Justine Lupe of Netflix’s Nobody Wants This talks to The Contending about playing a shiksa (twice), whether Morgan and Joanne (Kristen Bell) have side hustles, and why she thinks a Morgan/Sasha relationship wouldn’t be funny.
Nobody Wants This surprised audiences when it resurrected the TV rom-com earlier this year. But it’s not just rabbi Noah (Adam Brody) and sex podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell) who sizzle with chemistry. Fans were quick to note something was going on between Noah’s brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) and Joanne’s sister Morgan, played by Justine Lupe.
“There was a negging kind of vibe from the very beginning between them,” says Lupe. “It’s not fun to watch someone pick on another person or put them down. But when I read it, I thought, ‘Oh, she’s making fun of this person because she finds him fun.'”
Lupe says Morgan’s on-screen relationship with Sasha plays on her real-life friendship with Simons, which was fun to bring into their scenes together — even if the writing aimed for something more romantic.
“I think we all talked it out, and the reality of that isn’t funny — destroying a family. I get wanting to see it happen, but what happens after that, whatever that transgression might be, I don’t find it funny. I think there’s way more potential and material in us being friends. I’m glad [series creator] Erin (Foster) is on the same page and was public about it before us. It was refreshing she came out and said, ‘This isn’t happening.’ I was glad to hear it.”
Watch the full interview below!
