Season 3 of Shrinking wrapped earlier on the 2026 TV schedule, and now, the cast and crew are hard at work on Season 4. Apple TV renewed the comedy in January, and the upcoming season is confirmed to include a new story with the same cast and some fresh faces as well. Karen Gillan is among the new cast members, and she shared a seven-word message for fans from the set.

It was announced in May that Gillan would be joining the cast of Shrinking in a recurring role. At the time, her character was being kept under wraps, and it’s still unclear who she is playing. There have been some guesses, such as a therapist, a patient, or yet another love interest for Jason Segel’s Jimmy. However, nothing is confirmed. Speaking of Segel, though, it seems that the Doctor Who actress shares scenes with him, as she posted an image and sweet message from the set on her Instagram Stories:

Well, knowing that Gillan is having a blast and sitting next to Segel makes me very excited to see what they're creating. While I hate not knowing who she's playing, this update is lovely and only heightens my anticipation for Season 4.

Now, speaking about what we actually know about the upcoming episodes, it's been confirmed that there will be a time jump. We also know the entire regular cast will be back. So, I'm looking forward to seeing where we pick up, how the dynamics have changed between the characters, and how Gillan's character will shake things up.

Since Shrinking’s third season wrapped up the storylines pretty nicely, I’ve been a bit confused about where the show will go from here. However, considering the quality of the first three seasons and the top-tier talent they enlist on this show year-after-year, I'm sure the writers have cooked up something special.

Now, because Shrinking’s third season only ended in April, it might be a while until a premiere date for Season 4 is announced. However, since filming is happening right now, fans can hopefully expect some more fun BTS content from Gillan and the rest of the cast.

While we wait for that, though, Gillan has some other work we should get excited about. For example, she's set to star in Jumanji: Open World later this year, which will mark her third outing at Ruby Roundhouse. She is also attached to the new Highlander reboot, where she'll work alongside Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Dave Bautista, and Jeremy Irons.

So, there's a lot to be excited for. However, I'm the most excited to see Karen Gillan on Shrinking. And you better believe I'll be ready to use my Apple TV subscription when Season 4 premieres.

Spoilers for Over Your Dead Body are ahead! Read with caution, and catch the thrilling dark comedy in theaters now.

Over Your Dead Body is visceral and meta. It’s a movie about a director named Dan and an actress named Lisa who are married and have devised plots to kill each other. I say it’s meta because throughout this wild and violent flick, there are multiple references to making movies, one hilarious cameo regarding a movie within the movie and a conversation about fighting to keep certain moments in a film. So, I asked Jorma Taccone, the director of this 2026 movie schedule entry, which scene he had to fight to keep in. It turned out to be one gnarly no-pants scene involving Jason Segel.

So, in this dark comedy, we follow this couple played by Jason Segel and Samara Weaving during a weekend where they’ve decided to kill each other. However, things go aggressively south when it’s revealed that a trio of criminals played by Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis and Keith Jardine has been staying in this house too. These three ultimately tie up the couple, and during one very intense scene involving a sex game and Segel’s Dan wearing no pants, Olyphant’s Pete realizes he knows Dan’s work, and they have a conversation about not letting producers take scenes out of movies.

That’s what inspired me to ask Taccone about scenes he had to fight to keep in this movie, and he responded by saying that this exact moment was the answer to my question:

Now, Over Your Dead Body’s reviews have cited its violence and high level of gore, and I’d say this scene plays into that. It’s visceral and disturbing because these criminals are trying to force Dan to have sex with one of them as a game, and it culminates in him being held down against a pool table with no pants on. Things don’t go further than that because they have a conversation about a movie Dan directed instead.

It serves as a turning point, and it helps break Dan all the way down. He’s at his rock bottom here, and by doing this, it puts him in a place to work back up again, as The Lonely Island member put it:

Well, it certainly worked. I haven’t been able to get the scene out of my head since I saw the movie, because it’s so gnarly and surprising. But it turns out, not a lot of people wanted this moment in the movie because of its intensity. However, the director and Segel fought to keep it in, as Jorma Taccone explained:

The director went on to tell me that overall, while there were conversations about this scene, there wasn’t really anything in this movie written by Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher that was “a huge fight to get.” Overall, it sounds like everyone was “very encouraging” of the big swings this project takes.

Now, to see these swings in question, and to see the scene that both inspired this question and was the answer to it, you can catch Over Your Dead Body in theaters now.

Major spoilers for Over Your Dead Body are ahead! Read with caution, and see the movie in theaters now.

While reviews for Over Your Dead Body highlight the 2026 movie schedule entry’s gore, the thriller is also an incredible comedy. It’s funny up until the very end, too, thanks to one brilliant cameo. So, when I spoke to the film’s director, Jorma Taccone, and its star, Jason Segel, I had to ask about who they hired for this moment, and they told me why he was perfect.

So, let me break this cameo down for you. Over Your Dead Body is about a married actor and director who decide to kill each other during a weekend trip, but it all goes horribly wrong. In the end, the couple played by Samara Weaving and Jason Segel both survive it all, and they decide to capitalize on their story by making a movie. In this film that ends the film, Weaving’s character Lisa plays herself. Meanwhile, Segel’s Dan is directing, and the actor playing him is none other than Kumail Nanjiani.

Obviously, I had to ask why the comedian was the perfect person to play Jason Segel’s character in this movie within a movie, and in response, Segel told me:

Now, Over Your Dead Body was written by Pizza Movie’s Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher, and it’s an adaptation of the 2021 Norwegian film, The Trip. So, it certainly was meta to put a movie within this adaptation of a movie that tells this story again in movie form.

It becomes funnier when you consider the fact that both Segel and Nanjiani are both actors who came up working on some of TV's best comedies and have cemented themselves as both television and movie stars.

This is also a hilarious moment thanks to Kumail Nanjiani’s ripped physique. He’s maintained it since getting fit for The Eternals, and that’s part of the reason why Jorma Taccone called him for this new movie, as the director explained:

It is quite funny to see Nanjiani burst into the frame and rip his shirt off. Obviously, he and Jason Segel look nothing alike, which makes it silly that he’s playing him, but the Big Sick star’s physique makes it even funnier.

According to Taccone, it was also hilarious because this character is “self-effacing,” and Nanjiani himself is like that in real life, too. Along with that, the director also viewed this as a funny and massive win for both the comedian and the movie:

It is so amusing, and it was a fantastic surprise to end a movie that was already full of shocks.

Throughout the film, there are quite a few jokes about movie-making because Dan and Lisa are a director and actress, and this final sequence felt like such a perfect way to wrap it all up. It was a homage to how meta this movie already was, and it left me laughing about this wild story was long after the credits rolled.

There have been several TV shows and movies released this year that have explored the darker side of swearing to spend your life with another human, in sickness and in health and all of that. We’ve gotten Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, The Drama and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, to name a few, and now we can add Over Your Dead Body. Jason Segel and Samara Weaving play a couple who each plan to use their weekend getaway as an opportunity to off their spouse. Over Your Dead Body reviews are in, and they’re painting quite the bloody picture.

Samara Weaving is a modern-day scream queen, so this “deliciously gory” offering is to be expected from her. However, it’s a bit of a turn for director Jorma Taccone (MacGruber and The Lonely Island’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping), as well as for Jason Segel (Shrinking, The Muppets). Angie Han of THR says it works, though, with most of the violence landing in “comically cartoonish” territory, rather than “horrific.” Han says:

Sarah Campbell of Nerdist agrees, saying Samara Weaving and Jason Segel play well off of each other for a “funny, bitingly gory” good time. Her review of Over Your Dead Body says it’s a pretty intense ride with sarcastic one-liners delivered with expert comedic timing from both leads being one of its strengths. Another, Campbell continues, is:

In terms of how gory it gets, Zachary Lee of The Wrap says it may be easier to name the body parts that aren’t dismembered, shot off or stabbed. The fun stalls in the middle, but Over Your Dead Body is still very much worth the watch, Lee says, writing:

Meanwhile, Katie Rife of IndieWire gives it a C, saying the violence — including that “plastic baggie full of fingers” — is not comedic so much as “numbingly mean-spirited.” Jason Segel and Samara Weaving are mismatched, she says, in this “depressing story about hateful people reveling in each other’s pain.” Rife writes:

Jacob Oller of AV Club also thinks the movie mostly misses the mark. The “sprawling gnarliness” of Dan and Lisa’s marital mess gets away from the director, Oller says, as he grades the movie a C in his review. The critic writes:

The Over Your Dead Body reviews are mostly positive, and not just the ones excerpted above. The movie holds a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, so this might be one to check out in theaters, as it was released on Friday, April 24. Jorma Taccone and Jason Segel’s comedic backgrounds signal that there are apparently plenty of laughs to be had, but be warned, this one also comes with a healthy dose of gore. And a baggie of fingers, apparently.

The end of Shrinking Season 3 was a definitive conclusion to a big chapter. In a lot of ways, it felt like a series finale. However, it wasn’t, as the Apple TV series will continue beyond the 2026 TV schedule. So, now I'm wondering exactly how long the comedy will go on after Season 4. Well, co-creator Bill Lawrence shared his thoughts on the matter.

It’s been common knowledge for a while that the first three seasons of this great Apple TV series would tell one complete story. That’s exactly what we got, too, and Season 3 ended with an episode that felt like it could have been the end. However, Shrinking will very much continue into a Season 4 with the “exact” same cast we’ve come to know and love. So, with that in mind, is there a new multi-season plan in place? While speaking with TV Line, Bill Lawrence opened up about the show's future, saying:

Shrinking has been one of my favorite shows for years, so I’m more than willing to hang out with Jimmy, Paul, Gaby and co. for as long as they’ll have me. However, I also love a plan and never want a series to overstay its welcome. So, this update from Lawrence makes me very happy.

It would seem that after Season 4 of Shrinking, there will be more. So, it’s likely that we’ll get a Season 5. After that, things are a little more unclear; however, the co-creator did say that the series will probably not go on past Season 6 at the most.

Now, while I have no clue what story they’ll tell in Seasons 4, 5 and potentially 6, Season 3’s end left us with some loose ends I hope they address.

*Here’s your spoiler warning if you haven’t seen the Season 3 finale of Shrinking yet. You can watch it now with an Apple TV subscription. *

For example, Jessica Williams’ Gaby got engaged, and I’d love to see her wedding on screen. I also think her being married would be a fascinating storyline to explore, as she also makes a huge career pivot.

Along with that, Christa Miller’s Liz and Ted McGinley’s Derek will be grandparents soon, and I need to see that happen. Meanwhile, Brian (Michael Urie) and Charlie (Devin Kawaoka) will be raising their little one, Sutton. Jason Segel’s Jimmy will also be entering a new phase of life (potentially with Cobie Smulders' Sofi) now that his daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) is an adult. So, there’s lots to unpack there.

I’m also curious to see how Harrison Ford’s Paul comes back into the picture after his big move across the country. Plus, since he retired, both Gaby and Jimmy’s jobs are bound to change.

All this is to say, I can see how it’d be easy to keep Shrinking going for a few more seasons. And it sounds like that’s exactly what the plan is; after Season 4, they will likely do at least one more installment. However, it’s always possible it could go on a bit longer, too. As they say, “it’s not over until it’s over.”

Major, and I mean MAJOR, spoilers for Shrinking Season 3 are ahead! You can stream the show in its entirety with an Apple TV subscription.

Shrinking Season 3 marked the end of an era for the great Apple TV show. However, the story is by no means over. Co-creator Bill Lawrence made it clear there’s a plan for Season 4 that will see the “exact” same gang back together. Although I still have questions about what will happen next on the acclaimed comedy. So, I asked those questions to Alice actress Lukita Maxwell and Cobie Smulders, who plays Sofi.

How Will Paul And Alice Come Back?

Considering it’s been common knowledge for a while now that the Shrinking team had a plan to keep the story going after Season 3, the major developments and moves for a few characters left me with one massive question: How will they come back? I’m specifically referring to the fact that Paul and Alice both moved across the country at the end of the show’s junior installment. We know for a fact that Harrison Ford will be back as Paul, and Lukita Maxwell will return as Jimmy’s (Jason Segel) daughter; however, it’s unclear how exactly that will happen.

So, while discussing the season that just ended on the 2026 TV schedule, I asked Maxwell about this as well as her hopes for these two characters. Here’s what she told me:

“We’ll see,” indeed. At the end of Season 3, Paul had moved to Connecticut to be closer to his daughter, while Alice moved east for college.

I guess it's possible for Paul and his family to move back West. He could also come back for a temporary period to be near Jimmy and Gaby (Jessica Williams) to help with their career moves. Meanwhile, Alice could always transfer schools, or, as Maxwell guessed, maybe she's pulled in an entirely new direction. The possibilities are vast, so it was nice to hear the actress talk about what she thinks might happen.

Co-creator Bill Lawrence wouldn’t confirm how exactly these characters will be reunited with the rest of the cast or if there will be a time jump. However, during an interview with THR, he did say whatever happens next will “feel like [they’re] telling a completely different story.” I’d assume that how Alice and Paul find their way back into the picture will play a part in that.

How Did Jimmy And Sofi’s Date Go?

Now, Season 3 of Shrinking literally ends with Paul setting up a date for Jimmy and Sofi. However, while we get to see them smiling at each other, we don’t actually know how it goes. So, when I spoke to Cobie Smulders about Jimmy and Sofi’s romance, I asked her how she thinks that breakfast went. Here’s what she had to say:

Well, I know I certainly want them to get back together. So, I'm hopeful that this date, which likely was awkward, was a step in the right direction.

Along with chatting about how the date went, I also asked Smulders for her take on who set it up. I was curious about the importance of Paul doing this for Jimmy, and Smulders’ response highlighted that while reiterating the theme of Season 3, moving forward:

Overall, this final scene felt like Jimmy truly moving onwards and upwards. Now, it’s time to start something new.

Thankfully, that new story will include all the characters we already know and love. However, they’ll be at different places, literally and figuratively in life, and hopefully Season 4 will answer the questions we have about that.

Spoilers for Season 3 of Shrinking are ahead! Read with caution, and make sure to stream the series with an Apple TV subscription.

It’s been known for a while now that while Shrinking’s three-season arc is coming to an end, there is also a plan to keep the story going. That was confirmed when it was renewed for Season 4. However, with Season 3 winding down on the 2026 TV schedule, I’ve been wondering how they plan to do that and who they plan to involve in it. Specifically, there’s one character who I’ve been worried about, because it seems like their story is being set up to fully end. Well, co-creator Bill Lawrence just shared an update about the show’s senior season that has me feeling much better about said character.

As I’m sure you can guess, the character I’m worried about is Paul. Harrison Ford’s therapist has been dealing with his worsening Parkinson’s in a big way this season, and now, he’s given his practice to Gaby, he’s retiring, and he’s moving to Connecticut. Obviously, with one episode left, it’s possible that we could find out how Paul stays in the picture. However, it’s not looking great right now. But then Bill Lawrence got on X (formerly Twitter) and posted:

The emphasis on the “EXACT” makes me feel great. While Brian is going to Tennessee with Charlie and their baby, Sutton, Liz and Derek are going on a trip before they officially become grandparents, and Alice is going to college, I had faith they’d all be back. I was significantly more worried about Paul.

To be frank, and I know this is extreme, I’ve been concerned about him dying for a while now. Paul’s Parkinson’s is getting bad, and it’s not like he’s young. Seeing his health troubles as well as his retirement has left me with big questions about where the story would take him next. Now, we know it’s to Connecticut. Which leaves me with the question: Will he come back?

I genuinely don’t know the answer. However, Lawrence’s post gives me confidence that Harrison Ford will continue to play a major role in Shrinking.

To me, “EXACT same cast” means we’ll still have Jason Segel (Jimmy), Jessica Williams (Gaby), Christa Miller (Liz), Ted McGinley (Derek), Luke Tennie (Sean), Lukita Maxwell (Alice), Michael Urie (Brian) AND Harrison Ford as our regulars. So, hopefully, that means we’ll continue to get Paul’s gruff quips and sage advice regularly on Shrinking.

However, I’m getting ahead of myself here. Shrinking Season 3, which is the end of an era, isn’t over; it will conclude next Wednesday, April 8. But, more is 100% coming, and according to Bill Lawrence, whatever we see next will feature “the EXACT same cast” and a “new” story.

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 3, Episode 8 are ahead! You can stream it with an Apple TV subscription and catch new episodes on Wednesdays.

Jimmy and Sofi’s first date may not have gone well, but they certainly proved that they can be great for each other. In the eighth episode of Shrinking to air on the 2026 TV schedule, Jason Segel’s character went over to Cobie Smulders’ character’s house for a date, but it ended with him Jimmy-ing Sofi and her ex-husband. However, they also have a heartwarming conversation about once-in-a-lifetime love. So, I asked the Sofi actress why these two characters could be meant for each other.

In the episode, Jimmy mentioned his late wife, Tia, and Sofi sweetly noted how that “kind of love is once in a lifetime.” In response, Jimmy said that’s “maybe” true; however, he also said, “sure hope not, though.” I’ve always had the same feeling for Jimmy, especially when it comes to Sofi. In a lot of ways, it feels like they’re made for each other. So, I asked Smulders why that’s the case and why these two could potentially be “once-in-a-lifetime.” In response, she said:

Even though they’ve both been through loss, as Jimmy’s wife died and Sofi separated from her now ex-husband, they both have optimistic outlooks on life and love. I think that’s one of the reasons why they are so drawn together.

They also have a shared sense of humor, and when you mix all that, you get an undeniable “magic” chemistry. We can credit Segel and Smulders’ history together on How I Met Your Mother for part of that; however, these characters have also been crafted in ways that make them very open and romantic.

Along with all that, the Sofi actress told me that both her character and Jimmy are very “straightforward.” They don’t really hold back with each other, and they keep it very real. That shared way of communication bodes well for them, too, as Cobie Smulders explained:

You can feel that energy at the end of Episode 8, specifically. Jimmy and Sofi’s date ultimately did not go very well. He also got to know her ex very fast, as well as her son. That’s a lot to take in all at once, especially at the start of a relationship. However, after the day was over, Sofi asked for a redo, they admitted what happened that day, and they moved forward (which is a key theme of this season).

With that kind of mentality, I do think that these two could be once-in-a-lifetime, and I’ve always had a feeling that they are meant for each other. However, theory and practice are two different things. So, to see if Jimmy and Sofi have what it takes to make it together on Shrinking, make sure to tune in for new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV.

If you want to talk about inspired casting, look no further than Shrinking bringing on Cobie Smulders to play Jason Segel’s love interest. The two have a long and rich history together, seeing as they played friends on How I Met Your Mother for nine seasons. Now, they’re exploring their chemistry in a totally new way in Season 3 of Shrinking as Jimmy and Sofi, and Smulders told me why the “magic” between them worked again.

In the past, Jason Segel has said that his chemistry with Smulders is impacted greatly by their history on How I Met Your Mother. He explained that the “magic trick” of Jimmy and Sofi’s relationship is that it feels like they’re “meant for each other” even though they “just met” because the actors playing them have known each other for 20 years. When I interviewed Smulders, I brought up these comments and asked what it was like for her to play Segel’s love interest after they played Robin and Marshall for so long. In response, she said:

You can tell these two have a lot of fun together, too. I mean, if you watched this week’s episode, “I Will Be Grape,” with an Apple TV+ subscription, you got to see that. At this point in Season 3 of Shrinking, Jimmy and Sofi’s relationship is starting to flourish as she met his family and friends on Tia’s birthday. So, it’s been lovely to see Smulders and Segel really capitalize on their history and chemistry.

Speaking about their genuine admiration for each other and what it’s like to see that captured on camera, the How I Met Your Mother actress told me:

Ultimately, Smulders was simply thrilled to be asked to do Shrinking. It was for two great reasons, too. Obviously, she was excited to work with her long-time co-star again. However, she also noted how much she loves the writing of this comedy, explaining:

You can feel that positive energy on screen, too. As Jimmy and Sofi’s relationship has grown, it really has felt like a genuine and deep love was forming. That magic is thanks, in part, to the two actors’ history together.

Now, to see how Jimmy and Sofi’s story continues, and to keep watching these two How I Met Your Mother actors having fun on a new show together, Shrinking will continue to drop new episodes on the 2026 TV schedule every Wednesday on Apple TV.

Minor spoilers for Shrinking Season 3, Episode 5 are ahead! Read with caution, and stream the comedy with an Apple TV subscription.

You know, I never thought I’d experience Michael Urie and Jason Segel passionately singing Les Misérables, and I really never thought I’d see Harrison Ford reacting to it. However, that’s the goodness the latest episode of Shrinking to air on the 2026 TV schedule gave us. The scene gets even better, though, after you learn the story behind filming it and how the Paul actor totally stole the show from the two men who were doing the singing.

So, in Episode 5, Brian (Urie) and Jimmy (Segel) take Paul (Ford) to pick up his daughter, Meg (Lily Rabe). The stipulation Brian set to go along, though, was that he got to pick the music. That led to him and Jimmy giving a passionate cover of “The Confrontation” from Les Misérables, which the two actors were more than prepared to do, as Urie told me:

Meanwhile, while Urie and Segel were ready to sing their hearts out from the jump, Harrison Ford had absolutely no idea what was coming his way. So, both Paul and the actor who plays him were reacting to this incredibly committed cover of “The Confrontation.” Speaking to that point, the 2025 Emmy nominee said:

Urie went on to explain that this was a special day of filming, because it's not every day you get to drive around Pasadena, California in an open-top car with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford. However, while he is thankful for the opportunity to ask the Indiana Jones star questions he was “too nervous” to before, what he’ll remember most from this experience is seeing the Paul actor react to the singing from the back seat.

Describing the first time he watched the scene after receiving the dailies for it, Urie told me that he and Segel were “acting [their] socks off” and “going to town” to play Valjean and Javert. Meanwhile, Ford sat silently in the back. However, he was doing more than that, as the Ugly Betty actor told me:

Listen, Harrison Ford got an Emmy nomination for playing Paul for a reason. While he can make us cry with his Shrinking monologues, he can also make us laugh until our sides hurt. This scene was an example of the latter, because his reactions mixed with Urie and Segel’s intense singing made for an absolutely perfect bit.

Explaining that further, as well as what he’s learned from Ford while working on Shrinking, Urie told me:

And he did. His reactions are top-tier, and his single line of “Did you guys make that up” brings the scene home. Truly, there have been some very funny moments in Shrinking that involve singing, and this has easily become one of the best.

Now, to watch these comedic actors at work, and to see if there are more hilarious moments like this one, make sure to watch new episodes of Shrinking every Wednesday on Apple TV.

The first month of 2026 comes to an end this week, and it’s been a month of great streaming movies and an even better month for great streaming TV. Still, some top streamers have been holding onto the best for last, as two highly anticipated series and more get underway this week. Here’s what to look forward to steaming this week.

Wonder Man - January 27 (Disney+)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is already set to have a big year with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday, but it will get off to a much smaller start, if you have a Disney+ subscription, with Wonder Man. If nothing else, the show should be entertaining for the return of Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, but the show might also be important to the larger franchise. We shall see.

School Spirits, Season 3 - January 28 (Paramount+)

The third season of School Spirits may receive something of a boost, considering that Milo Manheim was recently tapped to play Flynn Rider in Disney’s live-action Tangled. If you haven’t watched until now, your Paramount+ subscription will get you the first two seasons of the afterlife mystery series to catch up on before Season 3 arrives this week.

The Wrecking Crew - January 28 (Prime Video)

It seems terribly wrong that a buddy cop movie with Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa is a thing we’re somehow only getting now. The pair play brothers who are both cops, one by the book, the other not so much. It feels like the setup for a perfectly enjoyable action comedy at the very least and perhaps something truly great. If nothing else, it’s a good reason to have a Prime Video subscription.

Shrinking, Season 3 - January 28 (Apple TV)

Shrinking has always been one of the best reasons to have an Apple TV subscription, but Season 3 has a really big reason to watch, as it will see the return of Michael J. Fox to television. Fox, alongside the likes of Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, makes this a must-watch show.

Bridgerton, Season 4 Part 1 - January 29 (Netflix)

One of the best reasons to keep your Netflix subscription finally returns this week when the new season of Bridgerton debuts. Romance fans will likely be glued to their screens as they binge through the first part of the brand new season, which will focus on Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and his quest for a good match. The rest of the season drops at the end of February.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You - January 30 (HBO Max)

It’s the perfect week for indie darling If I Had Legs I’d Kick You to become available with an HBO Max subscription, considering that star Rose Byrne just secured a Best Actress nomination at this year's Oscars. If you missed the movie in theaters, now is the perfect time to check it out.

February has some incredible content in store for us. Next month, Disney+ will bring us the return of The Muppet Show, while Hulu brings us the long-awaited return of Scrubs, and that’s just the beginning.

Jason Segel has never been afraid to be the butt of the joke, but even he didn’t anticipate how one of his boldest on-screen choices would land at home. The actor recently revisited the now-legendary moment from one of the best comedies of the 2000s, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, when he appeared in full-frontal nudity. What he expected to be a harmless prank on his parents turned into something far more awkward.

While talking with Hot Ones host Sean Evans, Segel explained that he thought surprising his parents at the film’s premiere with his nudity would be hilarious. Instead, his mom’s reaction caught him entirely off guard, and her response ended up being just as memorable as the scene itself. He revealed:

Forgetting Sarah Marshall centers on Peter Bretter (Segel), a TV music composer who tries to heal a brutal breakup by escaping to Hawaii, only to find his ex, TV star Sarah Marshall (played by Kristen Bell in one of her best roles), vacationing at the same resort with her flashy new rock star boyfriend. Equal parts painfully awkward and surprisingly heartfelt, the film balances big laughs with genuine post-breakup clarity about moving on and growing up.

Segel’s prank on his parents feels like a setup to a joke that sounds better in your head than it plays out in real life. He described sitting in his usual spot, wedged between his parents, as the movie rolled on. When the infamous scene approached, the star of The Muppets (streaming with a Disney+ subscription) knew exactly what was coming and braced himself for laughter. What he got instead was something quite different:

The moment didn’t end at the theater. Later that night, the How I Met Your Mother veteran star said his mom, determined to head off any family gossip, sent out a carefully worded email. He continued:

A walkout during a movie is awkward under any circumstances. When it’s your own mother standing up and leaving the theater, that sting might linger a bit longer. Still, parental disapproval aside, Forgetting Sarah Marshall has endured as one of Segel’s most iconic projects.

With some distance from the moment, the Freaks and Geeks breakout can laugh about it now, even if it was deeply uncomfortable at the time. Segel has also been clear over the years that the nudity was never meant to be a cheap gag. In his view, the scene worked because it was vulnerable, awkward, and honest, even if it horrified his mom in the process. The moment has since become inseparable from the film’s legacy, and as his mother so brilliantly pointed out, “essential to the plot.”

Jason Segel’s latest project is Shrinking, which is heading into its third season. The Emmy-nominated comedy returns Wednesday, January 28, 2026, and will stream for everyone with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Season 3 of Shrinking premieres on the 2026 TV schedule on January 28, which means reviews are rolling in. In one particular reaction to the new season of the Apple TV comedy, a critic claimed that this might be a good time for the show to say goodbye. However, it would seem the cast isn’t ready to do that quite yet based on one actor’s comment on this review.

A Review About Shrinking Season 3 Claimed It ‘Should End Here’

First of all, let me make one thing very clear: Collider’s review of Shrinking Season 3 is glowing. Meredith Loftus noted that the series continues to show Harrison Ford’s brilliance as Paul, and capitalized on the chemistry between Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders, among other things. However, she also wrote that this chapter could make for a great end:

The review goes on to explain that if this is indeed the end, it’s a great one. Noting that it leaves “it all out there in humorous and poignant fashion,” this critic made her love for the new episodes obvious while also explaining why now might be the time for a curtain call.

Now, the question is: Is the cast ready for that?

How Luke Tennie Responded To This Review

Now, when the outlet posted this review on Instagram with the headline “One of Apple TV’s Best, Most Heartfelt Comedy Series Should End Here,” Luke Tennie took notice. Tennie has played Sean on Shrinking since day one; he’s returning for Season 3, and in the comments of the review, he made it clear that he’s not ready to be done with his program:

I think I agree with him. While I am a proponent of shows knowing when to end and saying goodbye before they overstay their welcome, I have confidence in Shrinking’s future.

It’s been made abundantly clear on multiple occasions that Season 3 serves as the ending of this chapter we’ve been in since Season 1. However, it is by no means the end.

In fact, last year, Jason Segel said he’d be “surprised” if the upcoming season was their final. While he said the future of Shrinking wasn’t confirmed, he also explained that he thinks it could go on, and noted that the “stories haven’t run dry,” meaning they have ideas for how to move the comedy forward.

Co-creator Bill Lawrence also said “there’s always more story to tell” with Shrinking. While the first three seasons were always intended to track the full arc of “grief, forgiveness and moving forward,” he also said that there’s “more pathos” to explore.

So, clearly, the cast wants to keep working on Shrinking, and the future of this great Apple TV series is something that’s been thought about. Therefore, I’d be more than happy if Season 4 happens. However, we have to see Season 3 for ourselves first, and you’ll be able to do just that with an Apple TV subscription starting on January 28.

Ever since we heard Michael J. Fox had joined the cast of Shrinking, we’ve been looking forward to the actor’s first return to acting since 2020’s The Good Fight. As the season premiere is on the 2026 TV schedule, what better way to prepare than hearing Jason Segel share one pinch-me moment he had with the Back To The Future star on set.

Anyone who grew up in the 1980s has the right to fanboy over Michael J. Fox, and Segel was born at the start of the decade right in the sweet spot to idolize Marty McFly. Here’s what the Shrinking star shared about one standout moment getting to share air with the Back to the Future legend that lives rent free in his head:

Have you heard about the crazy story behind Michael J. Fox shooting Back To The Future? Well, the 23-year-old was plucked by Bob Zemeckis to play the role, replacing the original actor Eric Stoltz after six weeks of filming. At the time, McFly was also filming Family Ties, and under contract, so he ended up doing both at the same time. In Fox’s recent account of the production of the movie in Future Boy, he got honest about barely getting sleep while playing both characters in a move that he’s pretty certain wouldn’t be allowed today.

However, for someone like Jason Segel, who was once on How I Met Your Mother and making movies like Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You, Man or The Muppets at the same time, he looked up to Fox’s work ethic for his own motivation to “pull it off too.” You have to wonder how the pair of actors bonded about trying to make it in Hollywood and what war stories they swapped on the set of Shrinking.

From what we know about Season 3, Fox’s character will cross paths with Harrison Ford’s Dr. Paul Rhoades, who’s been dealing with Parkinson’s disease, early in the season and appears in multiple episodes. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991, and has been a vocal advocate for research with The Michael J. Fox Foundation since 2000. Ford has previously called Fox an “essential” addition to Shrinking Season 3.

The new season of Shrinking premieres on January 28, with new episodes premiering on Wednesdays. You can watch the series with an AppleTV+ subscription.

Jason Segel has had what could be called a storied career – going from his time as a teenager on the cancelled-too-soon series Freaks And Geeks, to shepherding the Muppets back to the big screen, to earning tremendous acclaim for his work on Apple TV+'s Shrinking – but (somewhat ironically) I will never forget Forgetting Sarah Marshall and it's magical third act featuring "A Taste For Love." The Dracula-centric puppet rock opera is a perfectly weird and lovely way to end the super funny and poignant movie about romance... and I'm dumbstruck and awed having just learned that there are occasionally secret performances of the show in Los Angeles.

Revelation of these stagings comes from Segel himself, who recently discussed the under-the-radar work in an interview with Variety. The multi-hyphenate was asked if there had been any forward momentum toward adapting A Taste For Love as a feature, and while he apparently didn't answer that question directly, he did note that he has been active with the whole concept in recent years. Said the actor/filmmaker,

For those of you who have memories of the 2008 movie that have become a bit fuzzy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall stars Jason Segel as Peter Bretter – a TV show composer who feels his professional work has become stagnated while he maintains aspirations of performing a Dracula rock opera he has long been developing. Following a inspirational-albeit-complicated romantic encounter during a Hawaiian vacation to get over his ex, he manages to readjust his priorities, and after a down period, he is able to finish A Taste For Love and starts putting on performances at a local playhouse.

Needless to say, it would be amazing to get to actually see A Taste For Love in person... but I suppose it's a bummer that I have absolutely no idea how I might go about achieving that particular goal. I do have an advantage in the fact that I live in Los Angeles, so it's not as though I would even have to travel for the show, but not having access to information regarding the "when" and a more specific "where" is really a dead end.

If you now find yourself thinking, "Hey, I'd really like to rewatch Forgetting Sarah Marshall," the good news is that doing so is very easy in the internet age. If you have a Hulu subscription with the Cinemax add-on, you can start streaming it right now, and your other digital option is purchasing or renting it from any major online retailer. If you're a physical media collector, patience is still the name of the game if you're hoping to get a 4K UHD copy of the film, but it's presently widely available and inexpensive on Blu-ray.

One of the reasons why Shrinking is one of Apple TV+’s best shows is that it masterfully balances drama and comedy. In the series, they deal with incredibly deep topics in thoughtful ways while also cracking jokes left and right. Now, they’ve proven they can balance the emotional and hilarious behind the scenes too, thanks to Harrison Ford’s Season 3 wrap speech that was sentimental until he threw some light-hearted shade at Jason Segel.

In true Jimmy and Paul fashion, Jason Segel and Harrison Ford had a simultaneously sweet and hilarious moment together to celebrate the fact that Season 3 of Shrinking had wrapped. As you can see in the video below, the Indiana Jones actor gave a thoughtful and candid speech about how much he loved working on the show, which was quickly followed by him taking a jab at his co-star. Take a look:

Alright, let’s break this down. For starters, Ford was out here trying to make me weep like he did with his speech during the Season 2 finale. His thoughtful comments about ending Season 3 and wanting to make more Shrinking were so heartwarming, and it’s evident how much this show means to him. So, yeah, when he said the following words, I wanted to tear up:

What sweet words from the first-time and well-deserved Emmy nominee. Like Paul on Shrinking, Harrison Ford can be intimidating and definitely has his sassy moments. However, based on his co-star’s comments about him, the texts he sent Jessica Williams and Michael Urie about their 2025 Emmy nominations and this video, he clearly cares so much and has a heart of gold.

However, his snarky side came out when Jason Segel responded to his little speech. The conversation went like this:

• Jason Segel: Yeah, buddy.
• Harrison Ford: I wasn’t talking to you.

And then, as you saw in the video, Ford yanked his jacket off his co-star’s finger and stormed off. It’s honestly comedy gold.

It also perfectly encapsulates why Jimmy and Paul are such a good duo on-screen. They love and care for each other so much; however, Paul also can’t help but shade and occasionally torment Jimmy (like he did in that canoe). But don't worry, Jimmy knows how to throw it right back.

It would seem Ford and Segel are capable of doing that to each other in real life, too, and I genuinely love to see it.

Now, the wait is really on for Shrinking Season 3. And I’m feeling optimistic about getting it on the 2025 TV schedule because we now know they’re done filming, and the first two seasons premiered in 2023 and 2024. So, I can’t wait to see what they have in store, and clearly they feel the same way and want to make more. So, let’s keep this heartfelt and hilarious show on the road.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still thinking about Harrison Ford’s emotional speech from the Season 2 finale of Shrinking. It’s one of the show’s most vulnerable moments (which is saying a lot, because the series is full of them), and it’s an epic display of the legendary actor’s talents. So, it’s not hard for me to understand why two of the show's stars, Jason Segel and Jessica Williams, said this moment left the entire cast “weeping.”

While I’m so excited for Season 3 of Shrinking and desperate to know what happens next, some moments from Season 2 hit me so hard they’re still with me. One of those instances (which you can stream with an Apple TV+ subscription) was Paul’s Thanksgiving speech. During it, he addresses his morality, how his Parkinson’s will continue to impact him, and the love he has for everyone in that room.

Hearing him say “I’m leaning on you” and so vulnerably opening up about the challenges ahead was deeply impactful and tear-jerking. During an interview with EW, Jimmy actor, Jason Segel, explained why, saying:

Jessica Williams went on to say that witnessing Ford perform this scene was “the best acting” she’d “ever seen in person.”

Both these points go along with what Michael Urie, who plays Brian, told me back when the finale aired. He explained that while Ford shows “no signs of slowing down,” “there’s an inevitability” that one day, everyone has to slow down and eventually stop.

That’s not an easy idea to comprehend, and it’s even scarier to think about when you are faced with it head-on. In the show, Paul is doing just that, because of his Parkinson’s. Season 2 showed him struggling to find the best way to take his medicine as he dealt with the physical challenges of the disease. In Season 3, it will likely impact him more, and that’s really emotional.

However, his strength is also inspiring. To that point, showrunner Bill Lawrence once said that Michael J. Fox (who will be in Season 3) informed how Parkinson’s was represented on the show, because they wanted to create "hopefully an inspiring" story for Paul, rather than a “sad or tragic” one.

Now, back to that scene, the Gaby actress reiterated that it was “a weeping sitch,” and after filming it, she was outside taking a moment when the Indiana Jones star came up to support her. Williams said:

In the scene, Paul makes a point that “we can get through anything if we have people to lean on.” The way Ford reacted to Williams right after that proves that point, and further exemplifies why this moment was so emotional.

Along with all of that, Segel noted that this scene probably gave the 1923 actor the chance to show off a part of his talent that he “never got to show” before. Shrinking does mark a big shift in Ford's filmography, as it was the first series he’d ever been a regular on. It’s also tonally so different than the action films we know and love him for.

So, seeing him perform in this way is also a reason to get emotional, because we really are watching a master at work.

All around, this moment proved why Shrinking is one of Apple TV+’s best shows and why Harrison Ford is so brilliant. There wasn’t a dry eye on set as he performed, and I have to assume viewers had a very similar response because I know I did.

Hollywood can be a cutthroat place where authors and movie fans alike often take jabs at those involved in the creation of a film. Some of those barbs really do stick out to the living, breathing people occupying space in the movie business, and that’s even true when it comes to a-list actors. Jason Segel can clearly remember the weight jabs made when he gained a bit of tonnage while filming a flick.

During a recent round-table, the comedic actor opened up about the “wildest” thing he’d read about himself. While his Freaks and Geeks co-star Seth Rogen joked it was someone calling him “Too Tall Segel” (the actor is allegedly 6’4”), the insult that actually has stuck with the actor the longest has to do with his girth and not his height. He spoke with THR, Rogen and other a-listers about getting ripped into for weight gain.

[SEGEL: "I wish! I did a movie in New Orleans, and I’d eaten a lot during this movie and gained a bunch of weight, and the review, which was a very nice review, said, 'Jason Segel, an actor on the verge of a Gerard Depardieu-style expansion.'”

ROGEN: "You fought that off nicely. Maybe that’s what you needed."

SEGEL: "A wake-up call. (Laughter)" ]

Segel doesn’t mention the movie in question, but I can confirm it's Jeff, Who Lives At Home, a Duplass Brothers mumblecore drama that has him playing an unemployed stoner living in a basement. The movie shot in New Orleans well over a decade ago at this point, and from the sounds of these latest quotes, the weight gain may have been unintentional. I did trace Segel's comment back to the original source critic who insulted him and confirmed it was this film, so at least the weight gain did fit with the character he was playing in the film.

It's not like he was getting jacked to play a Marvel hero and went full fat Thor instead or anything. I do think though that it is good to hear from celebrities about moments that stood out for them in the public eye. It does feel like fans and even movie critics live in a microcosm sometimes and feel empowered to say whatever they want about actors in ways that can be notable, or even hurtful.

Regardless, those actors are real people, and they do sometimes read or hear the mean-spirited comments that have been made about them. This has even prompted people like Jamie Foxx to speak out about issues with being a public facing person in the new era of social media, with the actor calling it "dangerous." It's not all bad news, as Ben Stiller enjoys interacting with fans, and even Monica Barbaro has spoken about being lured back to social thanks to kind exchanges. But the bad comments can still linger.

Even for Jeff, Who Lives at Home, one critical comment may have stood out, but actual reviews of that movie also refer to "Segel’s teddy bear sweetness" and a "solid performance from Jason Segel," so it's clear most people were into what he was trying at the time.

These days, Segel is looking relatively trim whilst appearing in Shrinking and those with an Apple TV+ subscription doubtless have little to complain about when it comes to his appearance. Hopefully, he'll have no Gerard Depardieu-esque comments in his future, but if you're thinking about becoming a keyboard warrior, consider this your warning.

Shrinking Season 3 is currently in production, and the stars have been hinting at what’s to come as we wait to learn more about some exciting cast announcements. For example, along with Michael J. Fox joining the Apple TV+ comedy, Jeff Daniels has been added to the cast to play Jason Segel’s on-screen dad. Now, the Jimmy actor has opened up about why casting the Dumb and Dumber star in this role was “perfect.”

While we still have tons of questions about Season 3 regarding who Fox will play, if Cobie Smulders will come back, and the impact Daniels’ character will make, Segel opened up a bit about what’s to come. Speaking with Variety about all three topics, I was particularly interested in the How I Met Your Mother star’s comments about the actor playing Jimmy’s dad, as he said:

This quote tells me two reasons why Daniels was “perfect casting” here.

First of all, there’s no denying that fact that him and Segel do resemble each other. They’re both tall guys who have a similar energy, and now that I know they also share mannerisms, I can’t picture anyone better to play Jimmy’s dad.

Along with that, the Shrinking co-creator revealed a bit about his character’s relationship with his father, which I think Daniels will play really well.

One of Shrinking’s biggest strengths is its ability to balance comedy and drama. Jason Segel is particularly good at juggling the two tones, and I have a feeling Daniels will be too, which will serve their story well.

Based on The Muppets star’s comments, this “complicated” relationship Jimmy has with his father could be the cause of major drama. The fact that he searches for validation through Paul tells me that Segel’s character might not have received that kind of support from his own dad. Therefore, it seems like we could see their potentially fraught relationship on screen, which means both men’s dramatic chops will be on display.

However, let us not forget, Shrinking is a comedy. It’s really funny, and even if Jimmy and his dad have a complicated relationship, I’m positive there will be lots of room for jokes.

And we know Jeff Daniels can pull off both tones immaculately. From his comedic roles in films like Dumb and Dumber to his more dramatic parts in shows like The Newsroom, he’s proven his range over and over again, and I think it’s safe to say he’s a perfect fit for Shrinking.

So, between Daniels and Segel sharing looks and mannerisms alongside their shared skills as performers, I think they’ll make an excellent father-son duo, and I can’t wait to see them share the screen in this upcoming Apple TV+ show.

With every show you love, a question always looms about when it will end. Some series wind up prematurely on the list of shows canceled in 2025, for example, while others intentionally come to an end. In the case of Shrinking, Season 3 will come out sometime in the near-ish future (they’re filming it right now), and many are wondering whether it will go on from there. Now, Jason Segel has addressed the upcoming Apple TV+ show’s future.

In the past, co-creator Bill Lawrence has said that there was a three-season plan for Shrinking, which Vulture’s Jesse David Fox mentioned on the Good One podcast. He then asked Segel if Season 3 felt like a final season. In response, the actor and co-creator of what I would consider one of Apple TV+’s best shows said:

At the end of 2024, around the time Shrinking’s Season 2 finale dropped, the LA Times asked Bill Lawrence if he could “see the show going beyond” Season 3. In response, the showrunner explained that “this story is over in three seasons,” noting that people might not be thrilled if the show’s continued primary focus was on Jimmy grieving his wife and trying to parent his daughter.

However, he also said that with Season 3, they are “putting Easter eggs in it” that will hint at the potential story for Season 4.

So, all of that information plays right into the point Jason Segel made here. While one chapter is coming to a close, they don’t think the show is ending, as the Jimmy actor explained:

Now, I’m an optimistic person, so as I read this, it makes me very hopeful that Shrinking will go on well beyond Season 3. It seems like Segel and co. want to keep telling this story, especially since they’d start a new chapter of it with Season 4.

Obviously, the former How I Met Your Mother cast member is aware that the show could get canceled at any time. However, right now, it seems like the end isn’t in immediate sight:

This is the kind of mentality I love to see. Yes, Shrinking was one of my favorite shows of 2024, and it is one of my favorite comedies ever. So, I’d love to see it go on forever. However, I also appreciate a project that knows when to end. The last thing I want is the show to overstay its welcome and tell a story that isn’t as good as the ones we’ve gotten so far.

It seems like Jason Segel has that mentality, too, so I think it’s safe to assume that we’ll be able to use an Apple TV+ subscription to stream more than three seasons of Shrinking as long as the team behind it wants to keep making it (and it seems like they do).

I’d imagine pitching a project to Harrison Ford would be incredibly intimidating, especially if you are proposing something that's unlike anything the actor has done before, like Shrinking. Well, Brett Goldstein had to do just that; he had to try and convince the Indiana Jones actor to do the now-great Apple TV+ show. However, according to Ford, the Ted Lasso actor “blew” that pitch. It’s not for a bad reason, though; it’s actually for a pretty incredible one.

If you are a fan of Shrinking, you might be aware of the fact that co-creators Jason Segel, Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence offered the role of Paul to Harrison Ford, but they expected him to say no. During this time, the Roy Kent actor was sent to pitch the series to the Star Wars star. However, according to Ford, the pitch wasn’t necessary, as he said during a panel posted by reelrejects on TikTok:

So, Goldstein “blew” it, because Harrison Ford already wanted to do the series. That’s pretty incredible, right?

It only got better when the Emmy winner added some context to the story. He said he had a whole game plan prepared, but that went out the window basically as soon as his now co-star answered the door:

I wouldn’t know what to say next, either. So I totally understand where Brett Goldstein was coming from. Even though he didn’t need to really pitch the show to Ford, they did have a nice meal and a good chat, as the Blade Runner actor continued the conversation by saying:

He went on to explain that he’s “so honored” to be part of the Shrinking cast and surrounded by creatives like Goldstein, Jason Segel and more. So, it’s clear that that quick yes paid off big time for everyone involved. In fact, Ford loves working on this show a whole lot, and went as far as to say during a Paley Center panel last year that he’s “never felt as comfortable” or as confident in both himself and his co-stars as he has working on this series.

However, there’s a bit more to this story that the 1923 actor didn’t mention. According to Bill Lawrence, when they sent him the pilot, Ford asked if he was going to get more screentime than he initially had. The Scrubs creator said if he did it, of course, he would.

Along with that, since Jason Segel leads the show, the Paul actor rewatched Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Then when asked what he thought of the movie, he told a producer of Shrinking that Segel had a “nice penis.”

So, all around, this tale of casting Harrison Ford is hilarious and wonderful. Even though Brett Goldstein didn’t know what to say during his pitch, his colleague's mind was already made up.

Now, we’re on our way toward Shrinking Season 3, which only makes this story better. So, while we wait for that, you can go back and see what came after that fateful meeting between Harrison Ford and Brett Goldstein by streaming the first two seasons with an Apple TV+ subscription.

On the last season of Shrinking, we got a lovely How I Met Your Mother reunion as Cobie Smulders joined the cast to play Sofi, a woman selling her car to Jason Segel’s Jimmy. Immediately, they had a fun a flirty vibe that I loved (even though I had a hard time forgetting the played platonic friends on the CBS sitcom), and I’d love to see more. Now, it’s been confirmed that will happen, and the actor sweetly explained why HIMYM helped create magic between them on this marvelous Apple TV+ show.

After Liz actress Christa Miller said she got to work with Smulders on Season 3 of Shrinking, which does confirm her return, Jason Segel explained why Jimmy with Sofi work so well. Starting with a brief history lesson about How I Met Your Mother (via a TikTok posted by hopesloopentertainment), he said:

Well, work with her, he did! In Season 2, Episode 10 of Shrinking (which you can watch with an Apple TV+ subscription), Smulders was introduced as Sofi. Like Jimmy, Sofi had lost her partner. However, Jimmy is a widower while Sofi is divorced. They joked about these losses, and they very clearly had remarkable chemistry.

Segel explained that chemistry is there because the characters feel like they’ve known each other for years, when in reality, they just met. I totally agree with that; it felt like Jimmy and Sofi had already known each other, and they immediately clicked. And we can thank How I Met Your Mother for that, as the Marshall actor explained:

While Robin and Marshall were never romantically involved, they were friends, and Smulders and Segel worked together on How I Met Your Mother for nine seasons during formative years of their lives.

Now, they’re taking that real-life and on-screen friendship and turning it into something more on Shrinking, as Jason Segel explained:

Now, we know Smulders will be back for the upcoming season of the Apple TV+ show, and I can’t wait to see how this relationship develops. They really seemed to have a good thing going, and Segel said Season 3’s theme is “moving forward” while talking about Sofi’s potential return. Plus, with their How I Met Your Mother history, we know the chemistry is there in dividends.

So, let’s explore all this further! I need to see more!

When people bring up Jason Segel projects today, many are likely talking about his current Apple TV+ hit Shrinking (which is about to head into Season 3). However, the A-lister had already fallen under the category of successful actors who are also hit screenwriters in the late 2000s and early 2010s thanks to hits like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Muppets. On top of those successes, he, of course, starred in How I Met Your Mother (streaming with a Netflix subscription) as well. Now, the actor is opening up about that specific chapter of his career and how hard it was to juggle so many projects at once.

The actor and writer joined THR’s Awards Chatter podcast to discuss Shrinking (which you can stream with an Apple TV+ subscription) and the many highlights of his career. This included a conversation about working on one of the best sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother, and other film projects simultaneously. When asked about why he committed to continuing the heavy-duty schedule, he had a positive and realistic perspective, explaining:

The Freaks and Geeks alum was working on so much throughout HIMYM's run. Knowing now, with a fully formed brain, how much time he clocked throughout those years is bonkers. Though it’s some of the period’s best offerings, so I do get why he went all in.

Even with the success he found from writing and starring in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the 45-year-old shared the realizations that came with it. The public approval was a green light to explore writing more, which he and his friends valued highly. However, it also meant he had to balance work on many projects at the same time. Segel shared:

His first entry as a writer turned out to be one of the 2000s’ best movies, and after that, he was off to the races. Which, again, brought on many intricacies he maneuvered throughout HIMYM and future flicks.

Segel explained the typical schedule he kept for just under a decade, and as busy as he was, he loved the ride. Eventually, around the back half, he found himself slowing down and losing interest in the 365-grind. In his words:

Woof. What a whirlwind! Although the rollercoaster period does sound enthralling, especially since he did make Marshall, The Muppets and 5 Year Engagement during it, I’m just glad he realized when it was time for him to hop off the track before it became too much.

These days, Segel is still working hard, but he's just not working as much. At the moment, he's currently in production on Shrinking Season 3, which will hopefully premiere on the 2025 TV schedule. He's also part of the film The Trip, which is a remake of a 2021 Norwegian thriller. So, he's still on the TV and film grind. However, hopefully, his current workload is not as tiring as the How I Met Your Mother days.

Alright, so…Severance is great and well-written and deserving of praise and all, but you guys do realize that Apple TV+ has a lot of other amazing shows as well, right?

In this world dominated by the best streaming services, there are just SO many amazing TV shows that we have to keep up with. Whether we’re waiting for the final season of Stranger Things on Netflix or pacing in our kitchens as we impatiently anticipate the arrival of The Bear Season 4, there are so many great TV shows to look forward to, for both Innies and Outies.

But it feels like most TV shows on Apple TV+ have flown under the radar, with Severance being one easy exception during its Season 2 run. However, as a personal connoisseur of the best Apple TV+ shows, there is one other series on the platform that I really wish would get as much love as Severance – and it’s not the other standout exception Ted Lasso. Hear me out.

Both Of Severance’s Seasons Have Been Amazing

Before I get into making non-Severance suggestions, though, I want to give Dan Erickson's twisty mystery its deserved flowers.

I would never be the person who'd try to preach that Severance is not that great, because I think Severance is one of those shows that really only comes around once in a lifetime. Where every time a new episode dropped, it felt like the entire world stopped revolving until fans finished watching, with each new detail sparking intriguing and often outlandish theories and conversations.

When I caught up on Severance, I was a part of the party, and every week, I was into it. While I was legitimately still crying about the Severance Season 2 finale a week after it aired, it’s one of those shows that I know I’ll be back for when Severance Season 3 comes around.

However, there’s one other show on Apple TV+ that I really wish got as much love as this series – and it’ll make you feel all the feels.

But I Really Wish That Shrinking Got The Same Amount Of Love

Is Shrinking the same as Severance? No, not in any way, shape or form. But the amount of love, time, and effort poured into it is still very much there, and you can tell from the first minutes of the pilot.

I’ll give you a quick premise for those who don’t know what Shrinking is about. The series stars Jason Segel, famous for his starring role in the How I Met Your Mother cast, and he plays a therapist named Jimmy. He lost his wife in a car accident a little while ago and is dealing with his issues, as well as trying to raise his teenage daughter and still working as a therapist.

To start coping, he begins telling his therapists how he really feels about their issues – and begins doing quite unhealthy and unconventional ways to help them grow from their problems that slowly start to help him. But life obviously gets in the way, and things happen that turn his life upside down.

If you’re someone like me who has dealt with mental health issues in the past, this is the kind of show for you. It is handled in a delicate manner that is somehow both respectful and funny, and that is a hard thing to do when it comes to comedy.

But let’s get into other reasons as to why you should check out this show.

It Has Heart, Comedy, And A Great Cast

First off, this show has a heart—a lot of it. I don’t think another show has made me cry this much in every single episode since This Is Us, and that's saying something because I am a crier.

Every episode feels like a new connection that you not only make with the characters but within yourself. You start to realize things that you might not have focused on before, just from a little show about a therapist – and you really feel for these characters and what they go through.

But just because this show has heart, it doesn’t mean it’s not funny – and it is. I mean, the series comes from one of the same people who created Ted Lasso – Bill Lawrence – so you know it’ll be funny. But the other co-creators? Jason Segel is a part of that team, and Ted Lasso cast member Brett Goldstein actually has a crazy important role in Season 2, but I’m not going to spoil that.

This show is funny. There are moments where I actively snorted out my drink or food or whatever I was ingesting into my body when I watched it. It made my sides hurt from the laughter that poured from my lips over and over again. It made me cry tears of joy—that later turned into weepy sobs because, yet again, it hit hard at home, and it’s because of this incredible cast.

And my god, the Shrinking cast is incredible. Aside from lead Jason Segel, you have the legendary Harrison Ford as a main character, Jimmy’s co-worker, Dr. Paul Rhodes, who has Parkinson’s disease. Aside from him, you have an incredible slew of characters played by actors who genuinely care about the work and devote so much of who they are to each episode.

In every single episode, you will find someone new to attach to, love, cherish, and adore because that’s what this show is – it makes you care.

It’s Really Helped Me Deal With Problems In Real Life

While I wouldn’t say that Shrinking is as good as a therapist—and I am not giving any advice on that matter because I am not a professional—I will say that it’s made me rethink a couple of things in my life.

The way the story is delivered really gets into your personal mind and makes you think about times in your life when you could have approached a problem or situation from a different standpoint or perspective. And now, because of this show, I really do actively think about a lot of the things I do and how they affect others.

Literally, I just started to smile more at people and try to step out of my comfort zone and do things I wouldn’t normally do. I think this series is a big reason why I started doing that. And I genuinely can’t thank it enough. There’s just something about it that makes it feel so…familiar to me, like a family member who’s come to visit after a year away, and we sit down for a half hour-to-fourty-five minute long conversation each week a new episode airs.

It’s special…and it’s helped me. And that’s really what makes this show so amazing.

Look, is Shrinking the kind of show where we are all going to be theorizing each week like we did for Severance? No, it’s not. But what Shrinking does do is make you really sit with yourself and reflect while also making you laugh a ton. And that’s just as beautiful to me, if not more.

So, while we all wait for Severance Season 3 to come along, I suggest checking out Shrinking in the meantime. There are two seasons out, and a Shrinking Season 3 is set to release as well. You won’t regret it.

Shrinking fans we are back in business! It’s safe to assume that Jimmy is back to Jimmy-ing, because Season 3 of Shrinking is in production. This was revealed by Christa Miller recently, as she excitedly posted about getting back to work, and Harrison Ford, who candidly opened up about returning as Paul and how the fires impacted their sets. Now, fans are doing the “happy dance,” because one of Apple TV+’s best shows is one step closer to being back on our screens.

Christa Miller Revealed Production On Shrinking Season 3 Has Started, While Harrison Ford Spoke About Getting Back To Work

It’s been almost two months since Shrinking’s emotional Season 2 finale dropped and the wait for Season 3 began. The show was renewed quickly, and now production has officially started. To celebrate that fact, Liz actress Christa Miller posted this cute BTS photo on Instagram:

As she said, production is “underway,” so get stoked folks. Hopefully, this means Season 3 will air late on the 2025 TV schedule, however, we won’t know that for certain for a while. I’ll take what I can get, though, and the fact that one of my favorite casts is back working together fills my heart with joy.

To make matters better, but also a bit more somber, Harrison Ford opened up to The AP about getting back to work. Like Miller – funnily enough, her character Liz and Ford’s Paul have been called similar making this even better – he seems to be looking forward to returning. However, Shrinking was also impacted by the wildfires, as the 1923 star explained:

While it’s truly tragic that they lost sets, Ford is right, the focus should be on those who lost their homes. Thankfully, it sounds like Shrinking will be doing what it can to help those people out during production, which makes this news about Season 3 even better.

So, queue the happy dance!

Shrinking Fans Are Thrilled About The Show Going Into Production

I’m of the firm belief that Shrinking is one of the best shows on TV right now, and it would appear many fans believe the same based on their reactions to Miller’s Season 3 update:

• You can't see me, but I'm doing my HAPPY DANCE!❤️❤️ -sociallybyej
• I’m so thrilled. Every aspect of this production is pitch perfect. It’s clear so much love and care go into crafting every second of this show. Please know it is deeply appreciated by so, so many humans. -serenitysong
• Season 2 was even better than season 1! Unbelievable! Can’t wait for 3. -osusannaho
• Thank goodness - best show on rn!! ❤️ -pip_stanford
• I cannot wait! This show is so real and raw and delicious and happy all at the same time -lolaroaming

I think it’s safe to say we’ll all have our Apple TV+ subscriptions ready when Shrinking Season 3 returns.

However, for now, let’s do a little happy dance, rewatch the first two seasons, and keep our eyes peeled for more BTS info, because the junior installment of this beloved comedy is on the way, and we’re all very ready for it!

For nearly a decade, Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders acted opposite one another in How I Met Your Mother, one of the best sitcoms of all time. While Marshall Eriksen and Robin Scherbatsky never came anywhere close to romantically involved on the CBS series, it seemed like there could have been such a spark between the actors’ characters on Shrinking recently. Smulders guest-starred in a Season 2 episode of the Apple TV+ subscription-exclusive series, and when Segel was asked about if she’ll return, the explanation he gave about Season 3 makes me hopeful this will happen.

Smulders stopped by Shrinking Season 2’s tenth episode, titled “Changing Patterns,” to play Sofi, a divorced mother from whom Segel’s Jimmy Laird purchased a yellow Mini-Cooper for his daughter Alice’s 18th birthday. The two hit it off pretty quickly, leading to speculation that Sofi might come back at some point. Here’s what Segel had to say when Variety inquired about this:

What started out as Jimmy just looking to buy a car similar to the one his late wife Tia had led to him and Sofi having an amusing conversation about whether it was worse to have a dead wife, yet still have fond memories of her, or having the good memories of your still-alive ex-husband tainted by his cheating. Feel free to watch it for yourself:

While many HIMYM fans surely appreciated this reunion between Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders, it would be even better for them if they saw more of Sofi going into Shrinking Season 3, which was announced last October. I imagine that if Smulders was only doing a one-off appearance, Segel would confirmed as much by now. But the above quote seems to indicate the door is at least open to Sofi’s return, as does what he said below regarding Season 3’s theme:

While the Shrinking Season 2 finale brought the waterworks with Harrison Ford’s emotional speech, it also ended with Jimmy Laird sitting down with Brett Goldstein’s Louis, the drunk driver who killed Tia, at the train station and looking like he was finally ready to forgive the man. So with that important moment now seemingly behind him, Jimmy may finally be ready to find someone knew to live his life with, and maybe that someone will be Sofi. After all, it’s been made abundantly clear that Jimmy and Jessica Williams’ Gaby aren’t meant to be together, so hopefully events unfold in Season 3 that lead to Jimmy and Sofi crossing paths again.

We’re still a ways off from learning when Shrinking Season 3 will premiere, be it on the 2025 TV schedule or not until sometime in 2026. For now, you can keep yourself entertained by checking out the other best Apple TV+ shows.

Spoilers for Season 2 of Shrinking are ahead. If you haven’t seen it, you can stream it with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Shrinking's final episode on the 2024 TV schedule left us with so many reasons to cry and smile. However, Harrison Ford's big speech about what he's thankful for was what caused both things to happen simultaneously. It was a candid, genuine and raw scene where his character Paul finally dropped his walls and told everyone how he felt, and it didn't just leave me in tears, the whole cast was crying too.

In the Thanksgiving scene, Paul stood up to say what he was thankful for and tearfully explained that the road he’s on is only going to get tougher. However, while that’s the harsh reality, he expressed his gratitude and love for everyone in that room, telling them he appreciates their presence and that he’s “leaning” on them. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it, between watching Harrison Ford tear up and understanding the reality of his character’s situation, this speech was incredibly moving.

For Lukita Maxwell, who plays Alice, it was extra emotional because of her personal connection to Parkinson’s, as she told me the following during an interview with CinemaBlend:

I totally understand where Maxwell is coming from, because I’ve also lost loved ones to illness and cancer. While it’s hard to be vulnerable and talk about how hard this is, it’s important and healthy. So, seeing Paul have the courage to do it was profoundly moving.

Maxwell also told me that outside of her personal connection to the moment, watching her on-screen dad, Jason Segel, watch Harrison Ford deliver this candid speech made her break too. She said:

Watching Jimmy watch Paul also broke me, because he was facing the mortality of this man and mentor whom he adores. Michael Urie also cited that as a reason why he found the moment so touching, because “Jimmy is looking at his mentor and seeing finality.” And that point was also amplified by Urie’s own connection to Ford.

During my chat with the Brian actor, he told me he found Paul’s speech emotional because he was connecting it back to Harrison Ford. Urie is a lifelong fan of the actor, and seeing him give “the performance of a lifetime” while talking about the rest of his life and accepting the “inevitability” made him emotional, as he explained:

It truly is very moving, because like Paul, Harrison Ford is working and thriving to this day and it’s kind of unimaginable to picture him not doing this anymore. However, that is how life works, and thinking about that really makes the emotions bubble up.

Along with the meaning of this speech, the Brian actor told me Ford didn’t just do his scene when the camera was on him at 100%, he did that for every take, and that also made him emotional:

Overall, this scene is one of the most tearjerking and dramatic scenes in this comedy, because it explicitly addresses this struggle Paul has been internalizing for such a long time. Harrison Ford also turned in, as Urie put it, a “performance of a lifetime,” and seeing him be so candid and expressive when he's normally quite stoic and reserved added to the impact of this speech.

It’s moments like this that move both viewers and the cast that make Shrinking one of Apple TV+’s best shows and my favorite series of the year. This show knows how to tap into very real emotions, situations and challenges that everyone faces, and they do so in a caring and relatable way. This scene of Paul saying what he's grateful for is a prime and tearjerking example of exactly that.

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10 – “Changing Patterns” – are in play. If you haven’t watched it yet, you can stream it with an Apple TV+ subscription.

I’m not above a reunion via a cute cameo, in fact, I love it! So, when it was revealed that Cobie Smulders would reunite with Jason Segel in one of Shrinking’s episodes on the 2024 TV schedule, I was thrilled, because I’m a How I Met Your Mother fan. However, this fandom proved to be a problem I couldn’t quite get over, as I watched the Robin and Marshall actors flirt with each other in this Apple TV+ comedy.

Allow me to set the scene for this reunion on Shrinking, Jimmy (Segel) is trying to buy a car for his daughter Alice. He finds a used one, and when he goes to pick it up he meets Sofi (Smulders), the divorcee who is selling the vehicle.

The two immediately hit it off, and they share a sense of humor -- as they both made slightly morbid but admittedly funny jokes about how they lost their partners. For the first time maybe ever, Jimmy is able to talk to someone candidly about how his life changed after his wife died without receiving an over-sympathic reaction in return. I mean, Sofi literally jokingly asks him if it is better to lose your partner to death or divorce.

It’s clearly a nice change of pace for Jimmy, and the two have a nice vibe. Honestly, I hope this relationship goes further than just a car sale, and it seems like it might. And I want this for both of them, I really do. They have great chemistry, and they are so funny together.

However, for me to fully enjoy this new relationship, I have to jump over a How I Met Your Mother-related hurdle that I haven’t been able to overcome yet.

Let’s not forget that while Smulders’ character Robin had long relationships with two of the three men in the How I Met Your Mother cast, and Marshall was not one of them. She famously dated Josh Radnor’s Ted Mosby (and ended up with him in the controversial HIMYMI finale) and she was with Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney Stinson for several seasons. She and Segel never ever in a million years would ever have shared a romantic scene as Robin and Marshall because he was always with Alyson Hannigan’s Lily.

I’ve built up this big wall in my head because of all that, and when I see Smulders and Segel together I think of them as platonic friends first. Therefore, seeing them flirting on Shrinking made me feel weird.

However, that’s not their issue. That’s on me, and I’m going to work really hard to overcome my own preconceived notions. Ultimately, once I kind of forgot that these two members of the Shrinking cast played friends and only friends on How I Met Your Mother for nine seasons, I was charmed by the potential for them to have a romantic relationship on another show. It’s hard to deprogram my brain to think of them as people other than Marshall and Robin when they’re sharing a scene though, so this will take time.

But, I’m willing to put in the work, because Shrinking is one of the best shows on Apple TV+ and I like where things are going with Jimmy and Sofi. You can feel the chemistry Segel and Smulders share from years of work together bursting off the screen, and it’s hilarious and lovely. So, even though it will take me a hot minute to do it, I’m determined to jump over this How I Met Your Mother hurdle!

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 2, Episode 9 are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the comedy with an Apple TV+ subscription and catch new episodes on Wednesdays.

While it’s said with a sort of funny tone, I couldn’t help but get emotional when Brian asked Jimmy: “I need you to help me not be me,” in the ninth episode of Shrinking’s second season. After a meeting about finding a baby to adopt, Michael Urie’s character was feeling very self-conscious about himself, and he decided to ask his best friend (who is also a therapist) for assistance. However, it ended up being a wonderful and reflective scene that showed Brian’s immense growth.

So, when I interviewed the Shrinking cast about their season on the 2024 TV schedule, I asked Michael Urie about this pivotal moment Brian had with Jimmy. In response, he explained its significance and why his character acts the way he does, which makes it even more special to me.

To begin, the Goodrich actor told me that when he gets a two-person scene for Shrinking he thinks about who is acting as therapist and patient in said moment. In this case, Brian asked Jimmy for help, which is a huge deal, as he explained:

He’s right, this moment does show how much Brian has grown as a character. Before going through this process and really opening up to Jimmy about their relationship, this probably wouldn’t have happened. That alone makes the scene extra special and emotional.

However, Michael Urie’s background on the lead-up to this moment and the importance of how Jimmy and Brian’s relationship has evolved this season adds even more to the significance of this therapy scene. Continuing to reflect on why his character asked for help from Jason Segel’s therapist specifically, the actor said:

This point he made is also something Jimmy told Brian during their conversation. He got real with his friend about his past and how it’s impacted his “everything goes my way” facade that gets put up over his insecurities.

To that point, the Ugly Betty actor connected that idea to the storyline of Brian and his husband finding a baby. It’s an emotional time for his character, and it has caused him to do a lot of inward reflection, as the Broadway star explained:

Along with addressing all of that, Jimmy also complimented Brian’s growth as a human and the strength of him and his partner, Charlie. They’re a great couple, and they balance each other wonderfully. While this has been an overwhelmingly positive development for Urie’s character, it has also caused a bit of panic, as he told me:

This season, we’ve seen a lot of emotional growth from Brian, specifically. Between helping Brett Goldstein’s tragic character Louis, supporting his friends and going on this journey with Charlie toward parenthood, Urie’s character does not need to change one bit. In fact – as Jimmy said – he’s growing in a perfectly positive direction.

Overall, it's emotional evolution and candid conversations like this that make Shrinking one of the best shows on Apple TV+. However, getting to learn about the greater meaning behind them makes them even more significant and powerful.

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 2, Episode 8 are ahead! If you haven’t watched it yet, you can stream it with an Apple TV+ subscription.

After finding out that Paul knew about Alice talking to Louis, Jimmy burst into his boss’s office to confront him, and Sean happened to be there. What followed was a confrontational, pivotal and hilarious scene, that is one of the highlights of Shrinking Season 2 for me. So, when I interviewed Sean actor Luke Tennie about the series airing on the 2024 TV schedule, he told me what it was like watching Harrison Ford and Jason Segel verbally spar in this moment, and the story is wonderful.

For context, now that Sean has been seeing Paul for a while now, he asked him for help with his friend Jorge. Jimmy came in to assist too. However, Ford and Segel’s therapists had a bigger issue to deal with. That’s how we ended up with the two fighting over Alice and Louis, while Sean laughed at them. Addressing how Sean felt in that moment, Luke Tennie told me what it was like to witness this play out, saying:

He went on to say that the scene was “specifically well crafted,” and I totally agree as it does what Shrinking does best: balance drama and comedy perfectly. Each character had their moment to shine. We had Sean egging Paul on. Paul was hilariously clapping back at Jimmy. And then Jimmy was genuinely upset about this situation as a whole, but handling it with humor. Then, it all ended with an epic imaginary mic drop from Paul, which is something I never thought I'd see Harrison Ford do.

Tennie told me that filming this was one of his “favorite days.” He cited Ford specifically as a highlight, saying that he was really firing on all cylinders as the cranky and truly funny therapist:

Seeing as we know Harrison Ford for his more dramatic and action-packed roles, Shrinking is a totally new part for him. Watching him be intentionally hilarious and pull off jokes like the mic-drop moment is wonderful, and it’s even better to know that he was really going for it on set too.

I think Tennie summarized my feelings and his about all this perfectly when he recalled what Jason Segel told him as they watched the Star Wars actor do his thing:

From Jason Segel and Harrison Ford canoeing together to the How I Met Your Mother actor and Tennie beatboxing in another scene, this season of Shrinking has been full of comedic gems. However, this confrontation really got me and the cast going.

However, it's not only a hilarious scene, it’s also important because we see Jimmy react to the news about Louis and Paul confronts his colleague about this pent-up anger he has. It feels like this conversation could really propel Segel’s character forward as he continues to deal with his feelings about Louis and his wife's death. What makes it even better is that along with serving an important purpose in the greater story, the scene is also genuinely hilarious.

To see this scene after learning this story, you can stream Shrinking on Apple TV+. Then, make sure to check back in every Wednesday as new episodes continue to drop on the streamer.

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 2, Episode 7 are ahead! If you have not watched it, you can stream it now with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Shrinking isn’t just one of my favorite series on the 2024 TV schedule, it’s one of the best shows on Apple TV+. That’s in great part because it brilliantly mixes serious topics and hilarious moments with ease – like the scene in the latest episode where Jimmy and Sean beatboxed together to re-create the song Summer made about Alice sleeping with her boyfriend.

So, when I asked Sean actor Luke Tennie about that situation, he proved my point by sharing the story behind it and explaining why instances like this make the show special.

The Story Behind Jimmy And Sean Recreating The 'Cheater Bitch' Song

The scene in question is the first sequence in Episode 7. It opens with Summer rapping in a TikTok, saying the words “cheater, cheater, bitch” over and over again. As both Jimmy and Sean acknowledge, while that sucks for Alice, the song “kind of slaps” and “is a total banger.”

That leads to the guys recreating the song, with Sean beatboxing and Jimmy rapping. So, when I spoke with Luke Tennie, I asked what it was like to film the silly little gag with Jason Segel, and he said:

As you saw, Tennie did get the beatboxing part, in part because Jason Segel wanted to rap. Turns out, the two had the same idea going into the scene, as the Sean actor told me:

Honestly, it was a match made in hilarious heaven too, because while it’s a short bit, it’s hilarious. It also helped develop a through line through the episode as Alice dealt with the attention she was getting for betraying Summer. And that mixture of humor, heart and drama is what makes Shrinking fantastic.

Luke Tennie Explains Why Scenes Like This Make Shrinking So Good

This was something I spoke about with Luke Tennie too. While sharing the silly story behind figuring out who would beatbox and who would rap in this moment, he also explained why it’s small scenes like this that make Shrinking so unique. He said:

As the actor explained, Shrinking is full of big funny and dramatic moments. For example, in last week’s episode, he shined as Sean in both ways, by hilariously calling out his friends while high on anesthesia and reconnecting with his dad who came to visit him at the end of the episode.

However, mixed into these massive scenes, there are tiny goofy moments that show us more of these characters, their “humanity” and their relationships with each other.

While Jimmy and Sean obviously feel bad for Alice, they also find the song really funny and catchy. Having both sides of that coin present makes for a fun story, and it results in hilarious instances like them recreating the “cheater cheater bitch" song. Plus, this song ended up being a throughline of the episode as others in the Shrinking cast – including Harrison Ford – couldn’t deny how catchy it was while they tried to help Alice.

As Shrinking continues to drop new episodes on Wednesdays, you better believe I’ll be looking out for more fun instances like this one and thinking about Tennie’s comments regarding why they’re so special. And you should too, because the Sean actor is 100% right, these bits are part of the reason why this Apple TV+ comedy works oh so well.

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 2, Episode 6 are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the comedy with an Apple TV+ subscription and then catch new episodes every Wednesday.

We’re deep into the second season of Shrinking, and with each episode, I still find myself shocked by the things they get Harrison Ford to do. From singing in the car to accidentally getting high, there have been some truly remarkable moments. However, his most recent jaw-dropping situation is my favorite so far, as he spent a good part of Season 2, Episode 6 in a canoe with Jason Segel. So, when I had the chance to interview the Jimmy actor about his show on the 2024 TV schedule, I had to ask for the story behind this hilarious moment.

During the Shrinking cast’s Season 2 junket, I took a moment to ask Jason Segel about this funny canoe scene he shared with Harrison Ford. Notably, the How I Met Your Mother actor isn’t just the star of this Apple TV+ series, he’s also a co-creator, executive producer and writer. So, when the canoe scene was presented to him, he wasn’t sure how to feel about it at first:

Watching Paul literally rock the boat to scare Jimmy, Jimmy throwing around fishing facts and embarrassing Paul and the two generally bickering was outstanding. Plus, the scene served as an important dramatic moment too, as the therapists convinced Sean’s dad – who they canoed to go see while he was fishing – to reconnect with his son.

Overall, this storyline was another marvelous example of Shrinking’s ability to balance a serious point with funny moments, and it serves as another reason reason why Harrison Ford should do more comedy.

Truly it was a masterclass, and I think it will go down as one of this season’s funniest scenes. What makes it even better is it was a highlight for Jason Segel too. Continuing his story, The Muppets star told me what he was thinking about as he filmed this silly situation with the Star Wars actor:

It seemed to me that Segel was still in awe over the fact that this scene is committed to film, and I can’t blame him. I was so surprised to see Jimmy and Paul canoeing this season. However, silly instances like this are a big reason why Shrinking is one of Apple TV+’s best shows.

To go back and watch this hilarious canoe moment between Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, you can stream Shrinking on Apple TV+. Then, make sure to tune back in on Wednesdays to see what other wild situations these therapists find themselves in as Season 2 continues.

Big spoilers for Shrinking Season 2, Episode 3 are ahead. If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the comedy with an Apple TV+ subscription.

After Jimmy’s explosive moment with the drunk driver who killed his wife in Shrinking’s Season 2 premiere, Alice went to confront the character played by Brett Goldstein in Episode 3. Despite Paul telling her not to do it, Lukita Maxwell’s character needed to confront this man, and what followed was a very intense moment. So, during CinemaBlend’s interviews with the Shrinking cast ahead of its premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, I asked the Alice actress about filming her confrontation with the Ted Lasso star.

When it was announced that Brett Goldstein would join Shrinking’s ensemble, his character was kept a secret. Then, in the first episode, it was revealed that the co-creator of the comedy was playing the man who hit Alice’s mom. Currently, both Alice and her dad are dealing with the grief of that loss, and running into the man who caused it has provoked both of them to lash out. Speaking about that, Lukita Maxwell told me that her scene with Goldstein was intense, saying:

While Shrinking handles some dramatic moments comedically, this is not one of them. It is incredibly serious. In the scene, Alice drives to the coffee shop Louis works at to talk to him. After they run into each other, and she asks him if he remembers her, he immediately sits down to chat. Once he starts to say he’d been wanting to have a conversation with her, she yells “Shut up! Shut the fuck up!” and storms out.

Reflecting back on what it was like to shoot the scene, Maxwell told me that it took longer than expected because of a lightning storm. She said:

So, along with it generally being a tense situation to film, the weather added an extra layer of drama. I’d imagine that holding all that tension and anger Alice was feeling had to be difficult. I also assume that the sadness and guilt Louis was carrying was hard to maintain as well. Although, I also feel like the rainy vibes might have added to the dark scene too.

However, Lukita Maxwell made it very clear that while it was intense to film this important turning point in Alice’s story, she also “loved” it and working with Brett Goldstein.

Shrinking is one of Apple TV+’s best shows, because it balances the humor and the drama so well, and this scene was a perfect example of it leaning really hard into its serious side. Now, it’ll be interesting to see how Alice is impacted by this interaction and how Louis continues to show up in the new season.

To see all that go down, and to go back and watch this pivotal moment, you can stream Shrinking right now on Apple TV+ and catch new episodes every Wednesday.

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 2 are ahead. If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the series with an Apple TV+ subscription.

There’s no easy way to talk about death, and Shrinking Season 2 really hones in on that point. While the first season was about Jimmy finding himself again after the death of his wife, the sophomore season introduces us to the drunk driver who killed her, presenting a whole new set of challenges for Jason Segel’s character, especially when it comes to telling his daughter Alice about it all.

Of course, in a real Shrinking way, Jimmy breaks the news that the driver showed up at his office to his daughter in a surprisingly funny way, making for a great scene in the series. So, when I had the chance to chat with Jason Segel about his project on the 2024 TV schedule and this big moment between the father and daughter, he told me why it’s a great example of how the show balances comedy and drama, saying:

Life is clumsy, and this scene illustrates that perfectly and hilariously.

After spending the first half of the episode stressing about how to tell Alice that the drunk driver who killed her mom (who is played by Shrinking’s co-creator Brett Goldstein) came to his office, eventually he works up the courage. However, it's at an incredibly poorly timed moment as Lukita Maxwell’s character was celebrating passing her driver’s test when he broached the subject of their dead loved one. The conversation went like this:

Jimmy: Speaking of cars, do you remember what happened to your mom in one? Oh goddammit, goddammit!

Alice: What?

Jimmy: I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to find a way in. That was not it. Sweetie, the other driver from your mom’s accident came to my office.

Then, the scene ends with Derek piping up from his balcony to poke fun at Jimmy asking “Speaking of cars?” To which Jimmy jumps up and down and throws a tantrum about his neighbor spying on him.

Overall, this whole situation is equal parts funny and tragic, and that’s kind of Shrinking’s whole thing. Segel elaborated on that point further, saying:

The Shrinking cast is made up of brilliant dramatic and comedic actors, and they’re able to handle issues like death, grief, medical issues, family drama, marriage and more with humor and heart.

At first glance, you wouldn't expect a show whose main characters deal with things like death, grief, Parkinson's and PTSD to be funny. However, Shrinking is genuinely one of the funniest on TV right now, because it leans into the natural clumsiness of life.

It’s a hard balancing act to pull off moments like the one Segel and I talked about, but it makes for an amazing product – which is probably why Shrinking was just renewed for a third season and is considered one of Apple TV+’s best shows.

Now, it’ll be interesting to see how Jimmy and Alice continue to navigate through the grief of losing their loved one while also dealing with the driver who hit her. To see how that plays out, you can stream new episodes of Shrinking every Wednesday on Apple TV+.

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 2’s first episode are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the series with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Shrinking is one of the best shows on Apple TV+ in part because of the stark juxtaposition between Jason Segel’s rule-bending therapist Jimmy and his boss, Harrison Ford’s grumpy and rule-following therapist Paul. These two going back and forth about their profession and lives is endlessly entertaining, and in Season 2 of the comedy, Luke Tennie got to witness it all first-hand as his character Sean went from seeing Jimmy as his therapist to Paul.

For some context, in the first episode of Shrinking’s second season, Jimmy takes Jimmy-ing (his meddling and unethical form of therapy) a bit too far, with Sean specifically, and he’s starting to use his patients as a way to try and heal himself. So, Paul tells him he can’t see Sean as a patient anymore. That leads to Harrison Ford’s character taking on Tennie’s as a client, and it makes for a new and fun dynamic on the show.

So, when I had the opportunity to interview the Shrinking cast, I asked Luke Tennie about his character’s new change in therapists as well as the differences between working with the guys who play them, Jason Segel and Harrison Ford. In response, the Sean actor told me:

If you take one look at Segel and Ford’s backgrounds, that feels abundantly clear, because their career trajectories are opposites. The How I Met Your Mother star is known as a funny man, and he’s made a career out of starring in humorous projects like the aforementioned sitcom and movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Muppets. Meanwhile, the Star Wars actor is an icon because of his work in blockbusters and dramas like Indiana Jones and Blade Runner.

Bringing them together makes for an entertaining odd-couple pairing on screen, and a fun on-set experience too, because they’re so different.

The Sean actor broke down why with me too, saying the following about the 1923 actor:

Well, Harrison Ford was once a carpenter, so that metaphor feels very fitting. It also tells us that he and Tennie worked together to build the foundation of a scene that they could then have a lot of fun in.

When it comes to Jason Segel, the Safety performer said it’s more like a brotherly relationship, and the ways in which the Freaks and Geeks actor works are a bit more internalized, as he explained:

Like Jimmy and Paul, Segel and Ford’s approaches to acting sound totally different. However, they work great together. Luke Tennie confirmed that as he told me just how much he loves collaborating with both actors and how “inspired” he was by the switch-up in his character’s story.

Now, it’ll be interesting to see how Paul helps Sean, and in what ways Jimmy impacts their partnership. I’m sure it’ll be silly and chaotic, as Shrinking tends to be. However, I’m also certain Luke Tennie’s character will learn valuable lessons from both men this season, just like the actor has from Segel and Ford.

To see these three men on screen together, and to watch Sean’s sessions with Paul, you can catch new episodes of Shrinking as they air on the 2024 TV schedule every Wednesday on Apple TV+.

After a lengthy wait, Shrinking Season 2 has finally arrived amid the 2024 TV schedule and, as a fan, I couldn’t be happier! New episodes, of course, mean more laughs, more problems and plenty of “jimmy-ing.” If that playful verb confuses you, it refers to the instances in which Jason Segel’s Jimmy Laird (unethically) tells his therapy patients what he really thinks and/or becomes involved in their lives. Because the term is used a lot during the second season, CinemaBlend asked Segel what his name would mean if it were a verb.

The first season of one of Apple TV+’s best shows featured a lot of “Jimmy-ing.” However, this year, Laird himself is really starting to embrace the terms, as he continues to meddle in affairs he has no business being a part of. CinemaBlend’s own Riley Utley spoke with Jason Segel during the press day for Shrinking and asked the actor about the term and how a phrase like it could apply to his own name. The jovial Segel shared a sweet take in regard to what “Jason-ing” would mean if it were a legitimate word:

If that isn’t a delightfully fitting description, then I don’t know what would be. The former How I Met Your Mother cast member does indeed give off that lovable schmoe kind of energy when he’s on screen. One could argue that it’s a big reason why it’s so easy to fall in love with many of the characters he plays. I don’t know the star personally, but I’d say that in general, that kind of desire to comfort others is an endearing quality. So we may all want to aspire to inject “Jason-ing” not just into our vocabularies but into our daily activities as well.

What fans – particularly those who are engaged in medical/mental health services – may not want to do is take cues when it comes to “Jimmy-ing.” By the end of the first season, Jimmy’s actions created quite a few messes. That was especially true when it came to his patient, Grace, who was inadvertently motivated to push her abusive boyfriend, Donny, off a cliff due to Jimmy’s brutal honest takes. Now, Laird must deal with the fallout much to the annoyance of his colleague Paul Rhoades (Harrison Ford), who can’t stand the term “Jimmy-ing,” by the way.

As messy as Jimmy’s actions may be, they definitely contribute to what makes this dramedy show so unique. Series co-creator Bill Lawrence recently spoke to CinemaBlend and conveyed his disbelief over the fact that shows like Shrinking and Ted Lasso can be made in this entertainment landscape. As Lawrence explained, he and his collaborators are able to do so much now and, as a viewer, I’d say that results in complex stories with multidimensional characters.

Jason Segel’s Jimmy is certainly layered, and it’s one of the reasons I look forward to seeing more of him via this new season. I’m sure I’m going to cringe one or twice when he dives into his habit of “Jimmy-ing.” Though I suppose that whenever that happens, I’ll just try to think of Segel’s lovely definition of the word “Jason-ing.”

Now that Shrinking Season 2 is officially underway, be on the lookout for new episodes when they premiere on Wednesdays. And, of course, you can stream those installments with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Other than the fact that Ted Lasso and Shrinking both star actors named Jason and the heartfelt comedies are considered two of Apple TV+’s best shows, they don't have much in common. However, they actually share talent behind the scenes, as Bill Lawrence is the showrunner for both, and Brett Goldstein writes for and performs in them. However, the Roy Kent actor wasn’t always part of the Shrinking cast, that’s a new development for Season 2.

Now, he’s opening up about getting back on screen and how this new guy he’s playing differs from his iconic Ted Lasso player-turned-coach.

The role Brett Goldstein plays in Season 2 of Shrinking is still unknown. However, we do know, thanks to Bill Lawrence, that it’s not a cameo or a quick part. He will make an impact on the story in a way people won’t expect, the showrunner told EW. In the same story, the Ted Lasso actor opened up about his new character…kind of, and he compared him to Roy Kent, saying:

So, this unknown character likely won’t be as grumbly as Roy, that's my guess. And I’d bet he’s definitely not a soccer coach. Outside of that, I’m not sure what to expect, and the mystery makes me so excited. I adore Ted Lasso and I’ve seen Goldstein do stand-up in person. So, seeing a new side of him as a performer makes me even more ecstatic for Shrinking’s premiere on the 2024 TV schedule.

On top of the character generally being nothing like Roy, the story behind how Goldstein landed the part is different too. Famously, it’s known that the actor was a writer on Ted Lasso first, and after working in the writers’ room, he put himself up for the role of the grumpy and caring player. He wasn’t asked to audition, he simply reached out with a tape.

However, on Shrinking, that’s not what happened, he was told he’d be a good fit for the part, and he explained what that conversation was like:

I can’t argue with that! However, I’ve always thought that Goldstein should be a part of this cast since he is also the show’s co-creator, executive producer and writer. However, during Season 1, he was working on Shrinking and Ted Lasso simultaneously, so I got why he wasn’t in it.

However, now, it’s his time to shine on-screen in Shrinking and show off a different side of himself as an actor. To see how his mystery character differs from Roy Kent, you can catch Shrinking’s Season 2 premiere with an Apple TV+ subscription on Wednesday, October 16.

We see it quite often – comedians and comedic actors cut their teeth performing stand-up or appearing on beloved sketch comedy shows before knocking everyone’s socks off with a remarkable and remarkably emotional dramatic role. Sometimes, these earn the actors and actresses Academy Awards or at least their first Oscar nomination for unforgettable performances that make us cry as much as they once made us laugh.

That being said, here are 32 examples of people known for their comedy being great in dramatic roles…

Robin Williams

Even before Robin Williams earned a much-deserved Oscar for his performance in Good Will Hunting, the comedian proved time and time again that he was more than capable when it came to dramatic roles. In fact some of Williams’ best movies like Dead Poets Society and Awakenings showed early on what he could achieve in a less comedic capacity. And let’s not forget his frightening turns in One Hour Photo and Insomnia.

Jim Carrey

After being an almost guaranteed box office draw in the mid 1990s, Jim Carrey showed he was more than just an over-the-top slapstick comedian with roles in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. However, Carrey’s most notable dramatic turn, and probably his best overall performance can be found in 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Eddie Murphy

For years, Eddie Murphy was well-known for beloved comedic roles in classics like Coming to America, 48 Hrs., and Beverly Hills Cop, but he’s also displayed a more dramatic side over the years. At the top of this list is Dreamgirls, the 2006 musical drama that saw him take on the role of James “Thunder” Early, a performance that should have earned him an Oscar.

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg is an all-time great comedian who has made audiences laugh with her stand-up specials and various film and TV projects for the better part of the past 40 years. During that time, Goldberg has also given us some of the richest and most nuanced dramatic performances like her take on Celie Harris Johnson in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple, which earned her a Golden Globe and numerous other accolades.

Adam Sandler

When he wants, Adam Sandler can stand toe-to-toe with just about any living actor. Though he’s mostly known for his various comedies like Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy, and the Grown Ups movies, let’s not forget his outstanding dramatic performances in Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, and Uncut Gems. Watching Sandler in the Safdie Brothers’ 2019 crime thriller is like watching a completely different actor.

Steve Carell

Around the same time Steve Carell was making us fall over with laughter with his portrayal as Michael Scott on The Office, he was also giving audiences some of the best dramatic performances in movies like Little Miss Sunshine and Foxcatcher. Even since then, Carell has continued to steal the show with heart-wrenching turns in Beautiful Boy and Last Flag Flying.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx made a name for himself as one of the funniest comedians on the planet in the early ‘90s thanks to shows like In Living Color and The Jamie Foxx Show, which he followed up with some truly great movies in the final decade of the 20th century. But in 2004, Foxx showed off his dramatic chops in Michael Mann’s thrilling Collateral and the must-watch music biopic, Ray, a performance that earned him an Oscar.

Aubrey Plaza 

To some, Aubrey Plaza will always be remembered for her hilarious portrayal of April Ludgate on Parks and Recreation, but the comedian has given some commanding dramatic performances over the years as well. Movies like Emily the Criminal and Black Bear, as well as the second season of The White Lotus, have shown she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Melissa McCarthy

Okay, Melissa McCarthy may be one of the funniest comedic actors on the planet right now, but let’s not overlook her gripping portrayal of literary fraudster Lee Israel in 2018’s Can You Ever Forgive Me, a movie that saw her hold her own with Richard E. Grant. That’s not nothing.

Will Ferrell

Though Will Ferrell’s dramatic roles still have the comedian's unique style of humor, his performances in Everything Must Go and Stranger Than Fiction are still worth bringing up. He’s less manic and a tad bit quieter in these two movies, but that charm is still there, which really messes with your head.

Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller has shown over the years that he can do more than play the lovable loser in movies like Meet the Parents, detestable villains in Dodgeball, or caricatures of models in Zoolander. In fact, he’s given quite a few outstanding dramatic performances in everything from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty to the gutting Permanent Midnight.

Mo'Nique

In addition to being a prolific comedian with multiple stand-up specials including The Queens of Comedy, as well as having a lead role on the long-running sitcom, The Parkers, Mo’Nique is also an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA winner thanks to her lights out performance in the 2009 drama film, Precious. 

Bette Midler

Bette Midler has made us laugh ourselves out of our seats countless times over the years, but her performance as Cecilia Bloom in Beaches has been making everyone cry for decades now. It’s impossible to listen to “Wind Beneath My Wings” without thinking of that masterful dramatic turn.

Richard Pryor

Legendary stand-up comedian Richard Pryor had a series of comedies with frequent collaborator Gene Wilder at the height of his career, but the comic also gave a dynamic dramatic performance in Paul Schrader’s 1978 crime film, Blue Collar. The movie, which showed the actor’s range, also featured Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto. Talk about a cast.

Lily Tomlin

Lily Tomlin, an actress who continues to thrive decades into her career, is best known for performances in comedies like 9 to 5, shows like Grace and Frankie, and various stand-up specials and Broadway productions. But Tomlin can also pull off dramatic roles like her Academy Award-nominated performance in Nashville, her feature film debut.

Albert Brooks

Albert Brooks is wonderfully hilarious in movies like Finding Nemo, Broadcast News, and so many others, but his trademark happy-go-lucky and funny sensibility and charm went out the window with his bone-chilling portrayal of Bernie Rose in Drive. Ice cold.

Marlon Wayans

Here’s something wild to think about: Marlon Wayans played the stereotypical stoner Shorty in the parody horror flick Scary Movie and Tyrone in Darren Aronofsky’s devastating drama Requiem for a Dream in the same year. During the latter film’s development, the star of The Wayan Bros., the comedian had to go through five auditions.

Kristen Wiig

Some of Kristen Wiig’s best movies are those that lean more towards the dramatic side of the spectrum, with Mother, The Skeleton Twins, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty all coming to mind. This isn’t to say her comedic work isn’t great, as Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is legitimately one of the funniest movies of the 2020s.

Jason Segel

Jason Segel, through shows like Freaks & Geeks and How I Met Your Mother, has shown time after time that he’s undeniably hilarious. However, through work in movies like The End of the Tour and the 1999 dramedy SLC Punk, the actor has proven he can handle more dramatic performances as good as the rest.

Steve Martin

On top of being the all-time best SNL host, Steve Martin is also one of the most prolific actors of our time. But in addition to all of that, the actor, writer, musician, and what we can assume is a generally good hang, Martin can also pull off more dramatic roles. This can best be seen in the 2005 romantic drama, Shopgirl, which was based on one of his novellas.

Maya Rudolph

Two years after her Saturday Night Live tenure came to an end, Maya Rudolph gave a passionate and beautiful performance in Sam Mendes’ 2009 dramedy, Away We Go. The role, which saw her play the pregnant wife trying to find a place to settle down, allowed the comedic actress to play a more grounded, and sincere character.

Goldie Hawn

In 1991, Goldie Hawn took on the role of Adrienne Saunders in Damian Harris’ psychological thriller, Deceived, which saw her play the wife of the manipulative Frank Sullivan (John Heard in a devilish role). Though the movie wasn’t all that well-received, Hawn was still masterful in it, showing a great deal of range in the process.

Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen has given one wonderfully funny performance after another for nearly the past quarter-century, but the actor and writer behind movies like Superbad and Pineapple Express can handle his own when it comes to drama. Danny Boyle’s 2015 biopic, Steve Jobs, saw the comedian portray Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, which required him to go head-to-head with Michael Fassbender’s tech CEO in some extremely intense scenes.

Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart made the jump to serious drama in The Upside in 2019, an English remake of the french film, The Intouchables. However, this wouldn’t be a one and done type situation for the comedian. He would give another emotional performance in the 2021 Netflix drama, Fatherhood, in which he played a widower trying to raise his daughter in the wake of his wife’s sudden passing.

Jack Black

After dipping his toes in the drama waters with his charming performance in The Holiday, Jack Black played his darkest role yet in the 2011 crime biopic, Bernie. In Richard Linklater’s movie, Black took on the role of mortician Bernhardt “Bernie” Tiede, who was later convicted of murdering his friend and millionaire Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLane). 

Anna Kendrick

Anna Kendrick is best known for her starring roles in musical comedies like the Pitch Perfect franchise and the Trolls animated movies, but the comedic actress has also given commanding dramatic performances. This includes the likes of Up in the Air, 50/50, Alice Darling, and A Simple Favor, all of which show her dynamic range.

Awkwafina

If you look at Awkwafina’s best movies, you’ll see a lot of great comedies like Crazy Rich Asians, Ocean’s Eight, and Quiz Lady. However, you’ll also find Lulu Wang’s 2019 drama, The Farewell, which saw the comedian pull off a whole range of emotions throughout its story. In fact, she even won a Golden Globe for her performance.

John Lithgow

John Lithgow has had a remarkable career full of great comedies, including 3rd Rock from the Sun and Shrek, but he’s also given some impressive dramatic performances throughout his career. Be it shows like Dexter and The Crown or a list of movies that includes Killers of the Flower Moon, Terms of Endearment, and Interstellar, the decorated actor has always been able to pull off some impressive feats.

Jerry Lewis

One-half of Martin and Lewis with Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis was one of the funniest names in show business throughout his career, be it with his Vegas shows or various movies like The Nutty Professor and The Ladies Man. But Lewis also gave a terrific dramatic performance in Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, which saw the legendary comedian play a late night TV host kidnapped by an obsessed fan (played by Robert De Niro).

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston will always be remembered for her take on Rachel Green in the landmark sitcom, Friends, but the actress has since taken on some rather dramatic roles that worked quite well. One of the most notable is the 2014 drama, Cake, which saw Aniston take on the role of a woman coming to terms with the death of her son.

Jonah Hill

Jonah Hill spent the better part of the 2000s appearing in comedies like Superbad, Grandma’s Boy, and Accepted, but he started to take more dramatic roles in the 2010s. One of the most promising was his part in 2011’s Moneyball, which saw him play Billy Beane’s (Brad Pitt) incredibly intelligent (and sometimes awkward) assistant to great effect.

Steve Coogan

Steve Coogan is lights out in comedies like the Night at the Museum movies and Tropic Thunder, but he was equally as good in the 2013 drama film, Philomena, which saw him take on the role of a journalist helping a woman (played by Judi Dench) track down the son she was force to give up for adoption decades earlier.

Each of these comedians found a way to turn audience expectations on their head and give us some all-time great dramatic performances. It’s safe to say we’ll never forget some of these beloved, and wonderfully emotional roles and the people who brought them to life.

For quite some time, there have been actors who not only bring movies to life by acting on the big screen but also play a major role in crafting the stories. Over the years, multiple Best Picture winners have been written by talented thespians, who also happen to be accomplished wordsmiths. From stars who've pieced together films that would earn them their first Academy Award nominations to those penning passion projects, here are 32 successful actors who are also hit screenwriters.

Ben Affleck

In early 1998, Ben Affleck became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood after he and Matt Damon won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting. The movie made the longtime friends -- who didn't always work together -- into overnight sensations. Since then, he’s written four additional films: Gone Baby Gone, Live by Night, The Town and The Last Duel, which he co-wrote with Damon.

Matt Damon

As mentioned, Matt Damon took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting in 1998. The movie, of course, also featured his Academy Award-worthy performance as a troubled young genius. Since then, he’s co-written two additional Gus Van Sant-directed scripts – Gerry in 2002, Promised Land in 2012 – as well as the Ridley Scott historical epic, The Last Duel, which he penned with Ben Affleck.

Jordan Peele

After finding success with Key & Peele, Jordan Peele turned to more behind-the-scenes work, serving as both a director and screenwriter. From his 2016 comedy, Keanu to 2022’s Nope and Wendell & Wild, Peele has cemented his legacy as one of the strongest voices in Hollywood. He won an Oscar for his Get Out screenplay in 2018 and produced two of the best horror movies in recent memory: Us and Candyman.

Tina Fey

Tina Fey will forever be remembered as one of the best Saturday Night Live cast members, and that experience allowed her to fine-tune her writing and acting skills. In addition to starring in movies like Baby Mama, Date Night and Muppets Most Wanted, Fey famously wrote the screenplay for Mean Girls, which is one of the best movies of the 2000s.

Sylvester Stallone

A handful of the best action movies of all time were written by none other than Sylvester Stallone, who has flexed his muscles in front of the camera and behind the scenes. All of the Rocky films (as well as Creed II) were written by Stallone, as were the Rambo flicks and pretty much most of his best big-screen ventures.

George Clooney

George Clooney has plenty of notable movies like Ocean’s Eleven, Syriana, Michael Clayton and even the over-the-top Batman & Robin. But the Academy Award-winning actor has also penned quite a few screenplays over the years, including the ones for Good Night, and Good Luck, The Ides of March, Leatherheads, The Monuments Men and Suburbicon.

Kristen Wiig

Two of the funniest movies of the past decade-and-a-half – Bridesmaids and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar – not only featured the Saturday Night Live legend Kristen Wiig's on-screen talents, they were also co-written by the actress. And penning those screenplays alongside her was co-star Annie Mumolo.

Tyler Perry

In addition to being a committed philanthropist and all-around great guy, Tyler Perry is also an incredibly successful actor, movie producer, and screenwriter. Throughout his career, Perry has written multiple entries in the Madea film franchise as well as other films like A Jazzman’s Blues, Acrimony, and Why Did I Get Married?, to name a few.

Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig has become famous for her Barbie screenplay (which was co-written by Noah Baumbach), but that's only one of the great scripts written by the talented actress. In addition to starring in several dozen movies over the years, Gerwig also penned modern gems like Frances Ha, Lady Bird, Mistress America and Little Women.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

In addition to being a talented actress with multiple scene-stealing performances in movies like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Solo: A Star Wars Story, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a talented writer. She created and penned the shows Fleabag and Killing Eve and received a partial writing credit for her contributions on No Time to Die.

Justin Theroux

Throughout his career, Justin Theroux has starred in movies like Mulholland Drive, Miami Vice and American Psycho. However, he also has some impressive screenwriting credits to his name. With work on Iron Man 2, Tropic Thunder, Rock of Ages and Zoolander 2, he has quite the body of work.

Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson is an actress with a great filmography, through which she's worked both in front of and behind the camera. In fact, Thompson has Academy Awards for  Best Actress (for Howards End) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Sense and Sensibility). She’s also penned movies like Bridget Jones’s Baby, Last Christmas and the Nanny McPhee films.

Billy Bob Thornton 

Billy Bob Thornton is another actor who has won an Academy Award for writing, having scored a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for his work on Sling Blade, which he also starred in and directed. Over the years, some of Thornton's best movies -- like One False Move, A Family Thing, The Gift and Daddy and Them were also written by the actor himself.

Emerald Fennell 

After finding success with acting roles in movies like Albert Nobbs, Anna Karenina and The Danish Girl, as well as shows like Call the Midwife and The Crown, Emerald Fennell turned her attention to writing and directing. Her feature film debut, Promising Young Woman, earned her a Best Original Screenplay Oscar. She also crafted the script for the drama film Saltburn.

Tom Hanks 

Tom Hanks is another Oscar winner with a number of screenwriting credits to his name. In addition to leading some of the best movies of all time, Hanks has also penned the screenplays for That Thing You Do, Larry Crowne and the 2020 World War II thriller Greyhound.

Kumail Nanjiani 

Kumail Nanjiani has starred in all kinds of movies over the years, with Eternals, Stuber and The Lovebirds being just a few of them. But Nanjiani also wrote the screenplay for The Big Sick, the 2018 romantic comedy inspired by the battles he and wife Emily V. Gordon faced early in their relationship.

Paul Rudd 

Paul Rudd not only starred in one of the best Marvel movies such as Ant-Man, he was also one the writers given credit for its screenplay (alongside Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, and Adam McKay). But that wasn’t his first or last script, as Rudd contributed to Role Models and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Ethan Hawke 

Throughout his career, Ethan Hawke has starred in movies like Reality Bites, Boyhood, First Reformed and The Black Phone, among many others. However, the actor has also written his fair share of screenplays as well, with everything from the second and third installments in the Before film franchise to the gripping biopic Blaze featuring his handiwork. 

 Angelina Jolie 

Over the years, Angelina Jolie has become an instantly recognizable face and name thanks to a number of wonderful performances. The actress has also a few screenwriting credits, including In the Land of Blood and Honey, First They Killed My Father and By the Sea.

Kenneth Branagh 

To some Kenneth Branagh is arguably better known as a screenwriter than actor. That's because he won Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the semi autobiographical coming-of-age drama Belfast and received a nomination for his adaptation of Hamlet back in 1995. The Christopher Nolan collaborator has also written other films like Much Ado About Nothing, In the Bleak Midwinter, Listening and The Magic Flute.

Steve Coogan 

Steve Coogan is famous for his performances in the Night at the Museum movies, Tropic Thunder, 24 Hour Party People, and The Trip, but he’s also a talented writer. Over the years, Coogan has written movies like Philomena, The Lost King, The Parole Officer and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.

Sarah Polley 

After making a name for herself as an actress with roles in movies like Go, The Weight of Water and the underrated Dawn of the Dead remake, Sarah Polley turned her jumped into the writer/director seat. One of her most well-known scripts is probably 2022's Women Talking, which earned her an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Seth Rogen 

Seth Rogen has written some of the comedies that defined the 2000s, such as Pineapple Express and Superbad, as well as more recent hits like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. This is on top of appearing in all three of those movies, as well as other classics like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which totally deserved its R rating.

Taylor Sheridan 

Taylor Sheridan is mostly known for crafting Sicario, Wind River, Hell or High Water and other riveting dramas. But the Yellowstone co-creator also had a decent acting career before making the big shift over the past decade. He appeared on shows like Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars.

Lake Bell 

In addition to appearing in movies like No Escape, No Strings Attached, It’s Complicated and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Lake Bell has also written and directed a few projects throughout her career. There are the shorts Worst Enemy and El Tonto, which she followed up with feature-length films, In a World… and I Do… Until I Don’t.

Owen Wilson 

When talking about Wes Anderson's collaborators, few names come to mind as quickly as Owen Wilson, who has appeared in a number of the director’s films throughout his career. But on top of appearing in seven of Anderson’s movies, Wilson also helped write three of them: Bottlerocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums.

Jason Segel 

When it comes to the movie sphere, Jason Segel is probably best known for his portrayal of Peter Bretter in the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but some might not know he also wrote it. After that, Segel penned three additional feature films: The Muppets, The Five-Year Engagement and Sex Tape.

Ricky Gervais

On top of creating and starring on TV shows like the original version of The Office, Episodes and Extras, Ricky Gervais has also written some popular movies throughout his career. The British actor and comedian has crafted The Invention of Lying, Special Correspondents, Cemetery Junction and David Brent: Life on the Road.

Woody Allen 

Throughout his career, which goes back the mid 1950s, Woody Allen has written, directed, and starred in dozens of movies, many of which are incredibly well-received. Over the years, Allen has won four Academy Awards, three of which were for Best Original Screenplay – Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Midnight in Paris – on top of all kinds of other accolades. However, Allen has only appeared in four of his own movies the past 20 years.

John Cusack 

Not only did he star in some of the most iconic comedies of the 1980s, some all-time great ‘90s movies, and experience a great deal of success, John Cusack has written a handful of films throughout his career. This short list also happens to include some of his Cusack's best movies like High Fidelity and Grosse Pointe Blank. His other writing credits include War, Inc. and We Are Not Animals.

Rashida Jones 

Rashida Jones is perhaps best known for her roles on NBC comedy hits The Office and Parks and Recreation, but the actress has also written a few screenplays throughout her career. This includes Celeste and Jesse Forever, the 2018 documentary, Quincy, which is about her dad -- music legend Quicy Jones. She also has a story credit for Toy Story 4 and wrote “Nosedive,” one of the best Black Mirror episodes.

Tom McCarthy 

Tom McCarthy is best known for writing and directing Spotlight, the riveting journalism movie that won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 88th Academy Awards. But while he was in the process of becoming an award-winning filmmaker, McCarthy put together a decent acting resume that included a memorable turn on The Wire (during the final season), Meet the Parents, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana and Michael Clayton.

Each of these nearly three-dozen actors has quite the resume, both in terms of on-screen performances and written work, making them more than deserving of any and all praise.

How I Met Your Mother is beloved to this day for its ongoing gags, like the Lemon Law and Robin Sparkles. However, one of the most iconic inside jokes from the CBS comedy has to be the Slap Bet and Slapsgiving. This gag that spanned the course of eight seasons centered around a bet Barney and Marshall made in Season 2, and it spiraled into a maniacal plan Jason Segel’s character developed to torture Neil Patrick Harris’s character. With each slap, the plan got more detailed and outlandish, which in turn made it more extra and funny. However, the stories behind both the origins of the Slap Bet and its holiday Slapsgiving make the HIMYM joke even funnier. 

How The Slap Bet Played Out Across Eight Seasons Of How I Met Your Mother

The Slap Bet began in Season 2 during Episode 9 – which is considered one of the best HIMYM episodes – after Marshall won a bet with Barney about a secret Robin was keeping regarding her short-lived career as Canadian pop star Robin Sparkles. When Neil Patrick Harris’s character loses the bet, Lily, the Slap Bet Commissioner, gives him the choice of ten slaps then and there or five that could be randomly used anytime. Barney chooses the five slaps, beginning the long and arduous journey. 

The second slap occurs in Season 2, Episode 16 when the gang is forced to see Barney’s terrible play. After that things get really crazy, and Slapsgiving is introduced. In Season 3, Episode 9 – “Slapsgiving” – Marshall tortured Barney with a slap countdown clock, slap-related decorations and an original song for after the slap. Following the first hit-worthy holiday, slaps four and seven were both dolled out on Thanksgiving. 

While Marshall initially has five slaps, the rules changed in Season 7 when Barney accepted three extra slaps so he could take off the ducky tie he’d been wearing for an entire year. Following that, Segel’s character gave out the rest of the slaps in ways that included Boyz II Men and other silly flourishes, like a blanket with a tiger on it, and it ended when Marshall slapped Barney right before he married Robin, effectively ending the bet that lasted 8 years. 

If you are looking to watch all seven episodes that contain slaps from the Slap Bet, I’ve got you covered:

• “Slap Bet” Season 2, Episode 9 
• “Stuff” Season 2, Episode 16 
• “Slapsgiving” Season 3, Episode 9 
• “Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap” Season 5, Episode 9 
• “Disaster Averted” Season 7, Episode 9 
• “Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra” Season 9, Episode 14 
• “The End  of the Aisle” Season 9, Episode 22 

What Inspired The Slap Bet In How I Met Your Mother?

The inspiration behind the Slap Bet is so simple, that I was honestly shocked. While speaking with EW in 2017 for an oral history about one of How I Met Your Mother’s best inside jokes, creator and showrunner Carter Bays said:

Isn't that wild? I guess it makes sense that an idea as bonkers as this one was inspired by real life though, because I'm not sure how they'd come up with it otherwise.

After Marshall administered the first slap in the episode “Slap Bet,” he gets Barney again later in Season 2. However, in Season 3 the stakes were heightened with the iconic “Slapsgiving” episode. Bays revealed why they decided to place Neil Patrick Harris’ next slap during the holiday episode, saying:

From then on, Marshall’s methods for distributing the slap got more extra, more tortuous, and occasionally more musical. And just like how Barney never knew when it was coming, we rarely did too, unless it was Thanksgiving.

The Story Behind Slapsgiving

Bays said that while they were trying to write a Thanksgiving episode where Ted and Robin deal with their breakup in Season 3, they realized the B-story could be all about Barney’s third slap. He said that the writer’s room was cracking up over the idea of “Slapsgiving,” and creator and showrunner Craig Thomas knew it “could become a thing.” Well, not only did it turn into a thing, but Slapsgiving got two sequel episodes, showing just how legendary the bit became.

Continuing to talk about the evolution of the Slap Bet and Slapsgiving Thomas revealed why they all loved working on Marshall’s extra holiday hijinks together. He told EW:

Seeing the look of horror on Barney's face when he realizes what the countdown is for made me cackle, and Marshall's original song about getting slapped was not only hilarious, but a fun way to show off Segel's and Harris's musical talents. Overall, "Slapsgiving" not only delivered on this ongoing bit, but it showed off its stars' skills as comedians by way of this dumb little joke. 

Slapsgiving really does bring “so much joy,” and each time I watch How I Met Your Mother I can’t help but laugh over all the effort put into pulling off the Slap Bet and Slapsgiving. 

Jason Segel Actually Slapped Neil Patrick Harris

Due to the fact that both Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris are brilliant physical comedians, and they were very committed to playing Marshall and Barney the best they could, the slaps were real. In the EW story, it was revealed that in rehearsal, Segel said when they got on screen he would actually slap NPH. Harris explained that he wanted to play out Barney’s wild actions for real too, he didn’t want to fake it. With that said, the Uncoupled star explained:

It turns out the two How I Met Your Mother cast members, Harris specifically, took the bit so seriously, that the cast was worried he would get hurt. Cobie Smulders, who played Robin said:

Filming the slaps was taken seriously too. The Morning Call went to the set in 2007, via Looper, and Jason Segel made a comment about how they shoot the moments, saying backhanded slaps were not allowed. The Shrinking star continued, saying:

The commitment to the bit and the detail put into pulling off the Slap Bet on How I Met Your Mother from everyone in the cast and crew is commendable, and I honestly love how seriously they took this silly premise. To this day, the gag is remembered as a highlight of HIMYM, and I know I certainly think about it just about anytime the show is mentioned. 

If you are looking to go back and watch How I Met Your Mother, and the eight slaps in all their glory, all you need is a Hulu subscription. 

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is returning for its second season soon and, with that, fans will soon become reacquainted with its cast of characters. There were a lot of boisterous personalities on display during Season 1 of the HBO show, which was well received by critics. Within the narrative, one person who struggled to find his voice was assistant coach Paul Westhead, who’s played skillfully by Jason Segel. By the end of the show’s first season, Westhead became head coach of the Lakers and led the team to victory at the 1980 NBA Finals. Westhead’s story is primed to take a turn in Season 2, though, and Segel teased his arc with an A+ Lord of the Rings analogy. 

Anyone who needs context on the first season (and NBA history) should know that Paul Westhead was brought in by his friend, Jack McKinney, after the latter was named LA’s coach in 1979. McKinney would eventually suffer a serious bike accident during the season, leading Westhead to take his place at the helm. He’d later keep the job and help the club earn the previously mentioned championship. 

The former English teacher was portrayed as meek during Winning Time Season 1 and was simply hired by Jack McKinney because he had no backbone. That seems to have changed, as the trailer for Season 2 teases that he’s becoming a domineering man (who’s now sporting a mullet). Weeks before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, I spoke with Jason Segel about the stark, season-to-season change amid press day for Season 2. I was specifically curious about which iteration of the character he enjoyed playing more. Segel definitely has a clear favorite and revealed it before going into further detail. What I didn’t expect was for him to connect his role to an iconic item from Middle-earth: 

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy book series surely know the One Ring is an incredibly powerful artifact that very few are strong enough to wield. A Lord of the Rings analogy may seem random in the context of Winning Time, but it’s actually apt when describing Paul Westhead. As history tells us, after that title run in 1980, he wanted another (championship) ring and did his darndest to get one. Later during our viral interview, Jason Segel, who I spoke to alongside co-star Solomon Hughes, doubled down on his LOTR comparison: 

The Shakespeare lover’s continued reign as the coach of the Lakers is only one of many subplots that’s going to be explored in the new season. The previews for the new episodes give off a different vibe, and even the writers/EP believe it has shades of Star Wars’ The Empire Strikes Back. Amid that, you’ll want to watch out for Jason Segel’s Westhead, as he continues his quest for the One Ring… I mean, another championship ring.

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty returns to HBO with new episodes on Sunday, August 6, at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2023 TV schedule. Episodes will also be available to stream with a Max subscription. That same membership gives you access to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, which we’ve ranked.

Major, major spoilers for Season 1 of Shrinking, specifically the finale, are ahead! Read with caution. If you haven’t seen the comedy yet, you can stream it with an Apple TV+ subscription. 

I think Shrinking easily had one of the more shocking cliffhangers out of the shows on the 2023 TV schedule so far. It really felt like things were getting better, the characters were healing and they were all in a good place when we left them. However, one violent decision made by Grace in the final moments of the finale will change the show forever, and deeply impact Season 2. 

What Happened In The Final Moments Of Shrinking’s Finale

Early in Shrinking’s finale “Closure,” Jimmy (Jason Segel) had been in a session with Grace (who is played by Heidi Gardner, who is best known as a cast member of SNL), where they talked about Donny (Tilky Jones) and how she’s been “boop-ing” him, and standing up for herself. She tells her therapist that if Donny were to criticize her while they were standing on a cliff, she’d push him off of it. Jimmy then says he’s proud of her and how far she’s come, because she has been defending herself and not tolerating her husband's emotional abuse. However, Grace took Jimmy’s praise a little too literally, and that’s how we ended up with this wild ending. 

Things were going great in the final moments of the episode. We left our main cast dancing at Brian’s wedding. It really seemed like they’d all turned a new page, and were truly healing. However, everything went south in the final moments when the episode cut to Grace on a hike with Donny. 

He was being extremely rude, and Grace was trying to stand up for herself. He called her an “idiot” and told her to “shut the fuck up or I’ll shut you up.” After he notes the beautiful view while standing by the edge of a cliff, we saw Grace’s gears turning. She then walks up the cliff, and pushes Donny off of it, saying “boop.” So, talk about a problem going into Season 2 of the Apple TV+ series.

How Shrinking’s Cliffhanger Could Impact Season 2

There’s always been a looming question in Shrinking about when the other shoe was going to drop as Jimmy practiced frowned upon therapy techniques. His relationship with his client Grace is one of these minor, but consistent, storylines of the season that highlights the pros and cons of said unconventional practices. While Jimmy straight-up telling Grace to leave her husband led to her standing up for herself, and recognizing the abusive relationship she was in, it also led to her literally pushing Donny off a cliff, which is not OK on a lot of levels. 

Throughout the season Jimmy’s tactics had been questioned (and criticized) by his co-workers Paul (Harrison Ford) and Gabby (Jessica Williams), however, in Season 2 it seems like we’re going to see the legal ramifications of the main character’s practices. Since Grace killed her husband it seems obvious that Jimmy’s unconventional practices and encouragement would become part of the investigation. So, not only does Grace have a big problem on her hands, Jimmy does too, and it’s a problem that will most definitely affect everyone in his life, especially his colleagues and their practice. 

One of the EPs and co-creators of Shrinking, Brett Goldstein, explained that he learned a lot about “intentionality” while working with Jason Sudeikis on Ted Lasso. And all this intentional development and groundwork laid in Season 1 that led to Grace’s final action will deeply impact Season 2. I’d imagine Season 2 will deal with the ramifications of Grace’s actions and Jimmy’s advice. It seems possible that Jimmy could lose his license, and his relationships with Paul and Gabby will be put on the line. Jimmy’s relationship with his daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) will also probably become even rockier as they deal with all the legal, financial and relationship trouble that will come with the investigation into Donny’s death. 

However, the show’s co-creator Bill Lawrence told Variety that Season 2 is all about “forgiveness,” and with that knowledge, I hope the season is all about the cast of Shrinking coming together and coming to terms with everything they’ve been through. 

Harrison Ford can be a bit gruff at times, but the man has never been anything less than sharp on his press tours. The blockbuster actor who’s bringing his legendary character back to theaters in the 2023 new movie release Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has shown that skill off yet again in a recent late night interview. Not only did Ford rebuff rumors that he didn’t know who Jason Segel was, he did so with a rather interesting and unexpected reaction to the man’s role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

While promoting his new Apple TV+ show Shrinking, Ford appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and addressed a headline that stated he didn’t know who his series co-star was. Flatly denying that claim, the man went on to name two movies of Jason Segel’s that he enjoyed, along with a compliment that will be remembered for some time to come:  

Frankly, if anyone didn’t think that Harrison Ford was ready to work with Jason Segel at that point, they clearly don’t know the man. While Ford certainly had Shrinking questions that needed to be answered, who he was performing with wasn’t one of them, especially after revisiting that infamous opening break-up scene where Segel has an emotional breakdown in the buff. 

While one of Kristen Bell's best characters dumps Jason Segel's Peter towards the beginning of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the scene had certainly left an impression on audiences all over. Not only was it a humorous moment based on a true moment in Segel's own history, but seeing him play out what could have been a standard scene of heartbreak through a nude performance only made the moment even more memorable.

Yes, it’s a story that seems too good to be true, especially with the wry wit of the Star Wars legend being what it is. Which is why it’s important to actually watch Harrison Ford talk to Stephen Colbert about Jason Segel’s penis, thanks to the clip below:

Just as some would look at Indiana Jones 5’s deaging and be impressed, Mr. Ford has seen his current co-star’s nude physique, as well as his acting range, and approves of both. Jason Segel is probably still blushing from this revelation, while at the same time taking pride in getting Harrison Ford to compliment him in such a crazy way on late night television. It’s good publicity at its finest and could make for an interesting second season, provided Shrinking is renewed for such an honor.

Harrison Ford fans have a lot to look forward to in 2023. Currently, he can be seen as part of the cast of Shrinking, which is available to stream for those with an Apple TV+ subscription. As for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the next and final chapter of Ford’s blockbuster saga will debut in theaters on June 30th. 

Apple TV+ has been hitting the ground running with its original shows for some time now. From the award-winning Ted Lasso to the M. Night Shyamalan-created Servant, to miniseries such as Black Bird, the streaming platform has truly been blowing up with awesome stories to tell. And now, a new show from Lasso star Brett Goldstein and co-creator Bill Lawrence has arrived, called Shrinking. 

The series, starring Harrison Ford and Jason Segel, documents the life of a therapist who is suffering from grief after losing his wife – and one day, he decides to just let it all go and tell his clients what he really feels about their issues. The Shrinking cast is filled to the brim with stars. Here is where you might have seen them before. 

Harrison Ford (Paul)

Harrison Ford plays Paul in the series, another therapist, and boy, if you haven’t seen this actor before, I fear you’ve been living under a rock. Ford has been in many movies throughout his career, but is mainly known for his roles in huge franchises. He portrayed Han Solo in the Star Wars movies, Indiana Jones in the Indiana Jones films (for which he is coming back to the role for a fifth and final film), and was one of the stars of the Blade Runner films, as well as starring as the titular character in the 1992 and 1994 Jack Ryan movies, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. 

Besides that, he’s appeared in many non-franchise movies as well, such as The Conversation, The Mosquito Coast, American Graffiti, The Age of Adaline, Random Hearts and more. Ford has mainly stuck to movies in the last fifty or so years, but he has had several guest appearances on television shows – and, most recently, took on a starring role in the Yellowstone spinoff series, 1923. 

Jason Segel (Jimmy Laird)

For people like me, Jason Segel is part of this generation’s comedy legends, and he is the star of Shrinking, where he plays Jimmy Laird. Segel is primarily known for his starring role in the legend–wait for it–dary show, How I Met Your Mother, but has appeared in several other shows including Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and 2022’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. 

Segel has also starred in several comedic films, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall,  Knocked Up, Bad Teacher, Gulliver’s Travels, The Five-Year Engagement and The Muppets. He was also in the Apple TV+ movie, The Sky is Everywhere in 2022. 

Jessica Williams (Gaby)

Moving on, we take a look at Jessica Williams, who plays Gaby in the new show, another therapist who works with Jimmy. Williams was a major correspondent on The Daily Show for some time, but has appeared in main and recurring roles in other shows such as Girls, Just for Kicks, and had a main role in the HBO Max original show, Love Life, in Season 2. 

In terms of films, she’s primarily been in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise, where she’s portrayed Lally Hicks in both Crimes of Grindelwald and Secrets of Dumbledore. She was also in the coming-of-age film, Booksmart, and in the movie Corporate Animals. 

Luke Tennie (Sean)

Next up on the list, we have Luke Tennie, who portrays Sean, a client of Jimmy’s who is featured very heavily throughout the trailer. Tennie has appeared in a few films in his career so far, which include Shock and Awe, as well as Thriller and Safety. 

He’s also appeared in a few television shows as well. He was a part of the cast of the Benedict Wong-led show, Deadly Class, but he also appeared in shows such as CSI: Vegas, Players, and On the Verge. I, for one can’t wait to see what he does next after a big show such as this. 

Michael Urie (Brian)

Next up on the Shrinking cast list is Michael Urie, who has the privilege of playing Brian in the new Apple TV+ series. Urie has been in television for some time now, and has had multiple big and recurring roles. He’s primarily known for his role in the hit show, Ugly Betty, but has since appeared in many other TV series. 

He had a main role in Mode After Hours, as well as Partners. He also appeared in Younger, as well as Almost Family and Bite, all three of which has a recurring role of some sort for the actor. Urie has also appeared in several movies, including He’s Way More Famous Than You, the hilarious modern Christmas movie, Single All The Way, and in the Apple TV+ original film, Swan Song, alongside Mahershala Ali. 

Truly someone who has been around for some time – and it’s so exciting to see him back in a TV series now as a main character. 

Christa Miller (Liz)

Moving on, we take a look at Christa Miller, who plays Liz in Shrinking, Jimmy’s neighbor who seems to be concerned about his behavior. Miller has been in a few movies, including Kiss & Tell, The Operator, Hot Air, and Breaking In, but she’s mainly used a lot of her talents on television. 

She had a main role on the Courteney Cox-led show, Cougar Town, for several seasons, as well as The Drew Carey Show, but she’s also appeared in recurring roles on several other television shows that you might recognize her from. These include the medical comedy Scrubs (whom Bill Lawrence also created), Head of the Class and Clone High. Now, she’s back in the seat as a main character and it’s great to see her in a show such as this. 

Lukita Maxwell (Alice)

Last up on the list, we take a look at Lukita Maxwell, a relative newcomer to Hollywood. She hasn’t been in any feature films yet, but she has appeared in a few shows prior to her role as Alice in Shrinking, Jimmy's young daughter who is also suffering from the loss of her mother. 

Maxwell appeared in the HBO Max show, Generation, as well as the series Speechless. Hopefully after this, we’ll get to see a heck of a lot more of her. 

With such a star-studded cast, here's hoping that Shrinking will lead to us seeing even more of these stars in the future – and that they'll possibly even shine brighter than ever before. 

In Hollywood, it isn’t hard to imagine certain actors working together on projects that never caught on. One such show is the classic college comedy Undeclared., which can be streamed with an Amazon Prime subscription. The show was the brainchild of Judd Apatow as a follow-up to another cult classic – NBC’s Freaks and Geeks, which Jason Segel starred in, among many others. Of course, some Freaks and Geeks actors filtered over to the underrated Fox comedy. This led to Segel and a then-unknown Kevin Hart becoming roommates, and even as a Hollywood newbie, the How I Met Your Mother star recalled how the Jumanji: Next Level actor was the hardest working guy in the business.

Their real-life situation mirrored their characters in the college-centric comedy. Kevin Hart played Bible-thumping co-ed Luke opposite Jason Segel’s copy shop owner Eric. The comedic actors played well off each other during the series’ short run. That was part of Apatow’s master plan, according to Segel. The actor spilled on Jimmy Kimmel Live! how the whole scenario played out: 

Being two young men sharing a small space could’ve spelled disaster, but it seemed to have the opposite. As Jason Segel told the story, it appeared that he and Kevin Hart formed a bond that is still intact, and the Hollywood star we know today was just part of the Ride Along actor’s DNA. Hart was meant to be a major star as he practiced his craft even as an LA transplant. His determination and drive have always been there, so the comedian with his hands in every field has been there since the beginning.

Kevin Hart hasn’t been shy about his rise in Hollywood. Hart spoken up a few times about his failures and maintaining his well-earned success in the entertainment industry. He even reflected on little moments that jumpstarted his career, like his cameo in Terror Squad’s “Lean Back” music video as a crucial step in his ascension. Despite hs incredible fame and success, Kevin still has goals to fulfill, like becoming a billionaire. His work ethic and determination are inching him closer to that status, as seen in Hart's recap of his biggest 2021 moments.

Along with Kevin Hart and Jason Segel, Undeclared was stacked with future stars, with Seth Rogen, Charlie Hunnam, Jay Baruchel, and many more either starring, recurring, or appearing in guest spots. Despite receiving critical acclaim, much like its predecessor Freaks and Geeks, it was canceled after one season due to low ratings. In the two decades since Undeclared's cancellation, the Fox sitcom has increased its following and become regarded as an underrated classic.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on both Jason Segel and Kevin Hart's careers. The former most recently starred in Netflix's Windfall, and the latter can be seen later this year in The Man from Toronto and heard in DC League of Super-Pets.

For years, Freaks and Geeks alum Jason Segel has been known for starring in rom-com films like I Love You, Man and successful TV shows like How I Met Your Mother. Considering the series finale of How I Met Your Mother aired back in March 2014, Segel has not been tied down to the world of Tinseltown for quite some time. Now, Segel shares where he's made his home since leaving Hollywood.

While some actors may be all for the glitz and glam of celebrity life, Jason Segel definitely is not one of them. On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Segel revealed that he's experiencing small-town living and opened up about what he enjoys about it:

The star definitely paints a quaint picture, and one can imagine that it's refreshing for him after the hustle bustle of the city. Something he also relishes is a lack of notoriety and, based on his comments, it's easy for him to go incognito in a post-How I Met Your Mother world:

This comedic actor isn't only star who has made the bold decision to leave Hollywood within the past several years. For instance, Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky left Hollywood in order to detach themselves from work. They also say that living in their new home in Byron Bay, Australia has also allowed their kids to spend more time with nature and have fun with animals. Recently Matthew McConaughey’s wife, Camila Alves, opened up about their decision to leave the star-studded town. And last November, it was even reported that Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendez were looking to move away from California in order to look after their children’s well-being and privacy.

While Jason Segel is enjoying the simple life, he's still doing the acting work that he loves. One of his most recent projects, ironically, is the flashy inning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (which can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription).  Critics are enjoying the basketball-centric HBO show, which is likely gratifying for Segel as a Los Angeles native and longtime fan of the NBA team. Aside from the TV series, he also recently starred in Windfall, available with a Netflix subscription.

Despite his work, it's likely that Jason Segel will continue to bask in his relaxing surroundings. And to be honest, given how busy Hollywood is, you can't really blame him.

Harrison Ford is widely known for his work on the big screen, from his iconic roles in massive franchises like Indiana Jones and Star Wars to his performances in smaller features like Regarding Harry and Sabrina. With so many film credits under his belt, it’s no wonder he hasn’t done any regular television work over the years. That’s about to change, though, as the star is heading to the small screen for his first-ever starring role. And he’ll be doing so by way of streaming. 

Harrison Ford has been cast in Shrinking, a 10-episode series that’s been set up at Apple TV+. According to TVLine, the series will pair the 79-year-old actor star with Jason Segel, who also created the show alongside Ted Lasso’s Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein. As of right now, the streamer has not announced a release date for the upcoming show. 

Shrinking sees Jason Segel playing the role of Jimmy, a therapist who begins to bend the rules of his practice as he processes a loss. Per the logline, the character's sudden decision to be brutally honest with his patients will have major ramifications on their lives as well as his own. Meanwhile, the Air Force One cast member will play the character’s mentor, Dr. Phil Rhodes, a blunt, fair and highly successful shrink who finds himself dealing with a new normal after he is diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. 

This honestly sounds like a perfect role for Harrison Ford, who has a knack for playing seasoned, no-nonsense characters. I can practically hear the dry-witted one-liners now. Aside from the comedy though, there’s sure to be a tender and more heartbreaking aspect to the portrayal. And those who’ve followed Ford’s career surely know the actor is just as capable of making audiences tear up as he is with making them laugh or cheer.

Since his acting career began in the ‘60s, the Han Solo actor has only had guest roles on various TV shows. He’s appeared on notable programs like Ironside, The Mod Squad, and Gunsmoke. He also has a small-screen credit through The Star Wars Holiday Special, though the less said about that the better. On a more memorable note, the star also briefly appeared in an episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1993.

Speaking of Dr. Jones, the beloved film series' fifth installment wrapped back in February. The movie kicked off production around June 2021, though Harrison Ford injured himself shortly after work began. Ford, who’s no stranger to getting hurt on a set, returned to work around that October. I’d like to think that the star’s work on this new project won’t be quite as strenuous.

If Ted Lasso is anything to go by, Shrinking could be a hilariously sentimental show that serves as a strong showcase for its two leading men. It’s wonderful that Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein are gifting audiences with another television creation, and the fact that it serves as Harrison Ford’s first starring role is simply the icing on the cake.

Be sure to grab an Apple TV+ subscription ahead of the show’s premiere and keep in the know on other new or returning shows by checking out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule.

On Friday, March 18, 2022, Netflix debuted an original, Hitchcockian thriller called Windfall, which features a stellar performance by Jason Segel, who also helped write the story with director Charlie McDowell and others. To some, seeing the former How I Met Your Mother cast member performing in (let alone helping create) something much darker than, say, 2008’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You Man from 2009, or 2011’s The Muppets might be a little surprising. Well, that is just because they have not been paying enough attention to his career.

Segel, who landed his breakout role as Nick Andropolis in the Freaks and Geeks cast, is more than just a good comedic actor and writer, and is also one of the sharpest and most versatile talents working today, as far as I am concerned. However, there are still a lot people who only see him as Marshall Eriksen and struggle to see past his best-known role, even nearly a decade after HIMYM ended. Well, perhaps I can help change that by shining the spotlight on some of the more under-appreciated Jason Segel movies (and one TV show) that really see the actor at his best by showing his more serious side, starting with the first time he showed that side of himself to the mainstream.

The End of The Tour (David Foster Wallace)

Quick note: you will find that a good chunk of the titles on this list happen to be inspired by true stories, such as this acclaimed, A24-produced drama from director James Ponsoldt. What sets The End of the Tour apart from other, more conventional biopics, however, is that it is, essentially, just a conversation between two men - namely Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg as Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and Jason Segel, who totally should have gotten an Oscar nomination, at least, as the late, celebrated author David Foster Wallace.

In 1996, Lipsky - whose memoir, Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, inspired the film - spends the last five days of Wallace’s promotional tour for his seminal novel, Infinite Jest, interviewing the talented and thoughtful, yet complicated, man for a profile story. The two leads play off each other brilliantly, portraying the more civil and conflicting moments of their short time together with equally impressive naturalism, but it is really Segel’s transcendent performance that makes this conversation a memorable occasion.

Come Sunday (Henry)

A few years after his stunning portrayal of David Foster Wallace, Jason Segel filled the shoes of another real-life person (well, more accurately, a composite of several real-life people) in director Joshua Marston’s dramatization of the life of Carlton Pearson. On an episode of the NPR show This American Life, the televangelist shared his story of the controversy and the rejection he and his family faced when he publicly declared his belief that there is no Hell.

Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor portrays the infamous preacher in Come Sunday - which was released to Netflix in 2018 - alongside Segel as his right-hand man and business partner, Henry, who struggles to come terms with how Pearson’s announcement affects the popularity of their congregation. Segel told IndieWire that he was very moved by the story’s theme of inclusion and was proud to be a part of the film as a sort of catharsis for what Pearson and his family went through. It certainly shows in his performance.

Our Friend (Dane Faucheaux)

A few years after starring in Come Sunday, Jason Segel portrayed another real-life person (and, I mean one actual person, and not a composite of several real-life people) in Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite's dramatization of Matthew Teague’s Esquire article, “The Friend.” The essay recalls his experience raising his two daughters, Molly and Evie, with the help of his buddy, Dane Faucheux, after his wife, Nicole, was diagnosed with cancer.

Academy Award winner Casey Affleck plays Matt in 2021’s Our Friend, along with Dakota Johnson as Nicole and Segel as Dane, which is the one role out of this list that may remind you the most of Marshall Eriksen, for him being a loving father, a loyal friend, and an aspiring stand-up comedian at one time. Yet, it is still easy to separate Segel’s HIMYM character from what might be the actor’s most genuine and down-to-earth performance yet.

The Discovery (Will)

Years before starring in and helping write Windfall for Netflix, Jason Segel’s first collaboration with writer and director Charlie McDowell (son of Malcolm) was another Netflix original film of an especially bizarre, inventive, and daring nature. Released in 2017, The Discovery takes place a couple years after a renowned scientist (Academy Award winner Robert Redford) is successfully able to provide scientific evidence of an afterlife, inspiring millions to see for themselves what is on the other side.

Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara plays a woman named Isla, who is one of the many people who want to break free from our current plane of existence, but determined to convince her to stick around is Will (Segel), who is skeptical of the afterlife despite being the son of the man who discovered it. Segel does a wonderful job playing an everyman who finds himself in a situation - or, more accurately, a world - that is anything but ordinary.

Dispatches From Elsewhere (Peter)

A couple of years after working on The Discovery, Jason Segel would present his own vision of a bizarre, inventive, and daring story in the form of his own TV show. Originally premiering on AMC in 2020, Dispatches from Elsewhere is about four diverse individuals, each of whom are suffering from some sort of existential crisis, who receive the chance to uncover a new world hiding in plain sight.

Alongside musician and actor Andre Benjamin, Academy Award winner Sally Field, and up-and-comer Eve Lindley, Segel not only leads the cast of this mind-bending, 10-episode limited series, but also created the show himself and directed the pilot. His passion for the project is clear in his performance as Peter, a man seeking to overcome his disillusionment and find the ambition he needs in this strange puzzle that mysteriously falls into his lap.

There is no sign of Jason Segel stopping his impressive streak yet as he can now be seen in HBO Max's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty cast as former NBA coach Paul Westhead. He is also writing, producing, and starring in an upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series called Shrinking.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our society and culture, locked door thrillers and dramas have proven to be an interesting outlet for filmmakers. It’s logical, both psychologically and practically. While following social distancing protocols and being health conscious, people around the world have experienced movie-worthy drama in their own lives while in lockdown, and as a result, the ability for any of us to relate to characters’ circumstances increases. It’s also just a hell of a lot easier to make a film in general when you are only using one location and a limited number of principal characters.

When film critics and historians eventually create an entire field of study around the mid-pandemic era of moviemaking, I can imagine Charlie McDowell’s Windfall being held up as a perfect model case – not only because of the limitations that inspired its creation and execution, but also because of its poignant and sharp examination of the wealth gap in our society (an issue which has only been magnified since the global spread of COVID-19 began).

Windfall was initially conceptualized by Charlie McDowell, Jason Segel, Justin Lader and Andrew Kevin Walker out of the desire to remain creative during the pandemic, and with the filmmakers knowing that they could have access to shoot at a specific house on an orange grove in Ojai, California. What they hatched was the idea for a peaceful home invasion that quickly spirals into a tense hostage situation, with four unnamed, complex characters providing absorbing perspectives as they all try and work toward a peaceful conclusion to the drama.

As we first enter the aforementioned Ojai property, its lavish amenities are being enjoyed by Nobody (Jason Segel). He sits in the sun drinking a glass of orange juice, eats fruit right off the branch in the orchard, and while rifling through drawers finds a fair amount of cash to fill his pockets. Of course, it’s quite apparent that he is not supposed to be there – and panic sets in when the actual owners, CEO (Jesse Plemons) and Wife (Lily Collins), arrive for a spur-of-the-moment getaway weekend.

Nobody at first tries to slink out the door without being noticed, but everything goes sideways when Wife spots him. At first, the home invader’s plan is to keep CEO and Wife confined in an on-property steam room and escape with a head start – confident that he has left no trace of himself at the house and that they won’t be able to remember him – but that idea goes out the window when he discovers that there is a security camera right above where he parked his car.

Pivoting, Nobody understands that he can’t destroy the security footage, and decides that his only out is to take enough money from CEO that he can disappear and live his life on the run. Of course, that quantity of cash can’t be summoned instantly, and they learn that the money won’t be delivered until the following night. With Nobody keeping hold of a gun that he finds in a drawer, the trio spends a tense 36 hours together, with patience wearing thin and tensions slowly rising.

Windfall's compelling characters keep you hooked as the clock ticks down.

A reflection of the characters’ namelessness, few details are provided about Nobody, Wife, and CEO as people beyond their present circumstance, with Windfall keeping a tight lid on exposition. They don’t present as bland abstracts, however, as the movie has a way of providing just enough information about them so that you can see the situation through their specific points of view.

Nobody is obviously a criminal, but he also has a compelling eat-the-rich hunger with which it’s exceptionally easy to empathize. CEO is a victim of a theft, but he is also an egotistical, classist jerk with no recognition of his privilege and advantages. Between these respective id and superego-driven personalities is Wife, who didn’t grow up with money, but knew the life-changing choice she was making when she agreed to marry the one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Their individual perceptions of the world instantly drive divisions between them, and sly deceptions stirred into the mix see loyalties shift and become questionable. It’s a slow burn with an explosive finish.

There's a slowdown in the middle of Windfall, but it finds a (no pun intended) second wind.

Pulling off a slow burn with a story as intimate and confined as Windfall’s is tricky business, but the film is mostly successful. There is a drag in the second act when the characters are ironically killing time until the money arrives, but the movie is reenergized with the introduction of the fourth character in this tale: a talented and enterprising Gardner (Omar Leyva) who tries to grasp at opportunity when he finds himself in the position of having face time with CEO. This new player winds up having a fascinating impact on the socio/economic themes of the plot – though I unfortunately can’t dig too far into details without brushing against key spoilers.

This also happens to be one of those magical thrillers packing an ending that makes one reconsider everything that precedes it, and instantly inspires rewatch curiosity.

Jesse Plemons, Jason Segel, and Lily Collins all deliver terrific, dynamic performances.

Like any talk-heavy, theatre-like drama, performances are vital, and all three stars here are doing tremendous work. Jesse Plemons, who just keeps proving himself one of the most impressive talents of his generation, is the standout, putting on a slick and sinister turn that is comical while never making CEO likable (a thin line to walk). Jason Segel, meanwhile, succeeds in the sinister, using his natural charisma to counterbalance his skuzzy appearance and behavior. Between the two men, Lily Collins’ work is more subtle, but also surgical and intriguing.

While film as a medium allows creatives to change the rules of time and reality, I will forever be fascinated by a movie that can retain my attention for 90 minutes with a handful of characters and one enclosed space – and Windfall gives my constant itch a through scratching. It’s a stylish, well-crafted Hitchcockian thriller, a smart modern commentary, and a great actor showcase.

Secretive film projects are nothing new in Hollywood. But the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in many studios’ production plans due to the Hollywood shutdown. With that said, some films (i.e., Malcolm and Marie) were filmed in secret to resounding success. It was recently revealed a secret film starring Our Friend star Jason Segel was picked up by Netflix. This news came out after the cast was finally ready to talk about said project, titled Windfall.

The Mank star took to her Instagram to speak on the surprise film. According to Lily Collins, the project was filmed during the Hollywood shutdown last year without anyone’s knowledge. Collins couldn’t hold back her excitement as she wrote in her surprising post:

It was fun to learn that Collins’ new role allowed her to stretch as an actress. Working on a secret film with Jason Segel and Jesse Plemons seemed like a fun collaborative project during the ongoing pandemic. Lily Collins even took the moment to thank the writers for giving her an unconventional character compared to her previous roles. She seemed grateful for the experience. At least, she understood her new role unlike her role in Mank. But the Emily in Paris star wasn’t done speaking about the film.

Lily Collins continued to sing the film’s praise in her Instagram post. The actress revealed the film set followed safety protocols during the pandemic while shouting out Netflix. Collins gave her followers some insight into the mysterious film project:

Lily Collins’ recollection of filming Windfall made the film seem like an event worth waiting for. To see Collins’ behind-the-scenes news, check out the actress’s full post below:

Hearing about a secret film starring Lily Collins, Jason Segel and Jesse Plemons means Windfall could go any direction. Comedy? Drama? Arthouse? Collins left the film’s themes and plot a complete mystery to her followers. This will mark the second film Jason Segel viewers see him in after the release of Our Friend earlier this year despite no release date being announced. In the meantime, you can check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 movie guide for more films coming out.