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Harrison Ford, celebrated for his numerous iconic roles, recently revealed that his latest character in the series Shrinking is his most cherished yet.
At an Apple TV event in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the 83-year-old star of Indiana Jones fame discussed his portrayal of Paul, a gruff therapist dealing with Parkinson’s Disease. The character reluctantly mentors younger therapists, including Jimmy, played by Jason Segel, and Gabby, portrayed by Jessica Williams. Ford shared that his character was inspired by Bill Lawrence’s mentor, Michael J. Fox, whom he worked with on Spin City. Ford expressed pride in concluding his career with this significant role.
“If my career ended here, I’d be satisfied,” Ford remarked to the audience during a panel with his Shrinking co-stars. “This experience has been incredibly special, providing me with a sense of purpose and value in our work.”
Discussing the challenge of depicting a character with Parkinson’s, particularly with Michael J. Fox appearing in the first episode of Season 3, Ford expressed deep gratitude to the show’s creators and producers, Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein.
“It was intimidating because I’m portraying a character with Parkinson’s, while Michael lives with it,” Ford explained. He sees the role of Paul as an opportunity to explore a character with profound emotional depth and to raise awareness about a significant issue.
“I look for that in my life, and I’m glad I found it here,” Ford said of Shrinking. “This is very special for me.”
It’s special on many fronts, as Ford received his first-ever Primetime Emmy nomination in 2025 for playing Paul in the therapy-centric series. Better yet, he was nominated alongside Segel, Jessica Williams, and Michael Urie, making the project as award-worthy as it is moving.
As for welcoming Fox to set for Season 3, DECIDER recently spoke with Christa Miller — the actress who plays Liz, Jimmy’s outspoken and commanding neighbor — who said that getting the Back to the Future star to appear as a patient inside Paul’s doctor’s office.
“I just want to I want to tell you this. There is no one better. Michael J. Fox has the best timing of any comedic actor that I’ve ever worked with,” Miller said. “I couldn’t jam myself into scenes with him, as much as I tried this season.”
Given that (SPOILER ALERT) we find out later in the Season 3 opener that Paul is hallucinating the appearance of Fox’s character, here’s hoping we may see him in more episodes.
Shrinking Season 3 Episode 1 is now streaming on Apple TV. New episodes release on Wednesdays.
Apple TV comes with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers and has just one ad-free streaming plan available for $13.99/month.