Shrinking is the new jewel created by the mind of Bill Lawrence who has already designed Scrubs and one of the best series on Apple TV+, Ted Lasso. As he has done before, even in this new show he has managed to give life to a story capable of making people laugh but also touching the heart. In these weeks the first episodes of Shrinking which are achieving some success. At the center of this new dramedy is a psychotherapist named Jimmy, who tries to recover from the abyss he fell into after the death of his wife. To play the protagonist is Jason Segelthe unforgettable Marshall of How I Met Your Mother. The added value of this series, however, is Harrison Fordwho is proving to be perfectly capable of stepping into a comedic role.
But how did the creators manage to get him to join the cast of Shrinking?
Jason Segel, Brett Goldstein e Bill Lawrence have given a long interview to The Hollywood Reporter in which they revealed all the secrets of the new Apple TV + TV series. On this occasion they also talked about the process behind the casting of Harrison Ford as the reserved and grouchy Paul. Bill Lawrence he said that, when writing the character, he thought the star of Indiana Jones was perfect to play him. He then decided to contact the actor’s agents to offer him the role, even though he was pretty sure he wouldn’t accept it. Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel also confirmed that neither of them really believed that Harrison Ford would respond to their offer:
Brett Goldstein: “I think it was some kind of joke. Something like, ‘Obviously we’re not looking for Harrison Ford, but someone like Harrison Ford.’ Jason Segel: “Yeah, you offer that to someone like Harrison Ford, so for a week you can say out loud, ‘Oh, we’re considering Harrison Ford‘. And then you will go to the really accessible person. Then Brett (Goldstein) took it seriously.”
At some point though Brett Goldstein received a call from Harrison Ford himself who contacted him because he wanted to meet him. When she met him, she found that Harrison Ford was enthusiastic about Shrinking and that he absolutely wanted to be a part of it. Goldstein further said that the star of Indiana Jones he immediately set about putting his experience at the service of the story and giving life to a credible interpretation. Rather than thinking how she could shine brighter, Harrison Ford he cared about doing a good job. Here’s what he said Brett Goldstein:
“I was in London and he was filming Indiana Jones, and all of a sudden I find a missed call, ‘Hey, it’s Harrison Ford’. I was like: ‘What the f***o is happening?’ I went to his house to discuss it. AND the discussion was very, very fast because he wanted to do it. I thought I was there to convince him. (…) And when I met him, he had thoughts about what he wanted his character to be like and he wanted to talk about all the things that pertain to his life about him. She said: ‘I see this and this is what I would like to bring to the series.’ She wasn’t just thinking ‘How do I shine?’”
