For Justine Lupe, the true joy of playing Morgan on Nobody Wants This lies in the messy, sometimes hilariously immature sibling dynamics she shares with onscreen sister Kristen Bell. In Season 2 of the hit Netflix comedy, her character finds herself destabilized by her sister’s growing romance, launching into a misguided relationship of her own with her therapist before finally realizing the error of her ways. Looking ahead to the upcoming third season, debuting this fall, Lupe notes she felt a level of comfort that she had never previously experienced in her career.
“I’m really familiar with these creators now and so I feel like there’s a level of collaboration that’s new and really exciting as an actor to be able to talk through things in a different way and feel like they trust me with Morgan at this point,” she says.
Offscreen, the bond between the cast has grown even stronger, mirroring that sibling closeness. “Kristen pierced my ears yesterday,” Lupe reveals to Gold Derby. “We’ve evolved into just more sisterly behavior, more bonding.”
Created by Erin Foster, the series — which also stars Adam Brody as a “hot rabbi” navigating an unlikely romance with Bell’s agnostic podcaster — features Timothy Simons and Jackie Tohn. Its breakout first season earned three major Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series.
Below, Lupe discusses her favorite scenes, dream guest stars, and what’s next for Morgan in Season 3.
Gold Derby: What do you think Morgan was struggling with most in Season 2?
Justine Lupe: This last season in particular, Morgan’s coming up against being in her late 30s and alone and seeing people evolve into different versions of their lives and feeling a little left behind. That is a familiar story for a lot of my friends. I think that’s what works about the show is it’s very specific and people can kind of latch onto different parts of what the show is depicting.
Did you have a favorite scene this past season?
I had a lot of fun with the sauna scene where she has a meltdown when she catches her family talking about her in the sauna and just completely erupts on everyone. It was really fun and kind of ridiculous. I love it when fully grown adults behave like children.
What do you think makes the relationships in this show more realistic than the typical rom-com?
I think that there’s something to it being a show that allows for more room for specific things to come out. I think in a rom-com, you have just the steady structure and you have to get from one place to another in a certain amount of time. You have time to explore things and draw things out and develop different characters and allows for more nuance.
What have you learned most from working with Kristen Bell?
Kristen’s a great leader on set. She’s very kind, available, prepared and just chill. Having someone who’s number one on the call sheet or who sets the tone for the way the set works, who has the disposition that Kristen has is just a huge gift. Interpersonally, I had a baby after the first season of the show and that’s not nothing. It’s something that is exciting and challenging to navigate and I have a real desire to be an incredible mom, and I have a lot of ambition and want to be the best artist I can be. I feel like she’s really figured out how to manage those two things.
Given all of Morgan’s relationship ups and downs, do you think the show is ultimately optimistic about modern dating?
I find it really optimistic. I mean, these are two people [Bell and Brody’s character] in their late 30s, early 40s who are approaching a relationship with their best foot forward and finding each other at a point in their lives where they’re emotionally evolved enough to handle things maturely and work through things together. I think that’s optimistic. Even in the second season, it’s less like hot fireworks with passion and more working through the real blocks that come with becoming truly intimate with someone. I think that there’s optimism in just moving through those trials and tribulations with each other.
Is there anyone you’d love to guest star on the show?
I feel like Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn would be so great. They have one of those iconic romances that has lasted, that has such longevity and it feels fun and playful and they’re both funny and he’s a stud. I’m like, it just feels like a great fit. Let’s get them in!
