When Kristen Bell read the script for Nobody Wants This, the new Netflix series in which she plays a feisty agnostic podcaster who falls in love with a handsome and endearing “Hot Rabbi,” she knew exactly who she wanted for the part of the male lead. “I was like, ‘There’s only one person who can pull off this level of charm and that’s Adam Brody,’” she said during a recent morning show appearance. “I pushed for him from the beginning.”

Her casting call couldn’t have been more perfect. Since the show’s September 26 premiere, Adam has set the internet ablaze thanks to his sweet and funny turn as Noah Roklov.

(His steamy onscreen kiss with Kristen has gone viral, and fans of the rom-com are already excited for a second season.) While the 44-year-old — best known for playing high school nerd Seth Cohen on the teen soap The O.C. in the early 2000s — knew Nobody Wants This had potential to be a hit, he had no idea it would spark a full-blown Brodyaissance. “Adam never expected to be such a fan favorite at this point in his life,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style. “He’s so flattered that people are responding to his portrayal of Noah this way.”

Adam Wasn’t Always ‘Proud’ of His Role of ‘The O.C.’

Adam wasn’t always thrilled about his association with lovable geek Seth Cohen. The O.C. made him famous but the actor, in his 20s when the show blew up, wasn’t a fan of its soapy storylines, admitting he acted out on set. “I would never scream or yell at anyone … but I think I very much let my distaste for the later episodes be known,” he later said. “I didn’t mask that at all, and I’m sure I openly mocked it a bit. So I’m not proud of that.”

Adam Brody Never Expected to Be Fan Favorite at This Point in Life
He’s come to realize what a stepping stone it was for him career-wise. “Adam was always cute, but he’s now this very hot adult man,” says Nobody Wants This creator Erin Foster. “It felt really exciting to show him as this adult version of Seth Cohen.” Leaning into his Seth-ness, in other words, has made him a heartthrob anew. “The O.C. changed Adam’s life,” says the source. “And he can see he wouldn’t have gotten so far in his career without it.”

Adam Brody Is a Family Man to His Wife Leighton Meester

At home, he savors his roles as husband to his wife of 10 years, actress Leighton Meester, 38, and dad to their two kids (a 9-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son). He and the former Gossip Girl star (who costarred in the 2011 film The Oranges) live a low-key life and value their privacy. “They’ve been able to maintain a loving, healthy relationship out of the public eye,” says the source. “They believe in the balance between work and family life and that their time with their kids is not part of the deal they made with Hollywood.”

Their shared history being on successful teen shows is one of many things that bonds them. “Pick someone good,” Adam has said of the secret to a happy marriage (sounding a bit like his rabbi alter ego). “Be in love with someone who’s great and listen to them.”

Adam Brody Is Enjoying the Attention

The San Diego native is happy about his newfound attention. “I’d be lying if I said I don’t like gratification,” he’s said. “It’s a lot better than [someone saying], ‘Oh, are you still acting?’” But he’s not getting caught up in the fanfare. “Adam is the least egotistical actor around,” says the source. “He just wants to do a good job and do right by the character.” And give us some memorable kisses!