The 2 Gen-X Heartthrobs That Are Back On TV And Cuter Than Ever

Other generations may borrow them, but they belong to us.

By
Published January 10, 2025
gif of adam brody and joshua jackson, teen crushes, actors
AARP (Getty Images 4; Everette Collection 2)

I have always been a fan of TV shows centered around groups of high school friends. One of my favorite teen dramas was a Fox program that premiered in 2003 called The O.C.

The premise: Troubled teenager Ryan is taken in by his lawyer’s family. He becomes entwined with the wealthy high schoolers in the upper-class neighborhood of Orange County, California.

Included in this friend group is the lawyer's son, Seth Cohen, played by Adam Brody (who was 23 when the show premiered). While the character of Ryan was written as the stereotypical broody hot guy (think 90210's Dylan McKay), Seth was kind of the opposite: nerdy, neurotic and a bit sarcastic.

The Los Angeles Times described Seth as "TV's sexiest geek.” He was the nice guy, the one who usually doesn't get the girl, but in this case, he did. He fell in love with cool girl Summer (Rachel Bilson), who he married in the series finale and audiences fell in love with him. My friend Andrea and I both had such crushes on him.

Realizing Andrea’s feelings were more intense than mine, I relented that she could “have” him. In fact, I bought her a custom shirt embroidered with "Mrs. Seth Brody” for Christmas one year.

Until recently, I hadn’t thought about that show in a really long time. But all my memories came flooding back when I saw promos for Netflix's series, Nobody Wants This. The leading male in this delightful new romcom is none other than Adam Brody.

Now 45 years old, he's back and just as endearing as ever, playing Rabbi Noah Broklov. Once again, he’s the nice guy, and audiences are falling for him just as they did over two decades ago.

As Emily Bernstein posted on X, "Adam Brody's rizz [as in charisma] in this show is off the charts. It’s like Seth Cohen grew a beard and realized how fine he was and sent an entire generation of O.C. girls into heat.”

But Brody isn't the only old heartthrob back on our screens. In 1998, Dawson's Creek premiered and ran for six seasons. This teen drama focused on the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts.

One of the main characters was named Pacey Witter. The role was played by Joshua Jackson, then 18 years old. When audiences were first introduced to Pacey, he was a 15-year-old underachiever, a bit of a bad boy with a difficult relationship with his parents.

“It may have been Dawson's name in the title, but it was Pacey who stole the show because of Jackson,” according to an October 2024 article in The Daily Beast. In the series, Pacey had a lot of ups and downs, but ultimately, the bad boy grew into a good man who wound up getting the girl (Joey).

Jackson, 46, is now starring as Dr. Max Bankman in the new hit show Doctor Odyssey (on ABC and Hulu). It’s a cross between The Love Boat and House, mixed with some Grey's Anatomy. Think solving medical mysteries while engaging in romantic encounters, all on the high seas.

I have yet to tune in, but the commercials intrigue me. I was always on Team Pacey when I watched Dawson's Creek, so it’s worth watching just to spend time with Jackson again.

Being a TV heartthrob isn't easy. Staying one is even harder. Both Brody and Jackson were able to do this in their 20s and lightning is striking again in their 40s. It’s not just fans from their O.C. and Dawson days who are taking notice.

My 26-year-old daughter watched Nobody Wants This before I did. When she commented on how charming Adam Brody is, I wanted to shout, "Hands off, he's ours!"

Jamie B. Golden said it perfectly on X when she posted photos of Brody and Jackson with the caption, "I hate to generationsplain, but these two are Gen X. You’re welcome to borrow them, but they must be returned to our shelf.”

https://x.com/emilybern/status/1840493957857599703?mx=2

Have you watched the above shows? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Randi Mazzella is a freelance writer and journalist. Her work has appeared in numerous online and print publications The Washington Post, Next Avenue, Your Teen for Parents, SheKnows and New Jersey Family. She writes about a wide range of topics including parenting, mental health, wellness, pop-culture, teens, finance and midlife issues. She is a wife and mother of three children who inspire her every day. To read more of her work, go to randimazzella.com.