Bill Lawrence shares how Harrison Ford agreed to star in Apple TV+’s upcoming Shrinking. Lawrence — best known for his work on Scrubs and Ted Lasso — co-created the show alongside collaborator Brett Goldstein and How I Met Your Mother’s Jason Segel, all of whom also serve as its primary writers. The comedy series’ first teaser was released in November 2022; the season will consist of ten episodes, with the first two episodes premiering on January 27.
Lawrence reveals to TVInsider how Ford, who portrays Dr. Paul Rhodes, hilariously agreed to join the Shrinking cast. Lawrence admits that he thought Ford would turn him down, but offered the role to him anyway. Notably his first venture into a comedy TV show, Ford complimented the script and asked if he would be in the “second one more.” Lawrence then replied that he could be in it as “much as [he wants].” Check out Lawrence’s account of the story below:
Ford: “Hey, this is a really good script. Will I be in the second one more?”
Lawrence: “You can be in it as much as you want.”
Ford: “Who else is in it?”
Lawrence: “I’ll have Jason Segel call you.”
Ford: “Who’s Jason Segel?”
Lawrence: “Uh, I’ll send you some movies first.”
What To Expect From Shrinking
Goldstein commented on Ford’s performance as well, adding that it came naturally to him and that he was “f***ing funny.” The show continues the 80-year-old actor’s recent hot streak, with his run on the hit series 1923 and anticipated return in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Ford and Jessica Williams, who portrays Gaby, are part of the main trio, led by Segel’s Jimmy Laird. The ensemble is rounded out by Christa Miller, Michael Urie, Lilan Bowden, and Tilky Jones. James Ponsoldt, who previously collaborated with Segel in 2015’s The End of the Tour, directed the season. Shrinking is a joint production between Doozer Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
The story centers around Jimmy’s grief for his late wife and his new identity as a single father. Deciding to take his therapeutic practices in a different direction, Jimmy decides to tell clients exactly what he is thinking in order to help himself cope. Fellow therapists Paul and Gaby support Jimmy inside and outside of work, but he fails to remember that they too have their own struggles. The grief and trauma that Lawrence, Segel, and Goldstein personally experienced inspired the contents of the story. In addition to all going through therapy themselves, they use humor as a mechanism to deal with pain. With the three recognized for their creative abilities in shaping unique characters and mixing comedy with poignancy, viewers can similarly expect that Shrinking will follow suit.
Though not the first show to revolve around therapists, Shrinking seeks to be distinct in highlighting their own humanity and messiness as they give guidance to their clients for similar matters. A full trailer has yet to be released, leaving still much to the imagination, especially with a teaser that shares no dialogue. Nonetheless, Shrinking has all the elements necessary for success, with a promising premise, talent on-camera and behind-the-scenes — and the one and only Harrison Ford.
Source: TVInsider