action-comedy is the literally, blink-and-you-miss-it reveal of Brad Pitt as invisible X-Force member Vanisher, which was achieved by buying the Fight Club actor some Starbucks coffee, as Reynolds later claimed.

Matt Damon - Redneck #2 (Deadpool 2), Actor Loki (Thor: Ragnarok)

Another Deadpool 2 cameo many did not catch on their first viewing was Matt Damon as a hillbilly explaining his strange toilet tissue aversion to an equally well-disguised Alan Tudyk before a deadly interruption by Cable (Josh Brolin). The Oscar-winner’s more overt, and arguably more hilarious, surprise appearance months earlier in Thor: Ragnarok (as an actor hired by Loki to reenact his “death” in Thor: The Dark World) was also a group effort with Chris Hemsworth’s brother, Luke, playing the God of Thunder and Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill as their father, Odin.

Most Of The X-Men Cast (Deadpool 2)

Speaking of group efforts, just about, the most epic cameo that Deadpool 2 had to offer required the participation of several additional other Marvel movie actors whose absence was jokingly acknowledged in the previous film. That joke was recalled to perfection when Wade Wilson, once again, complains about the lack of X-Men characters in his presence at the Xavier Mansion, unwitting to the fact that Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), and others are right behind him, but Beast (Nicolas Hoult) closes the door to Xavier’s office before he can notice.

Lynda Carter - Principal Powers (Sky High)

Calling Lynda Carter’s role in Sky High a cameo is honestly a bit of a reach, but she does make a pretty funny reference at one point to her years leading the Wonder Woman TV show in the late 1970s. Not to mention, she does get less screen time in the 2005 Disney flick as Principal Powers, head of the titular school for young superheroes in training, than her co-star Bruce Campbell, who essentially made his superhero character debut as Coach Boomer (a.k.a., Sonic Boom) despite a few earlier, small comic book movie appearances.

Bruce Campbell - Ring Announcer, Snooty Usher, And Maître D’ (Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy)

I bet director Sam Raimi even agrees that no movie of his feels truly genuine without the presence of his iconic Evil Dead franchise star in some capacity, which is why we are hoping to see Bruce Campbell in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel and why he cameos in all three of Raimi’s Spider-Man movies. From a wrestling host who names Peter Parker’s alter ego in the first film, to an usher who refuses to let him into Mary Jane’s play in Spider-Man 2, and a French restaurant maître d’ in the final installment, you could make an argument for why each of Campbell’s appearances is better than the rest, or even that they get funnier with each movie.

What do you think? Is Bruce Campbell the primary reason you still re-watch Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy often, or do you find the B-movie king’s cameos to be an unwanted distraction in your favorite comic book movie franchise? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on some of the other funny moments that tend to pop up in superhero movies, here on CinemaBlend.

I am sure that you probably recognize Milo Ventimiglia from his Emmy-nominated work on This Is Us, or you know Melissa McCarthy from her Oscar-nominated work on Bridesmaids. Yet, unless you still stream repeats of the series on a loop, you may have forgotten what show was responsible for essentially kickstarting their careers: Gilmore Girls.

The one-hour dramedy about single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), her teenage daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), and the eccentric townsfolk they endure on a daily basis in Stars Hollow, Connecticut, ran for seven seasons on The WB (later The CW). For having a simple premise and an almost entirely dialogue-driven structure, its clever narratives and wonderful cast ensured it would be popular enough to garner a four-part sequel on Netflix almost a decade after it ended in 2007.

By then, much of the cast, from one-episode wonders to regulars from the beginning and behind-the scenes personalities had already gone onto bigger things. For some, much bigger. The following are just 10 stars whose resumes prove that Gilmore Girls was a fruitful breeding ground for celebrities in the making.

Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore)

From playing a young, but spunky, prostitute in Sin City, joining a sisterhood based on a pair of very durable jeans, and a college professor turned resistance agent on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale (for which she won a Primetime Emmy) Alexis Bledel is one of the most versatile and charming actresses of her generation. Of course, the former teen model’s most recognizable character remains her first ever credited role in Gilmore Girls, on which she made the social, romantic, and career-based aspirations of Rory Gilmore just as important to us as our own daily struggles.

Sean Gunn (Kirk Gleason)

Earlier, when I spoke of “eccentric individuals,” I was mostly referring to Kirk Gleason: a socially inept mama’s boy who held many jobs in Stars Hollow, and was played by Sean Gunn. Kirk is widely considered the actor’s best known character, which could be because his A-lister co-stars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe often get the bigger pieces of the spotlight despite his dual roles in the MCU (Kraglin and Rocket Raccoon’s body double). He is also frequently cast by his brother, a little filmmaker you might have heard of named James Gunn.

Jared Padalecki (Dean Forester)

I must say, I find it hilariously ironic how Jared Padalecki initially rose to heartthrob prominence on Gilmore Girls as Rory’s first love, Dean Forester, and would later be cast in his defining role on Supernatural as Sam Winchester, who snuffs out paranormal activity with his brother, Dean. Now, with the fantastic fellow CW series nearing its end after 15 seasons, the 37-year-old “scream king” will star in the title role of Walker which is - you guessed it - a reboot of the Walker, Texas Ranger crime series originally headlined by Chuck Norris.

Melissa McCarthy (Sookie St. James)

Despite being a series regular for the entire run of Gilmore Girls as Independence Inn chef (and later co-owner of the Dragonfly Inn) Sookie St. James, Melissa McCarthy did not become much of a TV star until her Emmy-winning turn on CBS sitcom Mike & Molly. It was the following year, after earning her first Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in 2011’s Bridesmaids, when she became a movie star and one of the most sought after comedic actresses in Hollywood, leading to her casting as Ursula in Disney’s upcoming live action remake of The Little Mermaid.

Milo Ventimiglia (Jess Mariano)

After several years of one small movie appearance or ill-fated TV role after another, Milo Ventimiglia’s career finally got a taste of stability after he joined the cast of Gilmore Girls in Season 2 as the troubled Jess Mariano, who was the nephew to Luke (Scott Patterson) and rival to Rory’s jealous boyfriend, Dean. After leaving the show in 2006, Ventimiglia was cast as a flying paramedic on NBC’s sci-fi cult favorite Heroes and, currently stars on one of the network’s biggest modern hits, This Is Us, in the three-time Emmy-nominated role of devoted late father Jack Pearson.

Adam Brody (Dave Rygalski)

After playing Lane Kim’s (Keiko Agena) love interest Dave Rygalski, a well-natured nerd, on Gilmore Girls for nine episodes, Adam Brody left the series to play Seth Cohen, a well-natured nerd, on the Fox teen drama The O.C. Fortunately, the 40-year-old actor has since avoided being typecast too often, taking roles such as a hard-partying fantasy football participant in The League, a grief-stricken, alcoholic descendant of a murderous family in Ready or Not, and The Flash in George Miller’s ill-fated Justice League project.

Krysten Ritter (Lucy)

Despite her short stint on Gilmore Girls, Krysten Ritter played a crucial part in one of the juiciest story arcs of Rory’s college years as Lucy, a fellow Yalie and friend who unwittingly dated a past unrequited admirer of Rory's named Marty (Wayne Wilcox). The actress would go on to have another short-lived yet memorable role as a tragic lover of Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad before landing the lead on the ABC sitcom Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, followed by nabbing the title role on the gritty Netflix crime drama based on Marvel hero Jessica Jones.

Danny Pudi (Raj)

In yet another instance of short stints on Gilmore Girls, Danny Pudi starred as Raj, a fellow staffworker at the Yale Daily News, who worked alongside Rory for a total of four episodes. The actor’s more memorable college-set role would come in the form of Abed Nadir, the self-aware walking encyclopedia of sci-fi knowledge, on Dan Harmon’s much-worshipped NBC comedy Community.

Rami Malek (Andy)

One of the most acclaimed actors in the world right now is Rami Malek. The Egyptian-American is the Emmy-winning star of Mr. Robot, Oscar-winning star of Bohemian Rhapsody, and scar-faced antagonist of the latest James Bond film No Time to Die. However, this remarkable actor debuted with a brief, single episode appearance in the fourth season of Gilmore Girls as Andy, a member of Lane’s bible study group, with three lines.

Amy Sherman-Palladino (Creator)

After getting her start as part of the writing staff of various comedies and dramas, none more successful than Roseanne, Amy Sherman-Palladino made a name for herself by creating her own show that incorporated both humor and true-life drama, which turned out to be Gilmore Girls. She would later find the biggest success of her career yet in creating The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, an Amazon Prime original series that follows a Jewish woman who pursues a career in comedy in the 1960s. The series is currently in its third season has earned Sherman-Palladino five Emmys thus far.

What do you think? Are these the greatest careers to come out of Gilmore Girls or, for my next article, do you think I should lead where you follow instead? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for more information on this beloved series or updates on other television favorites here on CinemaBlend.

Shazam! may have started out as a solo superhero origin story, but turns out it introduces the Shazam family to the big screen when Billy Batson shared his powers with his newfound foster family. Former O.C star, Adam Brody suited up as an adult-sized, super-powered Freddy Freeman among Meagan Good’s Darla, Michelle Borth’s Mary, Ross Butler’s Eugene and D.J. Cotrona’s Pedro. Because his role was meant to be a surprise, the audition process was a confusing one. Here’s what Adam Brody says:

This type of story from actors signing on to superhero adaptations is becoming more and more the norm. Since the genre produces the most popular movies in the world, the filmmakers often need to keep details of the film close to their vest, often leaving them in the dark about their own roles. Per Adam Brody’s words to THR, it sounds like he had a blast in his audition channeling Jim Carrey’s Cable Guy but had no idea how vital the role was to Shazam!.

Adam Brody’s Freddy Freeman becomes the closest to Billy Batson in Shazam! and as a disabled comic book aficionado, it’s a huge and heartwarming moment when he becomes a superhero. Director David Sandberg has shown interest in exploring more of the Shazam family in a sequel, so we might see a lot more of Adam Brody’s Freddy. The role allowed the actor to finally become a DC hero on the big screen after being previously cast as Flash in George Miller’s scrapped Justice League: Mortal.

Oddly enough, D.J. Cotrona was also in the Justice League: Mortal cast as Superman in 2007 but the writer’s strike and tax credit issues unfortunately worked against the production. Adam Brody recently opened up about the superhero role that got away, expressing how solid the script was. The actor also said he thought it would have been a “classic” especially after seeing George Miller’s critically-acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015.

Adam Brody currently stars in horror film Ready or Not with Samara Weaving. Ready or Not has gained tons of positive buzz since its release – CinemaBlend gave it a perfect 5 stars in our review. The movie follows a twisted family tradition where the bride is hunted by her in-laws on her wedding night in a version of hide and seek.

Shazam! is available to own on Digital and Blu-Ray and Ready or Not is in theaters now.

There are countless movies over the years that have become legendary due to the fact that they will never exist. High profile films don't always work out and one of the bigger projects to get the plug pulled over the years was Justice League: Mortal, a superhero team up movie that would have been directed by George Miller.

Adam Brody was tapped to play The Flash in that movie, and he laments greatly that the movie never happened, because everything about it was perfect. From the cast to the script, Brody tells Yahoo everything about the project was solid...

What wasn't solid, however, was the behind-the-scenes situation. The movie was in pre-production during the 2007-2008 Writer's Guild Strike which meant that, while the script might have been solid, even the slightest changes could not be dealt with. That, combined with other financial considerations, led to the plug being pulled.

For his part, Adam Brody says that, at the time, the movie falling apart didn't bother him all that much. It wasn't until 2015 when he saw George Miller direct Mad Max: Fury Road, that he realized just what a great movie Justice League: Mortal would have actually been...

It's difficult to argue with Adam Brody's analysis here. A Justice League movie directed by George Miller seems like it was absolutely going to be something special. Considering that the Justice League movie we got was generally viewed (regardless of whether or not there's a "better" version out there somewhere) to be something of a disappointment, and the wish to see this one only grows.

Adam Brody laments that, while he continued to find steady work, nothing the size of Justice League: Mortal came along after that. However, he's now back in the superhero game, having appeared at the end of Shazam! as the super powered alter ego of Freddy Freeman. He will certainly be a larger force in the planned sequel, which will likely be coming sooner rather than later.

Warning: The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Shazam! Seriously, don’t read ahead until you’ve seen it!

At the end of Shazam!, to defeat Doctor Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins, Billy Batson transforms his foster siblings into adult superheroes of their own to fight alongside him. The introduction of the Shazam Family was a surprising and fun secret, as we got to see Darla, Eugene, Pedro, Mary and Freddy Freeman enjoy the thrill of having superpowers. It also allowed for some fun cameos as older actors portrayed the adult versions of the family. Two of these cameos were particularly special, as director David F. Sandberg explained:

It wasn’t intentional or some planned out thing, it just worked out that Adam Brody, who played the adult Freddy Freeman, and D.J. Cotrona, who played the adult Pedro Peña, were both once attached to star in George Miller’s ill-fated Justice League: Mortal as The Flash and Superman, respectively. That film, which also would have seen Armie Hammer as Batman, is on the long list of superhero films that might have been.

That history of coming so close to being a part of a DC movie only for it not to happen adds a bit of poetry to their cameos in Shazam! As David F. Sandberg told The Hollywood Reporter, it was exciting once they realized that Adam Brody and D.J. Cotrona were once attached to Justice League: Mortal. It was a happy little coincidence that is really cool in hindsight.

What’s makes this even more special is that Adam Brody and D.J. Cotrona didn’t even know what they were auditioning for. The actors had no idea they would be playing superheroes or members of the Shazam Family. Something about them must have just said 'superhero.'

It’s like the two actors were destined to be in a DC comic book movie, and without any knowledge of their DC past or design on the filmmaker’s part to remedy past ills, the universe exerted its will and they wound up in Shazam! Beyond just the special quality these cameos take on with this knowledge, they actually worked out really well in their own right.

Pedro Peña didn’t talk much in the film, so we didn’t get to see a ton of his personality, but D.J. Cotrona certainly looked the part of a superhero with the strength of Hercules. And Adam Brody as an adult, superhero Freddy Freeman is about as perfect as casting can get. In addition to looking like Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody has a history of playing that kind of talkative, nerdy character. It’s great to see The O.C.’s resident comic book nerd Seth Cohen finally get some superpowers.

Shazam! is now playing. Check out what we thought of DC’s latest and what the end-credits scene means. Shazam! is just one of this year’s biggest movies, see the rest in our 2019 release schedule.

Perhaps this won’t come as the most shocking news, especially considering that her husband is directing the film, but Kristen Bell has joined the cast of hubby Dax Shepard’s upcoming adaptation of the fan-favorite 1970s and ‘80s cop drama CHiPs. While you may be thinking, "Oh, great, yet another reboot," this one is setting itself apart, in part thanks to what has become a really good cast.

According to The Wrap, the Veronica Mars and Forgetting Sarah Marshall star has signed up for Warner Bros. revamp of CHiPs. The latest addition to an ever expanding cast, Bell joins the like of Ant-Man’s Michael Pena, The O.C.’s Adam Brody, Rosa Salazar, who shows up in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials this weekend, and Daredevil baddie Vincent D’Onofrio, who will reportedly play the villain here as well.

On screen, Bell has been keeping busy with projects like Showtime’s House of Lies, and she just finished filming the comedy The Boss alongside Melissa McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone, who wrote and directed the movie. Then there’s that whole Frozen thing that she was a part of, you may have heard of that one, not to mention two young daughters at home.

Fans of the original series know that CHiPs revolved around a pair a California Highway Patrol officers—Erik Estrada’s Frank "Ponch" Poncherello and Larry Wilcox’s Jon Baker—who tool around the Southern California highways on their motorcycles, feathering their hair, and having adventures. In addition to directing, writing the script, and producing, Dax Shepard is also going to star as Jon, while Michael Pena will take the role of Ponch.

Aside from those roles, and the general overview of the movie, which sounds pretty much identical to the show, we don’t know a ton about CHiPs. However, if you expect it to be one of those projects that spoof and mock the original, like 2004’s Starsky & Hutch, you may be in for a surprise.

In a recent interview hyping up Ant-Man, where he plays a wacky criminal sidekick to Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, Pena compared the tone of the film more to something like Lethal Weapon. There is going to be comedy and one liners and humor, but that won’t be the main focus. The film will apparently revolve around the action, characters, and plot, and have a bit more grit in its soul. From how Pena makes it sound, CHiPs is intended to be more of a throwback to movies like Lethal Weapon and 48 Hours, or maybe even Beverly Hills Cop, than a straight-ahead send up of the series.

Adam Brody hasn’t headlined a network TV series since Fox’s The O.C finished airing. This pilot season, the actor has signed on with CBS to put together a brand new comedy project. The pilot is still untitled, but it is notable thanks to the character that Brody will be playing. The project, coming from Modern Family executive producer Dan O’Shannon, will feature Brody playing a 40-year-old man named Andrew who has been knocked down a bit in life but finds hope in a potential relationship.

It’s improbable that people still think of Brody as the same young adult who made us laugh on The O.C. during its 4-season run. He’s taken on plenty of more adult roles in recent years, including playing the always-hilarious out-of-town member of the fantasy football league in FX’s The League, who died of AIDS this past season. Still, I find it difficult to buy into the idea of Brody playing a character who has hit the big 4-0, probably because Adam Brody himself is only 35.

Weirdly, I’m not even certain exactly how the untitled pilot hinges on Brady being 40. Deadline reports that the show will follow a family that features members at different points in their lives. Andrew’s described as a glass half full kind of guy who just so happens to be hitting a tough time. Then, a woman named Holly will reappear in his life and will make reawaken his “belief in happy endings.”

The untitled pilot already has a few people on board. Tyler Labine and Kelly O’Sullivan will also appear in the series. In addition, O'Shannon, Pam Fryman, Dennis Erdman, Clark Peterson and Eric and Kim Tannenbaum will executive produce. CBS hasn’t listed many other details regarding the pilot, but if I had to guess, the chances of a laugh track are high.

While Brody’s days on The League are over, he does have a few projects in the works. He’s set to pop up in the upcoming Kevin Smith movie Yoga Hosers. In addition, DirecTV fans will have the opportunity to see the actor back on TV sooner rather than later. Billy and Billie, a new DirecTV Audience Network comedy, has already hit the schedule.

It’s difficult to tell whether or not Brody’s new TV project will end up airing on CBS, although the networks will begin making decisions about series pick-ups over the next couple of months. Brody’s certainly likable, and I wouldn’t begrudge the actor if he nabs another mainstream TV project. However, the pilot process on network television is at best a crapshoot, and only time will tell if Adam Brody will be able to pull off playing a 40-year-old on TV.

Kevin Smith has a number of big shot Hollywood friends, having worked with a number of them during his time as a director, but recently he has apparently become close with Johnny Depp, of all people. Back in April it was "revealed" that the Oscar-nominated actor would be playing a role in the filmmaker's upcoming horror movie Tusk, but their collaboration isn't ending there. Now new reports have surfaced saying that Depp will actually be the star of Smith's next feature - and he'll be bringing along his daughter for the ride.

The Hollywood Reporter is now saying that Johnny Depp is now attached to star in the upcoming film Yoga Hosers, and he'll be doing so alongside his real life daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, as well as Kevin Smith's daughter Harley Quinn Smith. Based on an original screenplay by Smith, the story centers on two Canadian 15-year-old girls named Colleen (Depp and Smith's daughters) who are infatuated with yoga and work at a convenience store called Eh-2-Zed. The plot takes a turn when supernatural forces threaten to stop the girls from getting to a party, so they team up with a "legendary man-hunter from Montreal named Guy Lapointe (Depp)" to take down the forces of evil.

Kevin Smith has previously referred to Yoga Hosers as a spin-off to Tusk, which isn't surprising given that most of the cast of that movie - including Michael Parks, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez, Ralph Garman, Jennifer Schwalbach and Harley Morenstein - will be in the new one. The director has said that Tusk features a scene set at the Eh-2-Zed, and this development could suggest that Depp will be making his debut performance as Guy Lapointe in the horror movie. Also signing on to the film and, by extension, the indie cinematic universe are Tony Hale, Natasha Lyonne, Austin Butler, Adam Brody, Tyler Posey and Jay himself, Jason Mewes.

THR adds that the writer/director is thinking of this film as his foray into the world of comic book movies (obviously not including the Superman Lives script that he wrote years ago and never ended up getting made). Said Smith,

Exactly when we might see Yoga Hosers or when it will go into production remains a question mark. The production has already found financing, and foreign rights for the film will be on sale at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (which is quickly approaching). Before all of that. you'll be able to see Kevin Smith's Tusk in theaters on September 19th.

While the fall TV season is still the best place to find new series, I’m becoming increasingly interested in Amazon Studios’ Pilot Seasons, in which viewers vote on a selection of pilots that then have the chance of being turned into full series. (For example, last year’s Alpha House and Betas.) Amazon announced their third Pilot Season will begin on Thursday, August 28, but they’re cutting back the initial number of ratable series to just five. Should make it easier to sort through, right?

In no particular order, here are the five pilots viewers will be able to watch and review. Be smart, people. These all sound like pretty good options.

First off is Red Oaks, a coming of age dramedy produced by Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) and directed by David Gordon Green (George Washington, Pineapple Express). Written by Gregory Jacobs (The Knick) and Joe Gangemi (Stonehearst Asylum), Red Oaks centers on David Meyers (Craig Roberts), an assistant tennis pro at the titular New Jersey country club in 1985. He’s at the youth-meets-adulthood crossroads in his life, wondering where he should take his college years while worrying about his father’s recent heart attack. Red Oaks also stars Paul Reiser, Richard Kind, Jennifer Grey, Alexandra Socha, Olivia Cooper and Gage Golightly.

Keeping with the comedy, Really takes a funny look at the complexities of marriage and friendship. Written and directed by Broken Lizard alum Jay Chandrasekhar (Super Troopers), Really stars Chandrasekhar as Jed, who is “happily but messily” married to Lori, played by Scrubs’ Sarah Chalke. Once he finds out about a close friend’s important secret, Jay has to choose whether to keep the friendships going by keeping quiet or to upend everything with honesty. The Chicago-set comedy also stars Selma Blair, Travis Schuldt, Rob Delaney and Lindsay Sloane.

Romance and comedy also mix in The Cosmopolitans, a series written and directed by Oscar nominee Whit Stillman (Metropolitan). Filmed on location in Paris, this pilot centers a group of American expatriates living it up in Paris, looking for love and companionship. The cast of characters, American and otherwise, will be comprised of Adam Brody, Chloë Sevigny, Carrie MacLemore, Dree Hemingway, Freddy Åsblom, Jordan Rountree and Adriana Giannini.

Now we shift over to less amusing fare with Hand of God, the first foray into television from World War Z director Marc Forster, who directs from a script written by Ben Watkins (Burn Notice). Hand of God stars Ron Perlman as Judge Parnell Harris, a rough-and-tumble hardass who is trying to unlawfully bring to justice the rapist that destroyed his family life; he soon starts listening to “messages from God” as his only form of evidence. (I’m assuming this rapist character is KD (Garret Dillahunt), described as a “born-again sociopath whose violent tendencies are exploited by Pernell.) The judge is married to a protective wife named Crystal (Dana Delany) but he also has a hooker named Tessie (Emayatzy Corinealdi) on the side. Hand of God also stars Andre Royo, Julian Morris, Alona Tal and Elizabeth McLaughlin.

Finally, there’s Hysteria, an Austin-set psychological thriller from Shaun Cassidy, creator of such genre hits as American Gothic and Invasion. Directed by Peaky Blinders’ Otto Bathurst, the Hysteria pilot follows neurologist Logan Harlen (Mena Suvari), who temporarily heads back to her hometown after a series of psycho-physiological spasm-laden episodes begin affecting the town's community, stemming from a girls’ competitive dance squad. Logan soon starts to believe that the source of the town’s problems is embedded in social media and her own troubled past. Grey’s Anatomy’s T.R. Knight plays Carter, Logan’s manipulative brother currently serving time on death row, and the pilot also stars James McDaniel, Josh Stewart, Adan Canto and Laura San Giacomo.

Which of these pilots sounds the most interesting to you? Let us know in the poll below.

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Millions of Americans watched Leighton Meester and Adam Brody go through high school as principal characters on Gossip Girl and The O.C.. Now, the two are planning to go through adulthood together. After more than a year of dating, the two actors reportedly snuck off and tied the knot recently.

Exactly how recently or where it might have happened are pretty unclear at this point, however. According to E! Online, she supposedly had a bachelorette party at famous West Hollywood hangout Hamburger Mary’s a few weeks back. Over Valentine’s Day, the couple vacationed together in Mexico, and on their way back, he was spotted with a wedding ring on. Maybe that means they were married South of the Border. Maybe that means they went there for their honeymoon. Either way, the nuptials, while technically not confirmed, seem to have happened.

Celebrities really have three choices when it comes to private life publicity. They can actively work to blow the hype up even further by maintaining an active social media presence, divulging personal life details and hitting up local hotspots. They can be completely indifferent about the attention when it does come, politely smiling for photographs and signing autographs but mostly choosing low key spots, or they can actively run from any attention that’s not in someway related to work. Adam Brody and Leighton Meester waffle back and forth between the second and third camp, which is how they were somehow able to pull of a wedding without anyone in the media catching wind of it.

The public became aware of the couple’s relationship last February. Initially, the two put some effort into hiding what was going on, but eventually, they settled into a quiet pattern of being photographed every few months and seeming pleased with themselves. By all accounts, everything has been very stable and quiet on that front, and Pop Blend wishes them our sincerest congratulations moving forward with both their careers and their personal lives.

The island of Manhattan is 260 blocks long and Adam Brody, Wyatt Cenac, Josh Lawson, Danny Jacobs and Lauren Miller have all teamed up to cross it. It has been reported that all of those actors have signed on to play parts in Growing Up (and Other Lies), a new indie ensemble comedy.

Written and directed by Jacobs and Darren Grodsky, the film is about a 30 year old guy who makes the decision to leave New York City and move back home to the Midwest where he will take over the family business.. Before he does so, however, he has to live up to a promise he made to his three best friends: they must walk the entire length of Manhattan in one day. Variety posted the casting news, but outside of Lawson, who will be playing the lead, no character details are given for the other actors. Grodsky and Jacobs last wrote and directed the dramedy Humboldt County, in which a med student finds himself caught up in the counterculture of pot farmers.

It’s interesting to note that there was a report about this project back in May that had Saturday Night Live star Taran Killam in the lead role, but I suppose the production has changed in the last few months. Amber Tamblyn is still attached to play the lead’s ex-girlfriend, who spell trouble for the lengthy mission.

Growing Up (And Other Lies) has already begun shooting in New York and is being produced by Nicole Lederman, Katie Mustard and Jason Weiss.

Since playing the part of Seth Cohen in Fox's drama series The O.C., Adam Brody has gone on to dabble in feature work, playing a number of roles, including Nikolai, the murderous lead singer in Jennifer's Body, and Deputy Hoss in Scream 4. He has a few projects in the works, among which are Lovelace and Fox Searchlight's romantic comedy Baggage Claim, in which he was recently cast.

Written, directed and produced by First Sunday's David E. Talbert, Baggage Claim is based on Talbert's novel and stars Paula Patton as a single flight attendant who's determined to find herself a man as her little sister's wedding approaches. Derek Luke is already on board to play Patton's close friend and possible love interest. And according to Variety, Brody has been cast to play the part of the other male lead, described as "a flamboyant flight attendant who works alongside Patton and Octavia Spencer." He cooks up a plan to help Patton's character get engaged before the holidays. It sounds like airports and traveling will factor into the story as Brody's character helps Patton cross paths with various traveling exes throughout the story.

The film is already in production and includes a number of familiar faces in addition to Patton, Brody and Luke. Also set to appear are Taye Diggs, Octavia Spencer, Djimon Hounsou, Lauren London and Jill Scott.

It sounds like a fun role for Brody, who appears to be working in comedy in addition to drama these days. He played a voice-role in the short-lived MTV animated comedy Good Vibes last year, and he had a part in this year's Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. On the more serious side, we'll see him playing the role of Deep Throat star Harry Reems in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's Lovelace, starring Amanda Seyfried.