But why is Adam Brody at the heart of such a phenomenon?

Let’s face it: he’s sometimes been confused with Adrien Brody. We even forgot his face. However, it was enough to hear the words “Newport Beach» to feel a wave of nostalgia. We finally remembered Adam Brody. We first knew him as Seth Cohen, a geek passionate about rock and comics, in love with Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson), in the cult series of the 2000s. We rediscovered him as husband (in real life) of Leighton Meester, the essential Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girlwith whom he had two children.

A “triumphant return”

For more than a decade, the couple has led a discreet family life, out of the spotlight. However, we remember being moved by the photos of the two actors, immortalized surfing together in Malibu. In these photos, revealed by the tabloids over time, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester appear in incongruous postures, wearing soggy hats, and their complexions pale from sunscreen. They hold hands, sitting on their boards, looking into the distance. Thus the actor had won our affection, long before his return to grace…

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In recent weeks, the actor has indeed found himself at the heart of a real phenomenon. On our TikTok feed, videos of his romantic declarations about Leighton Meester flourish, or even compilations of scenes in which he plays Seth Cohen. A “Brody mania” which has not escaped the magazines. “Is Adam Brody the ultimate millennial crush?”, asks Vogue US . “The triumphant return of Adam Brody, the eternal supporting role adored by millennials,” enthuses for his part The Country .

The adult version of Seth Cohen?

We end up understanding what it’s all about. If the 44-year-old actor returns to the forefront, it is thanks to his role in the Netflix series Nobody Wants Thisreleased on Thursday September 26. He plays Noah, a “sexy rabbi” whom many media compare to the attractive priest of Fleabag. The pitch? When Noah falls under the spell of Joanne, an agnostic and hotheaded podcaster – played by Kristen Bell, the heroine of Veronica Mars -, his existence is turned upside down. Obviously, our millennial hearts are satisfied.

Especially since, for some Internet users, Noah would simply be the adult version of the hero of Newport Beach. “Adam Brody’s charm is exceptional in this series, writes @emilybern on Newport Beach.” A theory that does not displease the main person concerned. “They (Seth Cohen and Noah, Editor’s note) both have my bone structure, are from southern California and are theoretically the same age,” he adds, not without humor, in Vanity Fair. It didn’t take more for Nobody Wants This is among the biggest hits of the month on the streaming platform.

The “Internet Boyfriend”

His hero with an advantageous physique has, for his part, become the new “boyfriend of the Internet” (after Pedro Pascal in Last of us). “I wonder how Kristen Bell didn’t fall madly in love with Adam Brody on this shoot,” writes @MissMaCherie on Multiple viewers also picked up an image of Noah speaking to Joanne, saying, “I accept you as you are.” “By saying that, Adam Brody healed every girl who was ever told they were.”too much“, @MediumSizeMeech marveled.

Adam Brody tried to get rid of this image of “nice guy” – understand, “nice boy”. He notably appeared in the guise of a Satanist singer in Jennifer’s Body (2009), about a banker who launders money for his father in StartUp (2016), and a sexual predator in Promising Young Woman (2020). Nothing helps: in our imagination, there will always be the endearing Seth Cohen. A character not so far from his interpreter.

Les anti-Ryan Reynolds et Blake Lively

The Instagram account Deuxmoi published the stories of fans who have encountered Adam Brody over the years. The latter praise the accessible nature of their idol. One of them relates her meeting with the actor, at the corner of a supermarket aisle. Not knowing how to react, she smiled at him, before waving at him. Gesture to which the actor would have responded in the same way.

Another admirer of the actor would have crossed his path in an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. The latter would then have gone to her table to talk with her. For a third, there is no doubt: Adam Brody and Leighton Meester are the anti-Blake Lively – the other heroine of Gossip Girl – and Ryan Reynolds, a thousand miles from the star system. And would be more “humble” and “adorable” than their counterparts. Atmosphere.

Idols named “Shane”

For Adam Brody, discretion is also one of the main assets of his wife, who he is delighted that she prefers to remain a “outsider in Hollywood. “That doesn’t take anything away from his art,” he assures in an interview. And we suddenly understand why we love him so much: Adam Brody – definitely – doesn’t take himself seriously. Congratulated for his chemistry with Kristen Bell in the series, the actor attributes the honors to the talent of his filming partner and to the work, according to him, remarkable, of the screenwriters.

In the columns of New York Times he says that as a teenager he was a fan of surfing – so far, nothing surprising – and dreamed of having “long, blond and straight hair” like his idols, all named… “Shane”. Adam Brody finally conquers us when, described as Lane’s “best boyfriend” in Gilmore Girls – one of his first roles – he brushes aside this compliment: “It didn’t stay that way for very long,” he recalls. We don’t know what would have happened in the long term. Maybe he was doing love bombing.” And we bow, amused by this response which is both straightforward and completely sensible. We subsequently learned that Adam Brody will reprise the role of Noah in season 2 of Nobody Wants This. And we decide that it is high time to slip under a blanket to devour the first episodes of this successful program.