Jackie Tohn exclusively tells OK! about starring in the hit Netflix show ‘Nobody Wants This.’
Jackie Tohn, who plays Sasha Roklov’s wife, icy Esther, on the Netflix hit series Nobody Wants This, was not expecting the rom-com to take off in the way it has.
“The response has been bonkers. It feels so good. It’s really nice,” the actress, 44, exclusively tells OK!.
The brunette beauty says it was “so fun and exciting” to take on the role of Esther, who doesn’t like Kristen Bell’s character, Joanne, as she begins a relationship with Noah, who is a rabbi (played by Adam Brody). “What was most important to me with her is that she’s opinionated and loud, but she’s also multidimensional and she loves who she loves. She’s ride or die for her best friend,” she says.
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Jackie Tohn and Kristen Bell are real life best friends.
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In the series, Joanne meets Noah at a dinner party after he just got out of a relationship with Rebecca — and the only problem is that Joanne, a podcaster, isn’t jewish. “These choices that Noah is making aren’t just affecting Noah — they’re affecting the whole family,” Tohn explains. “Obviously it’s TV and everything is heightened, but this is who she is and she’s letting him know. She’s the gatekeeper.”
“I just keep playing these villains,” she jokes, referring to her previous role in Netflix’s Glow where she played Melanie “MelRose” Rosen. “I did this movie Old Dads last year with Bill Burr and Bobby Cannavale, and it was a similar character. I played this overbearing wife, and I don’t know why I fall right into that because it’s comically not who I am. Listen, I’m a loud, opinionated, mouthy Jew, so that part is definitely real, but being mad about everything is so not my vibe.”
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For Tohn, playing Esther was a “challenge,” as she wanted to make sure she was a “multidimensional” character. “I didn’t want her to just be this woman that’s yelling at people — that to me is not going to be as fun, but she’s fiercely loyal, right? She loves who she loves. She loves her husband. They have such a cute relationship. I love the scenes with me and Timothy Simons where we’re cute and kissy and we support and love each other. Ultimately, the reason I’m mad and the reason you meet Esther is because someone is messing with her day to day and taking her best friend away,” she explains.
The Postal star had a blast filming the series for several reasons, including working with her real life bestie Bell. However, they didn’t plan on becoming costars. “I knew about the project because of Kristen, and I knew what she was working on,” she shares. “I’m at her house or we’re hiking or she’s cooking for me in her very free schedule, but I knew about this project before the writers’ strike. I texted her, and I was like, ‘I got an audition for your show to play Rebecca.’ She was like, ‘You’re more of an Esther than Rebecca.’”
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Jackie Tohn said she loved working with the cast on ‘Nobody Wants This.’
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Fortunately, she fit the bill for Esther. “Getting to work with Kristen is obviously the best, and we have so much fun together. It’s so fun to play enemies with your best friend!” she exclaims, adding that besides working on a show called Do, Re & Mi, an animated musical preschool series, this was the first time they got to act alongside one another.
“It’s interesting because it’s the only part of the job that’s not work,” she says of appearing alongside the stellar cast. “Going on auditions and not getting 99 percent of 100 things you go in for and the rejection is the work. Going to play with Tim Simons, Justine Lupe, Adam Brody, etc. is a joke! It’s so fun. We absolutely love each other. Working with Kristen rules — it’s dope as h—!”
Though the Veronica Mars alum claimed she was taking a break from acting, she’s a “machine,” according to Tohn.
“She’s such a megastar. It’s insane. I also love Succession, I love Veep, I love Adam Brody,” she adds.
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Jackie Tohn plays Esther in the hit series.
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After wrapping the series, the cast and crew didn’t put too many eggs in one basket, which is why they were pleasantly surprised when it was in the top 10 on Netflix. “We made a fun thing and ejnjoy each other and we were waiting to see what happened. The response has been 10 times what any of us thought it would be,” she admits. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve made things we thought people would lose their minds over and then nobody watched it. So, to make something and for it to be received like this, it’s the dream.”
Now that Season 2 has been greenlit, Tohn is excited for what’s to come. “I would love to see what happens between Esther and Morgan after she finds out about her friendship with Sasha. “It would also be great to get Susie Essman to come in and play Esther’s mom. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Esther and Sasha. Who knows what will happen,” she shares.
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The star said she is ‘grateful’ the show has taken off.
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In the meantime, Tohn’s future is bright, as she has a movie called The Floaters, set a summer camp, coming out soon. “It revolves around this woman Nomi, who always wanted to be a rock star. She turns 40 and her dreams are dashed and her band quits. She calls her best friend to cry and be like, ‘I sublet my apartment, I have nowhere to go.’ Her best friend runs this Jewish sleepaway camp they used to go to, and she’s like, ‘Come to my camp.’ She sort of finds herself at camp and they put a show together,” she explains. “She gets out of her own way and stops focusing on herself long enough to bring these art to these fun freaks at the camp.”
At this time, Tohn is having a moment and just excited for what’s next. “It’s super fun right now. When it comes, it comes, and you’re busy, but then sometimes there’s an absolute drought,” she shares. “It feels good because I’ve been doing this since I was 9 years old. I’m hyper aware of the ups and downs because I’ve experienced so many of them, so when I’m in this upswing, it’s not lost on me. To work with Steve Guttenberg, Aya Cash and Seth Green on The Floaters was great.”
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Jackie Tohn said the response to the show has been ‘bonkers.’
Additionally, Tohn has had recurring roles in The Boys and Gen V. “It’s the dream. To show up and be part of these shows is insane,” she admits, adding that she would love to star in some version of a multicam sitcom, similar to The Nanny. “That would be really bonkers. To work with Fran Drescher would be the greatest. She’s such a trailblazer. She’s beyond.”
“I feel really grateful and lucky and excited,” she continues of this time period. “I’ve never done anything else. This has been my dream since I was a baby. I’ve had many, many years where I didn’t work enough to get my health insurance through my union, and so when I’m in this place right now, it feels good.”