Shrinking Cast (2023–present)
Apple TV+ | Comedy-Drama | 2+ Seasons | Created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel & Brett Goldstein
Shrinking is an Apple TV+ comedy-drama series that premiered in January 2023. It follows Jimmy Laird, a therapist paralysed by grief after the death of his wife, who begins ignoring his professional training and telling his patients exactly what he thinks — with unexpected, chaotic, and often heartwarming results. The series balances sharp comedic writing with genuine emotional depth, exploring themes of grief, mental health, friendship, and the complexities of growing older. Produced by the team behind Ted Lasso, it has become one of Apple TV+'s signature original hits.
The Shrinking cast is anchored by the unlikely but instantly compelling double act of Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, whose chemistry as mentor and mentee gives the show much of its emotional power. The wider Shrinking cast — including Jessica Williams as the quick-witted Gaby, Christa Miller as the no-nonsense neighbour Liz, and Lukita Maxwell as Jimmy's grieving teenage daughter Alice — creates a rich ensemble that allows the show to explore grief and growth from multiple perspectives. The inclusion of Harrison Ford, making his first regular television role, was a major coup that brought enormous critical and popular attention to the series from its debut.
Main Cast
Jason Segel
Jimmy Laird
A therapist who, still reeling from the death of his wife a year earlier, begins throwing out his professional rulebook and getting directly and bluntly involved in his patients' lives — often to everyone's surprise, including his own.
Harrison Ford
Dr. Paul Rhoades
Jimmy's older colleague and mentor, a distinguished therapist managing a Parkinson's diagnosis with gruff stoicism. Ford's performance, balancing dry wit with genuine vulnerability, was hailed as a late-career revelation and earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
Jessica Williams
Gaby
The third therapist in the practice, Gaby is Jimmy's closest colleague and one of his most important sources of support. Williams plays her with infectious energy and sharp comedic timing, making Gaby one of the series' fan-favourite characters.
Christa Miller
Liz
Jimmy's neighbour and longtime family friend, a blunt, fiercely loyal woman who has been looking after Alice in Jimmy's absence. Miller, a veteran of Bill Lawrence shows including Scrubs and Cougar Town, brings expert comic timing to the role.
Michael Urie
Brian
Jimmy's best friend and Liz's husband, a lawyer navigating his own professional and personal frustrations. Urie's natural warmth and precise comic instincts make Brian one of the ensemble's most likable presences.
Lukita Maxwell
Alice Laird
Jimmy's teenage daughter, who has been coping with her mother's death largely on her own while her father was lost in his own grief. Maxwell portrays Alice's fragile resilience with impressive subtlety for a young performer.
Luke Tennie
Sean
A troubled young veteran who becomes one of Jimmy's most unconventional patients and eventually a presence in the household, representing the show's exploration of how people rebuild after trauma.
Ted McGinley
Derek
Liz's husband and Brian's father, a cheerful, uncomplicated presence in the neighbourhood who provides warm comedic counterbalance to the more emotionally complex characters around him.
Wendie Malick
Julie
A recurring figure in Paul's life whose relationship with him develops across the series. Malick, known for Just Shoot Me! and Hot in Cleveland, brings seasoned comic and dramatic skills to the role.
Supporting & Recurring Cast
| Actor | Character | Role | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ted McGinley | Derek | Liz's husband; neighbourly presence providing comic relief in the ensemble | 1–2 |
| Wendie Malick | Julie | Appears in Paul's storyline; an important figure in his personal life outside the practice | 1–2 |
| Luke Tennie | Sean | Veteran patient who becomes part of the extended family; a major recurring presence | 1–2 |
| Brett Goldstein | Guest appearances | Co-creator and Ted Lasso alumnus who makes cameo and guest appearances in the series | Selected episodes |
Creators & Production
Bill Lawrence
Co-Creator & Showrunner — Lawrence is one of the most experienced comedy showrunners in American television, having created Scrubs (2001–2010) and co-created Ted Lasso (2020–2023). His signature blend of broad comedy and genuine emotional depth defines the tone of Shrinking.
Jason Segel
Co-Creator & Lead Actor — Segel, best known for How I Met Your Mother and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, co-created the show and plays its lead character. The series allowed him to return to television comedy while exploring heavier emotional themes than his earlier work.
Brett Goldstein
Co-Creator — Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent in Ted Lasso and won multiple Emmy Awards for that role, co-created Shrinking alongside Lawrence and Segel, drawing on his experience building emotionally rich comic ensembles.
Warner Bros. Television / Doozer Productions
Production Company — The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television in association with Doozer Productions, the company co-owned by Bill Lawrence and his wife Christa Miller, for Apple TV+.
Apple TV+
Network — Shrinking streams exclusively on Apple TV+ and has become one of the platform's most-watched and critically celebrated original series, alongside Severance, Ted Lasso, and Slow Horses.
About the Shrinking Cast
The headline casting achievement for Shrinking was convincing Harrison Ford to take on his first regular television role at the age of 80. Ford, whose career spans five decades and includes Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Blade Runner, had long avoided television commitments in favour of film work. His decision to join Shrinking was reportedly driven by the strength of the scripts and by his personal friendship with Bill Lawrence. His portrayal of Paul — a character simultaneously distant and deeply caring, irascible and kind — subverted his iconic screen image in the best possible way, and the response from critics and audiences made his casting one of the talking points of the 2023 television season. He received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in Season 1.
The rest of the Shrinking cast was assembled with similar care. Jason Segel's return to television comedy was widely celebrated; his performance as the chaotic, well-meaning Jimmy gave him a vehicle for both broad physical comedy and quietly devastating emotional moments. Jessica Williams, previously best known for The Daily Show and Fantastic Beasts, established herself as a major comedic force in her own right through her work as Gaby. Christa Miller — a veteran of Bill Lawrence productions going back to Scrubs — brings a lived-in quality to Liz that makes her feel like a fully realised person rather than a comic-relief neighbour. Collectively, the Shrinking cast creates one of the warmest and most emotionally generous ensembles in recent American television.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Shrinking?
Shrinking stars Jason Segel as Jimmy Laird, a grieving therapist who starts breaking the rules of his profession, and Harrison Ford as Dr. Paul Rhoades, his mentor and colleague living with Parkinson's disease. Jessica Williams plays fellow therapist Gaby, and Christa Miller plays Jimmy's neighbour Liz.
Who plays Dr. Paul Rhoades in Shrinking?
Harrison Ford plays Dr. Paul Rhoades, a veteran therapist and Jimmy's mentor who is navigating life with a Parkinson's diagnosis. Ford's performance, combining gruffness with unexpected warmth, earned widespread critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination.
Who created Shrinking?
Shrinking was created by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso), Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein (who also plays Roy Kent in Ted Lasso). The show was produced for Apple TV+ and premiered in January 2023.
How many seasons of Shrinking are there?
Shrinking has aired two seasons on Apple TV+. Season 1 premiered in January 2023 and Season 2 followed in October 2024. The show has been renewed and continues to be one of Apple TV+'s most popular original comedies.
Is Shrinking connected to Ted Lasso?
Shrinking shares creators with Ted Lasso — Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein both worked on Ted Lasso — and both shows air on Apple TV+. They are separate stories with no shared characters, but they share a tone of warmth, humour, and emotional honesty.
How we build these cast lists
For background on how Cast.biz compiles and orders cast credits, see understanding billing order, how TV show casts are built, and our glossary of cast credits.