The Cast of 'Nobody Wants This': Who Plays Who in the Netflix Rom-Com Series

The Netflix rom-com about an agnostic podcaster and a hot rabbi is full of familiar faces.

Kristen Bell as Joanne and Adam Brody as Noah, standing in front of congregants at a synagogue, in episode 102 of Nobody Wants This.
(Image credit: Stefania Rosini/Netflix)

Netflix's latest hit series Nobody Wants This is an excellent rom-com, and like all great rom-coms, it has the perfect cast for its love story. Created by Erin Foster, the 10-episode must-watch series follows Joanne (Kristen Bell), an opinionated sex podcaster, and Noah (Adam Brody), a very hot rabbi. Though the pair want to be together (don't worry, Hot Priest fans, rabbis can date), they deal with several societal challenges, including the well-meaning judgment of their families.

To bring the story to life, the Netflix romance series gathered many familiar faces, including legendary Jewish actors and L.A.-based comedy stars (including several The Good Place alums). Read on to learn more about the lovable cast of Nobody Wants This.

Kristen Bell as Joanne

Kristen Bell as Joanne, sitting at a dinner table and holding a fork, in episode 101 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Hopper Stone/Netflix)

Joanne hosts a popular sex and dating podcast, in talks to be acquired by Spotify. She's opinionated, agnostic, and a tad cynical, though she isn't as bad a person as she fears she is. Her dating life mostly serves as fodder for her pod, until she meets someone unexpected.

Kristen Bell began her Hollywood career with the breakout titular role in the hit teen show Veronica Mars, and she went on to play several other iconic characters, including the voice of Gossip Gir, the titular ex in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Anna in Frozen. Her other notable projects include Starz's Party Down, Showtime's House of Lies, NBC's The Good Place, and Apple TV+'s Central Park.

Adam Brody as Noah Roklov

Adam Brody as Noah in episode 110 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Saeed Adyan/Netflix)

Noah Roklov is an unconventional, modern-day rabbi who wants to achieve his dream of being head rabbi and find his soulmate. Nobody Wants This's epic love story kicks off when he meets shiksa Joanne, shortly after breaking things off with his long-term, perfect Jewish girlfriend Rebecca.

Adam Brody needs no introduction for millennial women, as he's best known for playing teen heartthrob Seth Cohen in The O.C. Since then, he has also starred in 2005's Mr. and Mrs. Smith, 2009's Jennifer's Body, 2015's Sleeping With Other People, Crackle's StartUp, 2019's Ready or Not, 2020's Promising Young Woman, ABC's Single Parents, FX's Fleishman Is in Trouble, and 2023's American Fiction. (He's also married to Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester.)

Justine Lupe as Morgan

Justine Lupe as Morgan, wearing a scarf tied around her head while standing in a secondhand store, in episode 104 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Hopper Stone/Netflix)

Morgan often butts heads with her sister and podcast co-host Joanne, over their different views on where the business should go and their opinionated natures. Still, the sisters are always there for each other.

Last year, Justine Lupe ended her run as the call girl and aspiring playwright turned wife of Connor Roy in the HBO hit Succession. The Juilliard grad has also appeared in shows and films including 2012's Frances Ha, ABC's Cristela, FX's Snowfall, Peacock's Mr. Mercedes, 2022's Luckiest Girl Alive, and Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Timothy Simons as Sasha Roklov

Timothy Simons as Sasha, standing in a kitchen and holding a bowl of cereal, in episode 104 of Nobody Wants This

(Image credit: Hopper Stone/Netflix)

Noah's brother Sasha works for their father's company and has a family with his wife Esther and pre-teen daughter Miriam. He can be self-effacing, dubbing himself and Morgan the "loser siblings."

Timothy Simons is best known for his breakout role in the HBO comedy Veep, where he played The Pointless Giant, the mildest of many nicknames for Jonah Ryan. Since then, the actor and comedian has starred in movies and shows including 2014's Inherent Vice, 2016's Christine, 2020's Happiest Season, Max's Station Eleven, Hulu's Candy, 2022's Don't Worry Darling, and 2023's Joy Ride.

Jackie Tohn as Esther Roklov

A group of women (Beth Dover as Talia, Jackie Tohn as Esther, Kristen Bell as Joanne, Elise Greene as Leah, Rachel Rosenbloom as Rachel) look surprised while holding orange cups and sitting in the stands in a gym, in episode 107 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Adam Rose/Netflix)

Esther, Sasha's wife/Noah's sister-in-law, doesn't like Joanne, since Noah's ex-girlfriend Rebecca is her best friend.

She's played by Jackie Tohn, an American actress and musician who has appeared in shows and films including 2015's Sisters, Netflix's Glow, Prime Video's The Boys (and its spinoff Gen V), and 2023's Step Aside. She also competed on season 8 of American Idol in 2009, followed by the songwriting competition show Platinum Hit in 2011.

Tovah Feldshuh as Bina Roklov

Jackie Tohn as Esther and Tovah Feldshuh as Bina, standing among congregants in a synagogue, in episode 101 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Stefania Rosini/Netfli)

Tovah Feldshuh is a stage and screen star who has acted on Broadway for over 50 years and received four Tony nominations. She plays Noah's overprotective mother Bina, who immigrated to the U.S. from Russia. On the TV side of her career, she's best known for appearing in Law & Order, Flesh and Bone, The Walking Dead, Salvation, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Paul Ben-Victor as Ilan Roklov

Paul Ben-Victor as Ilan, Tovah Feldshuh as Bina, sitting among congregants in a synagogue, in episode 101 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Stefania Rosini/Netflix)

Noah's chill father Ilan is played by Paul Ben-Victor, an alum of prestige dramas including The Wire (where he played Spiros in season 2), Entourage, Vinyl, True Detective, and Paul T. Goldman. He has also appeared in films including The Irishman, True Romance, Daredevil, Don Jon, and The Baker.

Stephanie Faracy as Lynn

A woman (Kristen Bell as Joanne) lays her head on her mother's (Stephanie Faracy as Lynn) lap, as her sister (Justine Lupe as Morgan) shows them an iPhone message, all three on a living room couch, in episode 103 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Hopper Stone/Netflix)

Joanne and Morgan's wellness-obsessed mother Lynn is played by Stephanie Faracy, a Brooklyn-born actress who made her television debut in a 1976 episode of Laverne and Shirley. She has appeared in movies including The Great Outdoors, Hocus Pocus, Sideways, Temple Grandin, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, as well as shows like His & Hers, True Colors, Frasier, Devious Maids, and Uncoupled.

Michael Hitchcock as Henry

Two men (Patrick Bristow as Pat and Michael Hitchcock as Henry) sit on a couch as a woman (Kristen Bell as Joanne) stands behind them in a living room, in episode 104 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Hopper Stone/Netflix)

Joanne's father Henry has recently separated from his wife Lynn to explore his homosexuality—but don't worry, the family's all still close. He's played by Michael Hitchcock, an alum of the famed improv group The Groundlings, who has appeared in shows including Mad TV, The Suite Life on Deck, Men of a Certain Age, The United States of Tara, Glee, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Black Monday. He also previously costarred with Kristen Bell in the Netflix spoof The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window.

Sherry Cola as Ashley

Kristen Bell as Joanne, Sherry Cola as Ashley, Justine Lupe as Morgan in episode 105 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Adam Rose/Netflix)

Ashley is not only Joanne's close friend and podcast producer; she's the mutual friend whose dinner party begins Joanne and Noah's love story. She's played by Sherry Cola, an actress and comedian who rose to fame playing Alice Kwon on the Freeform series Good Trouble. She's since starred in movies and shows including 2022's Turning Red, 2023's Shortcomings and Joy Ride, 2024's A Family Affair, and Netflix's Blue Eye Samurai.

Leslie Grossman as Rabbi Shira

Leslie Grossman as Rabbi Shira in episode 105 of Nobody Wants This.

(Image credit: Adam Rose/Netflix)

Rabbi Shira—Noah's old camp counselor turned wise mentor—is played by Leslie Grossman, an L.A.-born actress and frequent collaborator of Ryan Murphy. The longtime TV actress has appeared in dozens of shows, most notably The WB's Popular and What I Like About You, Hulu's Love, Victor, FX's American Horror Story; and Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Hernandez Story.

Emily Arlook as Rebecca

Emily Arlook as Rebecca, standing in a kitchen, in 'Nobody Wants This.'

(Image credit: Netflix)

Noah's ex (and Esther's best friend) Rebecca is played by Emily Arlook, best known for playing Nomi Segal on Freeform's college series Grown-ish. The Jewish-Buddhist actress has also appeared in 2019's Big Time Adolescence, 2023's You People, and a couple of episodes of The Good Place.

D'Arcy Carden as Ryann

D'Arcy Carden as Ryann, Bernard David Jones as Charles in 'Nobody Wants This.'

(Image credit: Netflix)

Joanne's good friend Ryann (seen above, next to Bernard David Jones as Charles) is played by Kristen Bell's former The Good Place co-star D'Arcy Carden. In addition to her fan-favorite role as Janet in NBC's hit comedy, Carden is an actress, comedian, and UCB alum who has also appeared in shows including Broad City, Single Parents, Barry, and A League of Their Own.

Culture Writer

Quinci is a Culture Writer who covers all aspects of pop culture, including TV, movies, music, books, and theater. She contributes interviews with talent, as well as SEO content, features, and trend stories. She fell in love with storytelling at a young age, and eventually discovered her love for cultural criticism and amplifying awareness for underrepresented storytellers across the arts. She previously served as a weekend editor for Harper’s Bazaar, where she covered breaking news and live events for the brand’s website, and helped run the brand’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Her freelance writing has also appeared in outlets including HuffPost, The A.V. Club, Elle, Vulture, Salon, Teen Vogue, and others. Quinci earned her degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. She was a 2021 Eugene O’Neill Critics Institute fellow, and she is a member of the Television Critics Association. She is currently based in her hometown of Los Angeles. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her studying Korean while watching the latest K-drama, recommending her favorite shows and films to family and friends, or giving a concert performance while sitting in L.A. traffic.