Garden State Residents May Recognize a lot of the Locations in Netflix's 'Big Mistakes'

For Big Mistakes co-lead Taylor Ortega, filming in her home state was a "surreal" experience. The Cranbury, N.J.-born actor said she "never thought" that she'd "be returning home for such a major project and moment in [her] life."

The comedy series, which was co-created, written, executive-produced, and stars Emmy winner Dan Levy, features numerous filming locations throughout New Jersey.

The streaming giant writes that the shoot took 46 days to complete with a total cast and crew of approximately 300 people. A grand total of over 500 vendors were also involved in the project, and over 40 separate locations were nailed down, with a majority of them taking place in the Northeastern state.

Big Mistakes location manager Mia Thompson said that filming in New Jersey was a delightful experience. "I've really enjoyed shooting in New Jersey. We have quite a number of recurring locations that have all just been wonderful," she said. "Not only the home owners, but the business owners, the towns, the local police, the local fire departments, the town clerks. It's been a really great experience."

One such venue is central N.J. hardware store Edison Millwork & Hardware, which is a family-owned operation that's been in business for over five decades. The real-life location is the backdrop for Morelli's Hardware in the series, which is run by Nicky and Morgan's mother, Linda (played by Laurie Metcalf).

Mia said that the space is "one of the few mom and pop hardware stores that are left anywhere, really, so it was really great to find this location that fits very perfectly with our story."

In the series, Nicky plays a gay pastor, which meant that the Big Mistakes production crew needed a church to shoot multiple scenes at.

Thompson said that Wyoming Presbyterian Church was a joy to film in and that the crew got a lot of mileage out of it for the series. "We've utilized every inch of space of that church inside and out. They've enjoyed the experience just as much as we have," she said.

The show's cast and crew also went to the Crystal Inn in Eatontown, which isn't too far from the massive Fort Monmouth studio space Netflix is building, which is set to be fully operational come 2028. Filming also took place at Essex County Airport, which primarily sees private and corporate jets fly in and out of.

The Deerfield School, Fosterfield's Living Historical Farm, Springfield's Municipal building, and Hatfield Swamp all provided real-world settings for Big Mistakes. Thanks to the diverse variety of filming options, Mia Thompson said that getting all the looks needed for the series was possible in N.J.

And there were a ton of different cities and towns the Big Mistakes team visited during their month and a half of filming. Caldwell, Cranford, Franklin Lakes, Irvington, Jersey City, Union, Warren, and Weehawken were all featured in the show. Thompson praised the assortment of settings in the state.

"One thing about New Jersey is that it's so diverse. The various neighborhoods offer different kinds of looks and aesthetics. You have everything that you could ask for," she stated. Big Mistakes is one of several Netflix productions filmed in the Garden State. Other titles include 72 Hours, Here Comes the Flood, Little Brother, The Whisper Man, Roommates, Office Romance, and Rabbit, Rabbit.