Adam Brody on Dating Fails, Romance, and Why He and Leighton Meester Are ‘Big Hand-Holders’

For many women of a certain age, Adam Brody's breakthrough roles were the ideal of an adoring boyfriend. (See: Gilmore Girls' Dave Rygalski and The OC's generation-defining Seth Cohen.) For them, his latest role in Ready or Not might be a tough pill to swallow because, well, he's kind of an asshole. Or as Brody tells Glamour, "He's a misanthrope. He has no pretension and is just a miserable son of a bitch." It's not all bad, though: "At the same time, he gets an undercurrent of humanity."

Ready or Not (in theaters now) follows Grace (Samara Weaving), an unsuspecting woman who marries into a family that made its fortune in the board game industry. On her wedding night, she must participate in a bizarre family tradition that goes downhill fast. Think of it as a campier, more murderous version of HBO's Succession. And in this family, Brody plays Daniel, Grace's possibly alcoholic, definitely wise-cracking brother-in-law.

While Brody had a blast inhabiting this "outwardly awful person," he's just as excited to dive into his next project, which will spotlight a man he's come to admire: Marc Feigen Fasteau. Brody will play the little-known figure in the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment in Mrs. America, an upcoming FX miniseries about the ERA that also stars Elizabeth Banks and Cate Blanchett. "To see the patterns in history and to put faces to some of these historic names who aren't as known and regarded as they should be has been incredible," Brody says. "To shed even more light on that struggle and some of the people who fought it is a gift."

Brody may have moved on from his heartthrob roles of the early aughts, but we couldn't resist asking the star a bit more about his real-life romantic experience. (Brody's been married to Leighton Meester since 2014, and they're parents to four-year-old daughter, Arlo.) So we invited Brody to answer our Inappropriate Questions, Glamour's new column that asks all the cheeky, slightly off-kilter stuff best saved for a second (or better yet, third) date. Find out the weirdest place he's had sex, his cringe-worthy romantic fail, and more.

Glamour: What’s the biggest romantic fail you’ve experienced?

Adam Brody: I once thought I was on a date with someone, in a group setting, so I bought her and I a drink. When I came back to the table to gave it to her, she was holding hands with...her boyfriend. It was a fail.

What’s the most surprising place you’ve hooked up with someone?

My apartment. But it was a loft, and my dad was sleeping around the corner. If you want to consider it gross, that’s fine. It also ultimately proved worthwhile—but some people would definitely find that gross.

Fill in the blank: "I love when my partner..."__

We’re big hand-holders. Physical affection is very nice to me; it doesn’t necessarily have to be sexual.

You have a full day to binge-watch whatever the hell you want: What do you pick?

I loved the first season of Fleabag, but haven't watched the new season. So I'd have to say Fleabag season two.

What’s the sexiest thing about yourself?

My feet. They’re nice, and I’ve never had any complaints about them from myself. It’s just like, "Hey, those are cool. Those are nice-looking feet."

What’s the weirdest thing you do in your alone time?

It’s not even in my alone time. I’ll reenact a conversation I've had or I would have, and I’ll be sort of mouthing the words. It's so embarrassing, but my wife always asks me about it and forces me to answer. I think the first time—it’s just such a convoluted and backward way to explain how I was doing this—but I was talking to a horse, like breaking a wild horse. My wife was like, "Who are you talking to right now?"

You stop by a convenience store on your way to a house party. What are you buying?

Fuck a convenience store—I guess I’ll buy gum for myself. But you know what's really appreciated and great? Bring a nice snack. Oh boy, people appreciate that. Bring a nice fucking watermelon salad. Or cheese and crackers. As I get older I’m fixated on bringing good food. It doesn’t have to be expensive necessarily, but have something good to eat if you want to be a good guest.

What’s your favorite movie or TV sex scene?

I don’t even feel comfortable saying it, because it’s so much stuff from my youth—and everyone’s so young in it now. If you could pin it to one particular scene, the most obvious one is Boogie Nights. It was a very sexy and very fantastic movie. It’s a masterpiece that retains its potency.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

I think Carrie Fisher. It’s very primal and probably problematic, but Carrie Fisher in a bikini as Jabba the Hutt’s slave. I think that awakened something in a lot of prepubescent boys. But it makes you think—she’s in a bikini, but she’s also in chains. [Laughs.]

You’re alone in bed: What are you thinking about?

Right now, every seven minutes I’m shocked anew at the fact that this moron is probably the most powerful man in the world. It continues to seem unreal. You like to think that there’s some order to the universe. Or if all else fails, there’s the Illuminati, or there’s somebody pulling the levers. And then it’s like, No, no.

What’s the most inappropriate thing a fan has said to you?

Nothing springs to mind in terms of wildly inappropriate. But my wife got [a letter] from this dude called the "Snowman" who’s in prison. He traced his hand in it, and it seemed kind of cool. That’s pretty genuine.

What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done?

It wasn’t so much the way in which I did it, but my wife and I got married quickly. We got engaged and married quickly, and that in itself felt very romantic.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Samantha Leach is the assistant culture editor at Glamour. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @_sleach.

Originally Appeared on Glamour