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:
Listen, it's like the best problem you could ever have, for sure, especially when you're scared you might never work.
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:
It actually, in practice, was a really tricky time, because Forgetting Sarah Marshall did so well, all modesty aside, that all of a sudden you have this juice that you dreamt of having, where you could get a movie made. Which is a big deal. And I also liked to write, and there was a lot of currency in my group of writing your own movies. It’s like that showed that you meant business.
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:
The way my life was for about six years was I would be shooting How I Met Your Mother. And during that time, I would be writing a movie that we would then shoot on the four months off and get done in time to get back to How I Met Your Mother. And it was an amazing time. It was an electric time. But I also was getting a little tired, and I was starting to not enjoy myself so much.
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.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
