Anyone who has watched Netflix’s new #1 series can agree—everybody wants this.
The hit rom-com series Nobody Wants This depicts a sex podcaster (Kristen Bell) who falls in love with a rabbi (Adam Brody) and navigates the difficulties of winning over a highly-religious family. The show is ripe with chemistry, comedy and loads of spiritual references. The emotions are palpable, and that might just be because the story isn’t entirely fictional.
Creator Erin Foster loosely based Nobody Wants This on her personal love life. Like Bell’s “Joanna,” Foster fell in love with a Jewish man, Simon Tikhman. She did not grow up Jewish yet converted to Judaism prior to marrying her husband in 2019.
Foster grew up in a nonreligious home where divorce was the norm (her father, music producer David Foster, has been married five times). “We didn’t come from similar backgrounds,” Foster said on her podcast with her sister, “The World’s First Podcast” (a nod to Joanna’s podcast with her sister, Morgan on the show). “He came from a much more traditional place. I came from a more unconventional place. When we got together we were like, ‘How’s this gonna work?’”
Like Brody’s “Noah,” Tikhman was born to Russian Jewish immigrants. Tikhman is a record label owner, not a rabbi, but feels dedicated to Judaism and wants to pass the religion along to his daughter, Noa (her name alludes to the series).
One of the main differences between the show and Foster’s own relationship is the family dynamic. On the show, Noah’s mother, Bina (Tovah Feldshuh), is unsupportive of Joanna, whom she considers a “shiksa.” Bina encourages Noah to get back together with his ex-fiancé, Rebecca (Emily Arlook), who dreams of becoming “Mrs. Head Rabbi.” In reality, Tikhman’s family did not present any obstacles and approved of the relationship.
Another ode to Foster’s personal experiences was a memorable meet-the-family scene in Episode 6. Noah shows up to meet Joanne’s mom wearing gym gear and carrying sunflowers. This moment makes Joanne get the “ick” and consider breaking up with her boyfriend. Similarly, Tikhman brought sunflowers for Foster’s mother, which made her worry he cared too much. Both women ultimately realize there’s no such thing.
Although the details in Nobody Want This aren’t exact, the emotions surrounding her experience are truthful. “It’s not always like tangible things I can point to,” Foster told Today. “The emotional journey, I would say, is very accurate to my experience of meeting my husband.”
At the end of the series, Joanna considers converting to Judaism when considering a life with Noah. While the character ultimately denies, Foster went through with the process in real life. She attended Jewish classes with her friend and fell in love with the religious traditions.
“This show is based on the only good decision I ever made: falling for a nice Jewish boy,” Foster told Netflix Tudum. “But I realized that being happy is way harder than being miserable — there’s nothing to complain about. So, I created this show based on all the ways that finding the right person can be so hard.”