How the creators of Apple TV+’s ‘Shrinking’ landed none other than Harrison Ford

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Editor’s note: This article came from The Hollywood Reporter and may contain some inappropriate language.

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“Shrinking,” starring Harrison Ford, an actor of whom you may have heard, follows a grieving therapist (played by Jason Segel) who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks.

Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives — including his own. The series premiered globally with the first two episodes on Friday, January 27th, on Apple TV+. It will be followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday.

Ten episodes into production of the Apple TV+ grief comedy Shrinking, co-creator Brett Goldstein insists the cast and crew were still asking, “How the fuck is Harrison Ford here?” In truth, Goldstein (aka Roy Kent of Ted Lasso) has often wondered it too, incredulous that the Indiana Jones star agreed to make his comedy debut in the small-screen ensemble rolling out Jan. 27. But there he is, playing a gruff shrink opposite Jason Segel’s grieving, widowed therapist in the half-hour series from Segel, Goldstein and his former Ted Lasso showrunner Bill Lawrence. The trio — Segel and Goldstein in person, Lawrence later by phone — joined THR in late January to preview the show that’s as likely to make viewers laugh as it is to make them cry.

THR So, Harrison Ford. What made you even think you could get him?

LAWRENCE I don’t have a lot of epiphanies anymore, but one that I had recently was that people saying “no” doesn’t sting as much as it used to. I used to feel so rejected all the time that when you’d reach out to somebody you idolized or admired and it was a no, and sometimes it was a “Fuck no,” it hurt. But I got to a point that I wish I was at as a kid trying to date and taking chances on things, where I can be like, “Hey, you wanna do this? No? Cool, see ya around.” Here, the only real thing for me was how ill-prepared I was to get anything but a no from Harrison Ford.

GOLDSTEIN I think it was like a joke. Like, “Obviously not Harrison Ford, but someone like Harrison Ford.”

SEGEL Yes, you offer it to someone like Harrison Ford, so that for like a week you can say out loud, “Oh, we’re out to Harrison Ford.” And then you’ll go to the real person. Then Brett heroically got him.

GOLDSTEIN I was in London and he was filming Indiana Jones [and the Dial of Destiny], and I suddenly get a missed call, “Hey, it’s Harrison Ford.” I was like, “What the fuck is happening?” I went to his apartment to discuss it. And the discussion was very, very quick because he wanted to do it. I thought I’d be there to convince him. Nope.

THR And there you were presumably sweating.

GOLDSTEIN Oh yeah, I’m going to meet Indiana Fucking Jones…