Adam Brody is about to return to Netflix as the charming rabbi at the center of Nobody Wants This. But off-screen, the Jewish actor is talking about something far heavier.
Ahead of Season 3, Brody has publicly described Israel’s war on Gaza as a “genocide” and said he wants “a free Palestine” — a striking shift from keeping his views largely private.
It is also a particularly notable stance coming from an actor whose most prominent recent role is that of Rabbi Noah Roklov, a Jewish rabbi navigating faith, love and an interfaith relationship.
“Put Me Down As Wanting A Free Palestine”
In a new GQ interview, Brody said he had spoken extensively about Gaza in private but had largely stayed quiet publicly.
This time, when given the opportunity to speak, he didn’t hedge:
“Put me down as thinking it’s a genocide. Put me down as wanting a free Palestine. It’s awful that it’s taken so much death and misery, but it does feel like it’s reaching a breaking point that it should have a while ago. I’m hopeful that another administration can really do some good and correct some of these policies that are helping that situation be as awful as it is.”
There is a sense of frustration running through his words — not only at the scale of the suffering, but at how long it has taken for the conversation around it to reach what he sees as a breaking point.
The Rabbi On Netflix, The Activist Off-Screen
For many viewers, Brody will always be Seth Cohen — the sarcastic, comic-book-loving teenager he played on The O.C..
Seth was also Jewish, making Brody’s later role as Rabbi Noah more than just another Jewish character in his filmography. Years after The O.C., he would step into a very different kind of Jewish role: a rabbi whose faith is central to his love story.
Brody himself was born to Jewish parents with family roots in Russia and Poland. He has previously described Nobody Wants This as a “safe, celebratory space” for Jewish people during a particularly sensitive period.
A Jewish Actor Speaking Out
That context gives his latest comments another layer.
Brody joins prominent Jewish actors including Hannah Einbinder and Wallace Shawn in publicly condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza.
And while he says he has discussed the issue privately for some time, he is now putting his own position firmly on the record — as a Jewish actor whose most recognizable roles have both been deeply tied to Jewish identity.
Why Now?
The timing adds another layer.
Brody’s comments come just weeks before Nobody Wants This returns for Season 3 on October 22. They also arrive as Hollywood’s relationship with the Israel-Gaza war continues to play out publicly, with actors including Einbinder and Susan Sarandon recently detained during a protest outside the United Nations during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit.
For Brody, though, this isn’t entirely new. He says he has been talking about the issue privately for years.
What is new is putting those words on the record.
Before The Rom-Com Returns
Soon, Brody will once again be on screen as Rabbi Noah, the fictional rabbi viewers fell for.
But before Season 3 arrives, he has made one thing very real: his own position on Gaza — and his support for a free Palestine — is no longer something he is keeping to himself.
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