Kristen Bell is thrilled about the upcoming release of her new Netflix romantic comedy, Nobody Wants This.
“It’s a modern romcom,” says Bell, 44, describing the show, which debuts on September 26 and features Adam Brody as her on-screen love interest.
“I love that the characters are what, 38? And that it touches on everything from the challenges of dating apps to the reality of how people with different backgrounds and perspectives come together for love,” she continues. “It’s a grown-up rom-com.”
Although Bell enjoyed being on set, the mother of two admits she was equally happy to take a break from work to focus on her family.
“I’m certainly enjoying it right now,” she says about her return to work. “But before that, I took a few years off, and I loved that too.”
Bell and her husband, Dax Shepard, recently allowed their daughters to visit a Danish amusement park alone for seven hours, a testament to her focus on family.
Her decision to return to acting was driven by her love for the Nobody Wants This script, which is loosely inspired by the real life of show creator and producer Erin Foster, the daughter of musician David Foster.
“I just go with my gut,” Bell explains of how she chooses her projects. “If it feels funny and like it would be fun to film, I’m in!”
Bell began her career in New York theater while studying at NYU and later transitioned to Hollywood in her early twenties, starring in films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Frozen, as well as shows like Veronica Mars and The Good Place.
“I know that’s not the norm!” she jokes about her relatively smooth career trajectory.
Since marrying Dax Shepard in 2013 and becoming a mother to their daughters, Delta and Lincoln, Bell has prioritized family.
“I don’t work outside of L.A.,” she shares, explaining her approach to balancing work and family life.
“The ripple effects are too significant, so I can’t. My husband works here; my kids go to school here. It’s not an option for me to leave them, and bringing them along would be too disruptive,” she adds.
Bell also structures her workday to ensure she’s available for her children when she’s off the clock. At the same time, she’s learning to carve out moments for herself.
“I’ve been working on saying no over the past few years, and it’s really hard, but I have to remind myself that time is the only non-renewable resource I have,” she says, acknowledging her “people-pleaser” tendencies.
“I always want to help,” she admits. “But if I have an hour to myself, with everything going on—career, two kids, two dogs, and all the rest—sometimes I just sit.
I love Audible, so I’ll listen to a book and just pause. I find it really essential.”
