‘Shrinking’s’ Jason Segel on Harrison Ford: “I think he really enjoys yelling at me”

Shrinking is back. The first two episodes of the Apple TV+ series are out now, and fans will once again be able to enjoy the love/hate relationship between Jason Segel’s grieving therapist character, Jimmy, and Harrison Ford’s grumpy fellow therapist, Paul. 

Segel tells ABC Audio that while Jimmy may get under Paul’s skin, there’s much more to their relationship.

“I feel like a lot of Jimmy and Paul’s dynamic is Paul sort of berating and being frustrated by Jimmy and Jimmy intentionally, like a child, trying to irritate Paul,” he says. “It is a very paternal dynamic between those two.”

And it seems both stars enjoy that dynamic, with Jason sharing, “I really enjoy irritating Harrison, and I think he really enjoys yelling at me.”

But the off-screen relationship between Segel and Ford is completely different.

“We’re actually — off camera — super, super supportive of each other,” he says. “We have like a very tender relationship in that I think that both of us care really deeply about the work being good.”

While Shrinking is a comedy, there are certainly plenty of dramatic moments, although even when those are happening, Jason is looking for the laugh.

“Even when we are given dramatic scenes in Shrinking, I make a point of trying to find like, yeah, but where’s the clumsy part?” he says. “Where is the part where someone gets being mad wrong a little bit?” 

He explains, “You know, like, do you ever get your dad mad … and he gets too mad for the occasion? You know, like, ‘Oh, look at him go. He’s really mad about that sandwich,’ you know?”