SHRINKING Creator Bill Lawrence Teases Character Details for Season 3 Newcomers Michael J. Fox and Jeff Daniels
Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso) is not only the creator of so many of our favorite TV shows, but he’s also the guy responsible for bringing beloved actor and five-time Emmy winner Michael J. Fox out of retirement.
Fox and Lawrence worked together on the hit series Spin City, and Fox left acting a while back as he dealt with Parkinson’s disease. But he’s back to work on Lawrence’s latest series, Shrinking, and the role will not only not require him to try and mask his symptoms, but it will embrace them.
In the show, the character Paul, played by Harrison Ford, is a therapist who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and he’s dealing with the life changes associated with the progressive neurological disorder. Details around Fox’s character have been sparse, but we know he will play someone who can seemingly help Paul on his journey.
Lawrence recently gave a few details on Fox’s return to acting, and also teased the season 3 addition of Emmy-winner Jeff Daniels, who will be playing the father of Jimmy, the character played by Jason Segel.
The showrunner told TVLine:
"Mike's just the best dude. He made the mistake of saying out loud in front of me at a social event over the summer that he kind of missed acting. Unsurprisingly, we live in a world dealing with Parkinson's, and for Mike to be able to play a full-fledged character with that condition, I just thought it was fascinating and super cool to watch. He still has ridiculous comic timing, and people will see that as soon as the trailer comes out."
The mostly retired Fox will appear in a multi-episode arc this season. Lawrence says Daniels’ character is another new addition who "definitely fits the theme" in Season 3. He'll pop up as Jimmy's dad, and it's safe to say their relationship is a bumpy one.
"I think the people that are fans of the show are savvy enough to realize that if Jimmy is so aggressively looking at Paul as a father figure, that his relationship with his own father is, at the very least, complicated."
The EP adds that Daniels' character is a charming father/grandfather we'd all love to have... "but there's always a story beneath that."
I am so looking forward to seeing this amazing cast get even better with the addition of Fox and Daniels. They are both among the best actors out there, and the series has so much heart that they will be able to add to.
Shrinking returns to Apple TV+ with season 3 on January 28th.