Clocking more than 1.21 billion minutes of viewing time in one week shortly after its September 2024 premiere, it’s fair to say everybody wanted a piece of Netflix hit Nobody Wants This. With the second season dropping on October 23, even stars Jackie Tohn, 45, and Timothy Simons, 47, can’t quite comprehend just how far the relatable rom-com – and their recognition as beloved supporting characters – has reached.
“Are we famous in Australia?” the pair ask when WHO catches up with them on Zoom ahead of Season 2’s launch.
(Credit: Netflix)
Indeed, while fans fell head over heels for cynical dating podcaster Joanne (played by Veronica Mars’ Kristen Bell) and hot rabbi Noah (The O.C.’s Adam Brody) in Season 1, they have become equally enamoured by his eccentric older brother, Sasha (Simons), and intrigued by sassy sister-in-law Esther (Tohn).
Here, the pair talk pressure, perspectives and relationship predicaments…
Season 1 of Nobody Wants This was a massive hit. Did that bring a certain level of pressure when it came to Season 2?
TIMOTHY SIMONS: The pressure that it brings, you kind of just have to put out of your head. I think one thing that’s great about it is that for anything to kind of break through the noise right now is incredibly hard and to try to just enjoy that when it’s happening. And so going into Season 2, I think more than anything, if you have the ability to sit in a room with people you really enjoy working with and you respect, then the pressure kind of goes away, because that’s the process of getting to something good, hopefully.
(Credit: Getty)
This season, Sasha and Esther’s story gets a bit of breathing space to expand. How did that feel getting to explore that on-screen relationship a bit more?
JACKIE TOHN: I think it’s the best. Listen, when you have Season 1 of a streaming comedy, what do you have, under five hours of content for the whole season? So there’s just not that much time. There’s just not that much real estate there. And then, in Season 2, we have another 10 episodes to really dive deeper into who these people are. And I think we really did that, giving [our characters] more time and space and air to breathe. And the writing, it just makes them more multi-dimensional. I think for Esther, she really goes on a journey in Season 2, trying to have some fun.
Speaking of Esther, she copped a bit of criticism last season, but this season, we discover she’s a lot more relatable and lovable than she first lets on…
JACKIE: I think people were, maybe, mad in Season 1 because she was so relatable, to be honest. They were thinking, “Oh, that’s me and my mum and my aunt. Whoops, that’s my whole family!” (laughs)
(Credit: Getty)
Do you feel a little bit vindicated now those critics get to see the real Esther?
JACKIE: I don’t. Oh boy, I want to say this with love … I don’t care. I’m happy that Esther goes on this journey and I’m happy that she realises for herself, like, “Wait, why is everybody else having such a good time and I’m just following the rules? Why does my husband get to talk? I want to have fun. I want to do what I want to do.” And so she goes on her own journey.
And I think that’s really fun and it’s really a different piece of her to explore, but I think it was important to us that she’s also still herself, like she’s trying to be fun and have a good time. I mean, she’s medium at it, you know, she’s not a party girl, good-time Esther in Season 2, but she’s trying to get there and she’s trying to change her life and her perspective.
And the same goes for Sasha in Season 2 – he’s not just the dopey brother, he proves he has a lot of integrity. Does that make you proud of your character?
TIMOTHY: It does, yeah. I mean, honestly, it’s almost like I sort of accidentally was like, “Oh yeah, no. He actually does do a lot of good, hard, emotionally intelligent things.” They might come out in a weird way. He might voice them oddly. But the intent behind them is wonderful.
And just to Jackie’s point, having the time to be able to explore a lot of different parts of what is essentially one of the supporting characters in a romantic comedy, that usually doesn’t get that kind of time. It’s fun to look at different facets of their life and have space for that. It’s really great.
(Credit: Netflix)
Fans were shipping the chemistry between Sasha and Morgan (played by Justine Lupe) in Season 1. Did you guys enjoy exploring that dynamic of male-female friendships and what that means for romantic relationships?
TIMOTHY: I think one of the reasons that people were so locked into that idea [of Sasha and Morgan getting together] is because it’s something that most adults that have been in long-term, or even short-term, adult relationships – we all deal with it. Whether it’s appropriate to have friends of the opposite gender…
JACKIE: And where do you draw the line? It’s all this very minute, grown-up stuff that we really dive into.
TIMOTHY: And whether or not our show answers the question, it’s more about raising the question and having the audience ask their own questions about it.
And lastly, there has to be a Season 3, right?! We have to know what happens to Sasha and Esther!
JACKIE: (laughs) We’ll cross our fingers for you!
(Nobody Wants This Season 2 premieres Thursday, October 23 on Netflix)
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Sara Tapia
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