The second season of the critically acclaimed Netflix romance series, Nobody Wants This, premiered on Thursday, October 23. Whether you were counting the minutes until the new season premiered or you’re just coming across the show for the first time, this guide to Nobody Wants This cast and characters will give you all the details you need to jump right in.
Let’s get into it.
Cast of ‘Nobody Wants This’
Here’s an overview of the main characters in Nobody Wants This.
Kristen Bell as Joanne Williams
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, The Good Place) stars as Joanne Williams, a 30-something year old agnostic woman who co-hosts a sex and dating podcast with her younger sister, Morgan. Joanne finds herself repeatedly drawn to emotionally unavailable men, leading to frequent disappointments but providing entertaining content for their show.
Having trouble with emotional vulnerability, she pushes people away once things start getting serious, a result of her past trauma and fear of vulnerability. Joanne is witty and smart and adds a grounding energy to the podcast with her sister.
Her authenticity and openness – at least on the podcast – are two of the qualities Noah likes best about her.
In the midst of all this, Joanne also serves as her mother’s support system after her father comes out as gay, leaving her mother in denial and unwilling to move forward and creating tension within the family.
Adam Brody as Noah Roklov
Adam Brody plays Noah Roklov, an unconventional rabbi at a local synagogue who comes from a very traditional Jewish family. He meets Joanne at a dinner party hosted by a mutual friend. Prior to meeting Joanne, Noah was in a relationship with a Jewish woman named Rebecca who is also part of his larger community and well loved by his family and friends.
Despite being a perfect partner for Noah on paper, he realizes that Rebecca isn’t the person for him and breaks up with her. Noah’s faith is strong, and he is viewed as a talented religious leader, which makes him dating a non-Jewish woman more difficult due to the judgement from family, friends and other members of the community.
Noah is kind, well spoken, great with kids and is always looking for new perspectives.
Justine Lupe as Morgan Williams
Justine Lupe portrays Morgan, Joanne’s younger sister and fellow podcast co-host. Even more skeptical and agnostic than Joanne, Morgan has doubts about her sister’s relationship with Noah. Personally, she fears the differences between Noah and Joanne’s backgrounds, driven by her deep loyalty to her sister.
Professionally, she worries that Joanne’s stable relationship with Noah might not captivate their audience as much as her previous dating disasters did. Morgan refers to herself as the “loser sibling,” which she bonds about with Noah’s brother, revealing the insecurities masked by her relatively aloof demeanor.
Timothy Simons as Sasha Roklov
Noah’s older brother and the father of Noah’s niece. Sasha is eccentric and always down to have a good time — although this energy is often dampened by his wife Esther’s judgement. He is supportive of his little brother and Joanne’s relationship, which causes strain between him and Esther.
Jackie Tohn as Esther Roklov (Recurring Season 1, Main Season 2)
Jackie Tohn portrays Esther, Sasha’s wife and Noah’s sister-in-law. As a devout member of her Jewish community, she socializes primarily with similarly devout women, including her close friend Rebecca, Noah’s former fiancée.
Judgmental and often controlling, Esther makes her disapproval of Joanne clear. However, once she lets her guard down, she proves to be fiercely loyal and genuinely enjoyable company.
Recurring Characters in ‘Nobody Wants This’
Here’s a look at recurring characters in Nobody Wants This:
Stephanie Faracy as Lynn Williams
Lynn Williams, the mother of Joanne and Morgan, is a loving yet somewhat unreliable parent. After her husband reveals he is gay, leading to their separation, she struggles to move forward and cope with her emotions. This inadvertently creates tension in the family and complicates her children’s lives and their relationships.
Tovah Feldshuh as Bina Roklov
Tovah Feldshuh takes on the role of Bina Roklov, the doting and protective mother of Noah and Sasha. Convinced she knows what’s best for her sons, Bina worries that Noah’s relationship with Joanne – a non-Jewish, liberal and openly sex-positive woman – will threaten his religious beliefs and professional aspirations. Despite witnessing their dynamic, she remains adamant that the couple’s relationship won’t last.
Paul Ben-Victor as Ilan Roklov
Noah and Sasha’s father, Ilan is the quieter, more level-headed half to his wife Bina.
Emily Arlook as Rebecca
Emily Arlook plays Rebecca, a Jewish woman that was in a relationship with Noah, almost becoming his fiancé. Despite being a perfect partner for Noah on paper, she feels slighted after their breakup and comes across as cold and duplicitous. Noah’s family and friends, however, do seem to like her.
Sherry Cola as Ashley
Ashley is one of Joanne’s best friends and her agent.
Shiloh Bearman as Miriam Roklov
Sasha and Esther’s 13-year-old daughter who struggles with her mom’s overbearing attitude.
Stephen Tobolowsky as Rabbi Cohen
Tobolowsky plays Rabbi Cohen, the head rabbi and Noah’s boss at the Temple Chai
New Characters in ‘Nobody Wants This’ Season 2
Along with the new episodes of Nobody Wants This comes a number of new characters to get excited for. Here are the cast additions for season 2 of Nobody Wants This:
- Arian Moayed as Dr. Andy
- Alex Karpovsky as Big Noah
- Leighton Meester as Abby, a childhood frenemy of Joanne
- Seth Rogen as Rabbi Neil
- Kate Berlant as Cami
- Miles Fowler as Lenny
- Joe Gillette as Gabe
Connect Netflix to DIRECTV
Did you know you can integrate all of your streaming services – Netflix included – with your DIRECTV account? Watching all of your favorite shows, including Nobody Wants This, doesn’t get any easier than this!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Leighton Meester in 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2?
Adam Brody's real-life wife, Leighton Meester, guest stars in Season 2 of the Netflix series 'Nobody Wants This,' playing a childhood frenemy of Joanne's who has since become a mommy influencer.
Is Seth Rogan in 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2?
Seth Rogan is one of the high-profile guest stars in the second season of 'Nobody Wants This.' He is playing Rabbi Neil.
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