‘That Was Real And These Two Stayed In Character!’ The Improvised Nobody Wants This Scene That Made Adam Brody Realize He Should Be ‘A Better Actor’

(Image credit: SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIX)

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:
Speaking of improv, in the pilot I have to give Kristen and Adam credit for something. When Adam went to open the bottle of wine, we discovered in real time that Adam does not know how to open a bottle of wine. That was real and these two stayed in character!

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:

It’s so special because it’s totally real and they kept the dialogue going. But then when you say like, ‘Oh, it’s an embarrassing thing about me, I was a sommelier.’ That’s all just improv that he came up with because he genuinely couldn’t open a bottle of wine.

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 was thinking if I was a better actor, I would’ve learned how to open a bottle of wine before we shot it.

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.