Erin Foster spent the past decade turning her Hollywood life into content.
Her new rom-com series might finally get your attention.
Nobody Wants Thispremieres September 26 on Netflix.
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
The flowers were so long, and they kept falling over, says Foster.
Theres no hope for me, she remembers thinking.
That made me feel like it was a good story to tell, she says.
Ive always written something thats stemmed from my life in some way, Foster says.
Now 42, shes preparing chicken-lettuce cups in the kitchen of her West Hollywood apartment.
I personally dont remember the sunflowers being that big, he says.
But I do remember driving home and thinking,Its not about the flowers.
Nobody Wants Thisis, in part, a love letter to Tikhman.
First, she tried acting, like her older sister, Sara.
That Tikhman inspired this love story was both a gift and a complication.
The day after the sunflower incident, Foster went there worried that things had officially soured.
Simon was like, Get over it, she says.
Im supposed to care what your parents think because I want to marry you.
I was so in love with him at that moment.
Tikhman is not a rabbi, but he is Jewish.
I cant even repeat the things that Ive said to my parents, she says.
Life was chaotic when I was a kid, says Foster.
To me, normal is exotic.
Itd be fun to be part of something.
Foster stops dicing carrots.
Fuckboy energy, she interjects.
Off the record, says Tikhman, cradling Noa.
On the record, she shoots back.
Deciding which parts of their life can be turned into content is probably where the pair differ the most.
Its ingrained in our culture to keep things private, says Tikhman.
So she started toying with an idea for a show about their relationship.
She just neglected to tell him about it.
I have something thats more important than all of you, she says, jumping off the call.
Were heading to Great White, a trendy cafe with locations across the city.
As we leave, she nods to the living room with its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.
Before pursuing TV writing, Foster was an irresolute actress with a few lines in early-aughts TV shows.
It was the path of least resistance, she says.
I dont look back feeling proud.
She had a small but important arc onThe O.C.
as Marissa Coopers hood-rat bully and was in the car that infamously killed off the character.
Oh my God, the iconic car crash!
says Brody when I verify if he remembered her.
I thought it was her sister?
He signed on soon after he read the script.
I relished the opportunity to play a goof or a dork.
Oh my God, I have a skill set, she remembers thinking.
I really want to lean into that.
It wasnt picked up.
I was sort of like,Am I even a writer?
Do I only write people in my life exactly how they are?
(She has elsewhere clarified thatDaddy Issueswas not based on her dads relationship with McPhee.
The subject of her famous father looms over our lunch.
He discouraged her from pursuing music after three months of piano lessons.
I was doing it to have a connection to him, she says.
His job was obviously not without perks.
Safe to say the shirt was not a hit.
I dont think she noticed it or cared.
Foster says she is less defensive about her family connections now.
Theres an advantage, which is being comfortable in those rooms, she admits.
It might be interesting for someone to take a meeting with so-and-sos daughter.
And its intimidating meeting with someone powerful in the entertainment industry.
The feedback was terse: You should know what youre pitching.
Which is not something I thought I was doing at the time.
She and Sara depicted themselves as shallow socialites desperate for relevance.
Having Zach Braffs baby is plan A, says Sara to the cameras.
Having the valets baby is Planned Parenthood.
Did you watch it for the first time prepping for today?
No one was watching it, she says.
She drags a taro chip through some guacamole.
Some people thought it was a reality, and that was devastating to us.
The sisters werent always close, which they delve into from time to time on their podcast.
While Erin bonded with their little sister, Jordan, she was jealous of Sara.
The beginning of Saras life was just so fucking blessed, Erin says.
It was like every door opened for her and then the door would slam in my face.
I was lacking a big sister to help me through the dynamics of our family.
Its taken a lot of therapy for me to understand her story and for her to understand mine.
And then Erin met Simon.
Everything calmed down, and I felt really happy, says Foster.
At the same time, she knew happiness was not particularly funny or creatively fertile.
Originally, Foster wroteNobody Wants Thiswith the intention of starring in it herself.
But Netflix wanted Bell.
She thought Bell would do a good job.
Kristen is not an edgy person.
She has an inherent warmth about her.
In the show, Noahs parents are appalled when their rabbi son starts dating Joanne.
The couple went home and fought.
I didnt handle that as well as I couldve, Tikhman says.
Im with someone who needs the truth, and … temple can be very boring.
She shoots a mock-superior look at Tikhman.
It felt like they appreciated my spirit as, opposed to wanting to quiet it, she says.
And that felt really cool to me to be accepted that way.
Her voice is such an honest voice, he says.
I know when she says things, it would be a disservice to tell her not to.
But I also know Erin knows where the line is.
It helped that the characters bear little resemblance to his own family.
I intentionally made characters different so I wouldnt get divorced, says Foster.
And I was like,Hated?
People dont hate Jewish people.
Foster wears a Star of David necklace along with one that spells NOA in Hebrew.
I really hope people dont expect it.
Thank you for subscribing and supporting our journalism.
