In Erin Foster’s new romantic comedy series Nobody Wants This, now streaming on Netflix, Kristen Bell and Adam Brody are a handsome couple with one major hurdle: He’s a hip (but devout) rabbi, and she’s blonde Shiksa. This leads to complications in their family and work lives as the two talk about love, sex, friends and faith with the easy charm that two beloved millennial actors inevitably evoke. They have also shared the screen several times, including in the series “House of Lies” and the 2017 film “CHiPs.” Brody spoke with them diversity about his relationship with religion, nurturing the on-screen spark with Bell, and being recognized as “The OC” favorite Seth Cohen.

What about “Nobody Wants This” that first spoke to you?

I knew Kristen was interested in this before I read it, and Kristen is a delight and a real talent. She also has an amazing track record and I thought, “If she’s in it, it’s probably pretty good and I’m looking forward to reading it.” When I read it, I thought Erin had done a really wonderful job with this charming script in which I could play something that was both familiar in many ways and new in terms of the Rabbi elements. I was able to branch out and do some research, so there was something both familiar and challenging about it.

She and Kristen have such a great relationship on the show. What do you think is the secret to finding chemistry between an on-screen love interest?

I don’t know; I really don’t. I would like to give credit to the writing. We’ve worked together before, but not on anything so overtly romantic. However, in both cases we were couples or had a romantic history and no one said, “Wow, there’s chemistry there!” The way these characters are built fosters chemistry and you care about them and want that they are together. She’s a really good actress and we both have really wonderful marriages and we’re able to kind of mirror that, relive it or emulate it a little bit. But I think it’s probably also possible that you’re a total narcissist and also fake good chemistry on screen, so I’m not sure.

They had so many different roles, from charming men to total psychopaths. You’re definitely in charm mode in this series. How do you find this equipment?

I think again: most of it is in the writing. If they tell you smart things, you’re in good shape. And then if you find something off-putting, try not to say it or say it as quietly as possible. Take off the edges. If you can get a laugh, whether through a written joke or something else you find along the way, that’s a huge success. The character is written to be charming, and it’s not just, “It says here that she’s charming.” Now you do it.” The dialogue is charming and it’s just dancing.

What was your research beyond the script? Have you spoken to any popular rabbis?

I did something like that briefly. I went to a synagogue for Shabbat services. I went to a Shabbat dinner, but what I did most of the time, and I had a lot of time because the strikes happened between the shooting of this project and our agreement, I had a lot of time to read, watch and listen. So I did a lot of podcasts, a lot of books and a lot of films and documentaries. I actually went to school. It was a lot of fun. It was very interesting and I became a lot wiser because of it. It ran the gamut of all things Jewish: I had my Torah studies, I had my Holocaust studies, I had my history of a people and traced the lineage. It was all very enlightening.

On The OC, you played one of the most notable Jewish characters millennials had ever seen on television, and your new role delves much deeper into religious discussions. Have these pieces made you think about faith and religion in ways you might not have thought of before?

I am not religious in any way, but I try to study history, culture, stories, myths and literature. It’s all fascinating and all part of the human experience. I construct my own mythology and meaning of life. That’s not to say I’m a nihilist – I have my own romantic way of looking at the world. “Leave it better than you found it” is a human construct. I could say, “Well, the universe doesn’t care,” but it’s a human opinion and I agree with it.

All in all, this is the first character I’ve seen that is religious. I didn’t think of Seth Cohen as religious. They were culturally Jewish, but to me they didn’t relate to God or think about God. This character really is it.

At first I was drawn to the roles I related to the most: he’s an Angeleno, he’s at a dinner party, he’s hip, he’s not your typical rabbi. But the truth is, after thinking about it for five minutes, he is a rabbi, and that means you won’t shy away from the religiosity. He is a deeply spiritual, devout Jew who has studied the Torah and Talmud most of his life and lives his life as best he can. He thinks about it every day, every hour, and that part was exciting for me. I thought, “Well, I’m an actor and this is the role that I’m not.” It’ll be a fun thing to study and learn about stretching and acting.” I feel a responsibility – me hope Jewish people like it. Simply put: I want to fulfill them and we are proud of it.

Looking at your career overall, you’ve done some bold indie films and cool smaller projects. Is there an achievement of yours that you would like to shine a spotlight on but perhaps went under the radar?

I think “Kid Detective” is a good film for that. That was a very special film for me. On the one hand, I haven’t made many films, but that’s kind of beside the point. The truth is that I just really love it. I’m a big fan of Evan Morgan, who wrote and directed it, and it was also more personal to me because we worked together on it for so long, from idea to release. I’m proud of the hand I had in it.

What role are you most recognized for these days? Has “Scream” or “Shazam!” Overtaken Seth Cohen?

If I’m honest, I think it will always be Seth Cohen.

You’ve had several roles that resemble a persona that audiences might think of when they see you, like Jennifer’s Body and Promising Young Woman undermining nice guy Seth Cohen. Do you think about your career holistically, as previous roles might in some way influence audiences’ perception of you?

I think some projects have done this quite intentionally. “Promising Young Woman” is a clear example of casting a group of people known for being nice guys and subverting that. I don’t know how conscious I was in the “Jennifer’s Body” crowd. I had worked with (producer) Jason Reitman before, so I don’t know if it was just me being close and age-appropriate, or if it was more of a conscious decision: “What if Seth Cohen was a Satan worshiper?” Me can certainly see the advantages in this. But in general, I’d say that in most of the times I’ve played a scumbag, I haven’t necessarily intentionally gone against type. Maybe I’m naive, but I feel versatile. I don’t feel like I’m being pigeonholed, even though I’m best known for being Jewish nice guys. I’m really happy with the range of my work.

You are married to Leighton Meester. If you’re at home flipping through the channels and an episode of Gossip Girl or The OC comes on, do you turn it off or watch it for a while?

Well, you see, no one surfs the channel anymore. But hypotheticallywhen I passed a channel and “The OC” was playing at that moment. I’m sure I’d stop for a moment and look at it. But that just doesn’t happen.

This interview has been edited and condensed.